While not actually rod building related, I seek your opinion(s) since (assumably) most of you actually utilize the rods you fabricate and actually fish them. #1.) For saltwater, if it matters, what are the best polarized fishing sunglasses? #2.) What are the best polarized sunglasses under $100.00? #3.) How much actual difference is there = are the expensive ones worth it?
I posted the same question a few years ago and received a number of replies which were certainly appreciated. At that time, I decided to purchase a pair of Bomers because they seemed to be the best-bsng-for-the-buck; they were adequate and affordable. But they never seemed to really eliminate the glare to allow me to see beneath the surface (maybe I’m expecting too much). Watch cha got? Thanks!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Hate to say it but I am sun sensitive. Bright sunlight can cause me, what is it called snow blindness?

Now some might laugh at this, but honestly, I'm a real cheapskate. I have lost or broken so many sunglasses over the years that expensive ones are just out of the question. So, I grab mine at walmart usually for less than $10 per pair and they work just fine for me. I just make sure they are indeed polarized and darkest light muting lens I can get. I keep it simple and cheap. Especially cheap. On a retired income these days.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2022 06:25PM by Kent Griffith.

Kent's $10 wonders make. me look like a spend thrift. I'm now wearing $20 Toreges from Amazon. The polarized brown lens are close to the RayBan Brown 3 aviators I never flew without long ago. The ear pieces are wide to block side glare. And at $20 it is not a financial disaster when (not if) they go overboard.

Personally I wear Costa sunglasses. The ones with the glass lenses tend to hold up better with scratching. I don't leave them in a case. They just float around in the back seat of my truck. I've got blue lenses for offshore and green lenses for inshore. Only downside is the rubber nose pieces fall apart after a few years. And I've had guys wearing cheap sunglasses right next to me and not throw a cast net or lure at fish because they don't see them and I see them clear as day. Not to say there aren't some good inexpensive options out there. And the mark up on sunglasses is insane. I know I'm way overpaying buying Costa.

Donald La Mar Wrote:
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> The ear pieces are wide to block side glare.

This is a great point I neglected to mention. Shape is important and even the cheapies I get are shaped to cup the eye so side glare is minimized as well.

Just checked the walmart website and they offer several fishing brands sunglasses for just under $10 each from Berkley to Strike King and Renegade. I usually get the Renegades.

I'll check out the Toreges.

I like my Costas with a green mirror lens. For inexpensive sunglasses I like the flying fisherman, again with a green mirror lens. I believe they are located in the Florida keys. Really nice sunglasses for the price.
Norm

I have two pairs of fishing sunglasses that I have had for years. Both pairs are Oakley. One has the brown tinted lenses that are made for low light conditions, the other with black lenses that are meant for bright sun light. As mentioned above, I have fished with friends that went the less expensive route, and they can't see some of the things that are under water, that I can see. Especially with the brown tinted glasses that I have. I use the brown tinted lenses when I am fishing shallow, and the black lenses when fishing off shore.

I also wear the black lens glasses as my every day sunglasses, and I really should replace them as the lenses have some scratches that are starting to affect their visual clarity. I'll be replacing them soon, I'm just not certain which brand I will go with. More than likely it will be Costa Del Mar, but there is a brand called Pelagic that has my interest as well.

I'm sure there are less expensive glasses that will do an adequate job, but personally I'd rather spend the extra money and know that I am getting a good pair of sunglasses that will last for some time.

To all,
I certainly appreciate the replies and hopefully others will follow.
As Kent, I have hesitated spending big-bucks on sunglasses which are prone to abuse from rough handling in a fishing environment. But then, one gets what one pays for (excluding being ripped-off). Costas, as Tyler and Norman suggested, seem to be the “gold standard” for premium sunglasses and their price reflects such = wow, $200.00! I will research Norman’s other suggestion of “flying fisherman”as well. Oakley’s, as David mentioned, are certainly a well-known brand and will research that possibility as well.
Even being the cheap bastard that I am, I have learned that skimping on tools (or fabrication materials) is almost always counterproductive = pay me now or pay me later. Sunglasses are a fishing tool!!! While Costas may be overly expensive, if they are the “cream ‘de cream”, then so be it; I want to be able to see those fish flipping me off!!!
Lens color has been introduced; what is the theory of the different colors?
I hopefully am expecting other opinions as to the best sunglasses available, both for trout and tuna.
Thanks for taking the time to ease my eyes.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

There are a number of high end sunglasses, Costa, Oakley, Wiley X, Maui Jim, and a few others. Can’t go wrong with any of them.
Here is something concerning lens color.
[www.onthewater.com]
Norm

Since I need corective lens in order to tie knots and optimize my distance vision (although distance is pretty good without correction) I really like progressive bi-focals, which can get pretty expensive. Also, many of the shapes/designs/brands don't offer progressives, or even bi-focals. I'm on my second set of progressive/polarized glasses from Zenni Optical (on-line). I also buy my regular glasses there. Their performance is very good, in my opinion.

The suns cost about $185.

Obviously, if one does not need correction you can do a lot better for price, but for progressive bifocal polarized glasses with titanium frames, $180 is pretty good.

Since polarization is pretty straightforward technically, I don't think there is a lot of difference between different brands for reducing glare. There may be other attributes that make the pricier options better, but cutting glare is not one of them, in my opinion. I replaced a set of lens in my Oakleys with an off-brand not long ago, and the cost was about $20 instead of Oakley's about $100. I could not see any performance difference.

Mark Talmo Wrote:
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> Lens color has been introduced; what is the theory
> of the different colors?

Good question.

I found some info online about color choices... [www.sportrx.com]

Neutral

Gray lenses are best for offshore fishing where the sun is hot and intense because they offer the most protection. Rather than being a high-contrast lens, a gray tint doesn’t change color perception and allows you to see true-to-world color instead. If you’re headed to open waters and need to prioritize light-blocking over color enhancement, gray is the best lens for fishing.

Contrast-Enhancing

Copper, rose, and brown tints are your high-contrast lenses. Ideal for inshore fishing where you need to spot and track fish, these lenses boost contrast to better define color in flats, beds, and shallow water. They’re still protective, but not so dark that they can’t transition between sunny and cloudy weather.

Low-Light

Low-light lenses often have a yellow, copper, or amber base to help reduce blue light and brighten your environment when you’re out at dawn, dusk, or a particularly overcast day. For instance, Costa uses their Sunrise Silver mirror, Maui Jim has an HT (high transmission) lens, and Kaenon has several combinations of yellow and copper bases with silver mirrors to maximize light transmission.

Mirror Coating

Mirror coatings are applied to the front side of the lens to reflect light and provide even more sun protection.

Blue Mirror

Applying a blue mirror to your lens is perfect for deep sea fishing because it works overtime to block harsh light trying to get in from all angles. You have several options for a blue mirror, like Oakley’s PRIZM Deep Water that utilizes a rose base and a blue mirror, or others like Costa and SMITH, that use a gray base with a blue mirror.

Green Mirror

A green mirror applied to a high-contrast lens enhances your vision even further for inshore, sight fishing. It bleaches out brown, dirty water and enhances the greens to make it easier to spot fish. For instance, Costa does this by using a copper lens with a green mirror to boost contrast and illuminate your field of vision.

Here is another article on how and why to choose which one...

[breaklineoptics.com]


I am curious about something mentioned above...

David Baylor Wrote:
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> I have two pairs of fishing sunglasses that I have
> had for years. Both pairs are Oakley. One has the
> brown tinted lenses that are made for low light
> conditions, the other with black lenses that are
> meant for bright sun light. As mentioned above, I
> have fished with friends that went the less
> expensive route, and they can't see some of the
> things that are under water, that I can see.
> Especially with the brown tinted glasses that I
> have. I use the brown tinted lenses when I am
> fishing shallow, and the black lenses when fishing
> off shore.


For me, seeing into the water is dependent on polarization. I always thought the reason we could see into the water is because the polarization is aligning the light waves before they enter the eye. Without polarization light waves are hitting the eye from all sorts of angles and glare, etc. Lining up the light waves together before going into the eye is what I believed was most important of all.

Yet above, color is noted as being a critical component of seeing into the water.

So now I am curious if maybe there is something to this?

Clear polarized lens would allow to pass probably close to 100% of the light. While darker lens would tend to reduce this somewhat which is what I seek. But lowering the light to the eye would tend to indicate less reflective data reaching the eye, or reduced vision.

But one thing I have never considered is should a color also be important and chosen based on the color of the water and background we are wanting to look into? I know, taking it to the extreme, but curious about this now as I've always rolled with 2 primary choices, 1 being polarized is mandatory, and 2 being dark light muting lens that does not throw off natural coloring.

So if looking into the water is as important or more important than light muting, then maybe color of lens does play a larger role in what we can see under the surface of the water. I've never really considered this before until reading David's comment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2022 09:09AM by Kent Griffith.

I really like these from Native.
[www.basspro.com]

I was looking for UV protection and impact resistant...etc...etc...

Chris Catignani Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I really like these from Native.
> [www.basspro.com]
> horn-xd9019-polarized-sunglasses
>
> I was looking for UV protection and impact
> resistant...etc...etc...

Another great issue. UV protection. Curious about that one too, but apparently we don't really have to worry about that one because from what I found online "most" sunglasses whether polarized or not have some UV protection built in to the lens:

"Do all sunglasses have UV protection?

Most sunglasses today have UV protection embedded in the lens rather than coated over it, and most reputable brands list UV protection on their label. Look for a label that says “100% protection against both UVA and UVB” or “100% protection against UV 400.”Jul 12, 2018"

And:

"Look for a pair of sunglasses specifically designed for UV eye protection that are rated UV400 or higher; that means they'll block 99.9% of UV rays. Lenses should also be polarized, to help neutralize harmful glare. And watch out for false UV labels – not all UV sunglasses are created equal."

And the glasses you mentioned above say this in the description:

"These ophthalmic-grade polycarbonate lenses deliver 100% UV protection, block more than 90% of potentially harmful blue light"

Harmful blue light? Back to the color issue. Maybe I have not been protecting my eyes as well as I should. Thanks to this thread I am learning I should be more careful in selection. So I checked my cheapskate walmart sunglass descriptions...

"all Strike King models are 100% polarized. They block 100% of harmful ultraviolet light," and nothing about harmful blue light...

Berkley is the same as above: "polarized lenses to reduce glare and provide 100% UVA and 100% UVB blockage" again no mention of harmful blue light...

Renegade is similar but with a mention of 2 UV's to block: "Ultimate anti-glare polarized Lens 100% UVA and UVB protection"


Might be time to bump it up some. Those Bass Pro sunglasses mentioned here with the 90% harmful blue light reduction are $60.

Good discussion learning what I have been missing and just not paying any attention to. I thought I had it covered.

Be very glad you don't need prescription glasses and have eyes that change enough that you must have new ones every year. Most insurance policies will not cover two complete set of glasses every year. That could leave you spending $600 easy for a good frame with premium polarized progressive lens.

For those in that situation looking for a cheaper solution consider something like the Cocoons polarized fitovers. I liked mine.

Color is certainly important if your goal is to see under the water line.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

[majorleaguefishing.com]

I also have an eye condition and my eye surgeon looked at my sunglasses and said terrific for my use. They are not what i call cheap, but for me they are expensive. I wear FISHGILZ they are polarized

My take on glasses for FISHING. I fish strictly from beaches and cliff areas but fhave fished from boats on a few occasions. Over the last 40 years I have used all the major brands and a few cheapos, always polarized and with UV protection. Started with Costa Del Mar, then Maui Jim's, then Ray Ban, then Oakley, back to Maui Jim, and now strictly Costa's 580G for the last 9-10 years. My first Costa's in the 80's were awesome but got stolen. Went to Sunglass Hut and tried out all that was available and found the MJ's fit my face well and the glass lenses were good at the store and great from shore. My only complaint was the hinges always caught and pulled my hair when on top of my head. Next was Ray Bans but for some reason the lens got scratched and I stopped using them because I was then given two Oakley's, poly lenses. I liked the light weight and settled on using them for a few years but felt the clarity wasn't as good as MJ or Costa. I then went full on MJ poly lenses, all the different shades for the different sun conditions and was very satisfied until I tried on a pair of Costa's 580G green mirrors, Much clearer and sharper than anything I had used before. I also picked up the 580P lenses to determine if the weight difference was a game changer but the clarity isn't the same and the weight wasn't that big of a deal to me. The older I get the more help I need to see the fish in the water and Costa's work for me. One thing I do have to say is that even though I always wore what seemed to be the best polarized with UV protective lenses my right eye developed a pterygium so none of my eye wear helped to prevent that.

Damn fancy polarized progressive bifocals cost as much as a fly rod! But can’t tie a knot without them. Bronze

You must stop the BACKLIGHT from entering and reflecting into your eye in order to see beyond the surface of the water. Without wearing wide brimmed head gear sunglasses alone wont be effective. Try it, next time out, bring a bucket hat , cowboy hat , or sombrero and just scan the water only wearing the sunglasses, then put on the hat and scan the same area of water. I bet you'll see a lot more !

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

I'm another vote for glasses from Zenni, especially if you are in the market for prescription glasses. I wouldn't hesitate to use them for non-prescription glasses, but the savings over what is available in some of the name brands off the shelf isn't nearly as much. With my vision insurance's annual glasses credit, I got both my regular and fishing glasses for pretty much the cost of shipping and sales tax (~$15-$20).

Dennis makes a good point about light from the sides and behind. Before I needed prescription glasses, I used a pair of Oakley Half Jackets (the original model). They did a great job of minimizing light coming in from the sides and behind, and were my favorite. I use the same frame and lens from Zenni for both regular and fishing glasses. The biggest negative is the extraneous light that comes in, but I like that they feel the same on my face and keep the lenses away from the sweat on my cheeks. Next time I may opt for something in more of a wraparound sunglass style for my fishing glasses.

That said, I would not recommend mirror coatings from Zenni. They apply them way too thick which limits the amount of light that passes through too much and leads to internal reflections from light that enters the lens from behind. I tried to replicate those Oakleys in my first pair from Zenni. That was a lesson learned. My current lenses are brown Coppertone, and get the job done nicely, although I need to make an effort to block some of the extra light.

Growing up I used the super cheap glasses, but once I bought a nice pair with good optics, I learned quickly how much eye fatigue I got from those cheap glasses. Personally, I would spend the money on a decent set of glasses. The cost is about the same as the components for a decent bass rod or a good casting reel these days.

As far as what lenses are best for your fishing, given that I'm a freshwater guy, I'm probably not the best source of advice, but I do have some thoughts. I use amber, brown, or copper tinted lenses (depending on what the manufacturer calls it), but I'm fishing in water with greenish and brownish tints that have yellow light passing trough. The enhanced contrast comes from the fact that tints in the yellow family absorb blue light (most prevalent in deeper water due to absorption of different wavelengths at different depths) and enhances the natural colors of the fish I'm trying to spot. Mirror coatings don't seem to make a significant difference in my fishing environment, but I'm not often in a situation where I'm surrounded by nothing but blue sky and highly reflective water. If I were searching for offshore glasses, I would likely look for something more along the lines of the greenish tint found in the traditional Polaroid polarizing filters, and likely pair it with a mirror coating to help with some of the scattered light. The mirror coating helps reduce the light passing through the lens in extremely bright conditions, although I'm inclined to believe that the actual color of the coating has minimal impact on its effectiveness (blue or green if you do).