Thanks to all who took the time to afford me with a wealth of information and additional links. While many brands were offered, it appears the Costas are mentioned more often than the others. I learned from this post that green lenses are the preferred color for offshore fishing in particular and work well for freshwater as well. All my previous sunglasses have been gray, often mirrored, because I didn’t care for other colors which change the real colors of what I’m looking at. But if green mirror Costas will allow me to see those fish flipping me off, then so be it. I’ll order a pair,,,,, when the sticker-shock wears off a little lol.

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

I've had many brands but now I only wear Oakley. Check out the Prizm Polarized sport series lenses. They have a deep water lens and shallow water lens as well as several others for various activities. Oakley's hold up very well in my experience and you can buy replacement lenses if needed. I have some 15+ year old Flak Jackets that I've been wearing for duck hunting all those years. They've been dropped in the water and mud, stepped on, knocked off my face while walking and boating through flooded timber. I have another pair for when I ride my Harley that have been hit with all kinds of debris and bugs. Both pairs have seen far more abuse than any of my fishing glasses that I have.

Mark, don’t order them online until you go to a retailer that sells them so you can try them on for fit. There are many different faces out there that’s why they make so many different frame styles. Just a correction, blue mirror is supposedly best for offshore and green mirror supposedly best for inshore and saltwater.
If you live near Rancho Chucamongo, out side of Los Angles, there is a Bass Pro Shop there. Bass Pro Shops have a huge inventory of sunglasses, at least all the ones I’ve been to.
Norm

Thanks also Wade.
Norman, thanks for the advice and heads-up concerning fit and style!!! I don’t care much for Bass Pro / Cabelas anymore but the store you mentioned is ~45 minutes from my house and certainly worth the time to get there considering the price of the Costas. Apparently a revisit is in order.

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

Polarized lenses. There is a quartz crystal known as a sunstone. You can look through it at a cloudy sky and tell just where the sun is. A polarizing sunstane allows light from only one direction to pass through it. The sunstone works because the light striking it perpendicular to the stone face is allowed through, while the scattered light from the clouds is blocked. This is also true of polarized lenses. They block light coming from most angles, allowing only light perpendicular to the lends to pass through. This eliminates a significant amount of glare. at different angles. To determine if a lens is polarized, look at a computer monitor screen through the lens, turning it to different angles, relative to the screen. If polarized, only an angle perpendicular to the screen will allow you to see the screen. This is how computer privacy screens work/ So now you knowhow to test the polarization of your sunglasses.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

Mark,

I have worn many different sun glasses over my time fishing, cheap to expensive. Some of my favorites have been Hobie brand, Wiley X and Costa. Last year I got frustrated alternating between my prescription glasses and sunglasses when fishing so I invested in a pair of prescription Costa sunglasses. The frames look giant on me but when I bought them the lady helping me mentioned to get the frame that offered the most protection and I did, there is no outside light getting in around them. These are by far my most favorite sunglasses I have and I would do it again tomorrow if I need to. As mentioned above, I like glass lenses if I can get them.

Steve

Earlier I mentioned I needed to replace my one pair of Oakley's that I wear for every day use as well as when fishing open water and bright sunny conditions. I was planning on going with a new pair simply because the glasses are older, and I didn't think I could find replacement lenses for them. Low and behold I found a couple of places that make lenses for the older Oakley Half Jacket frames. So I am going that route. Hopefully the quality of the replacement lenses are up to what the original lenses were. If so I will be one happy guy.

If not, I'll have to reach deeper into the piggy bank lol

Michael Danek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.


I, also, wear progressive bifocals, and I've reached an age where my vision continues to deteriorate a bit every year. (I could legally drive without corrective lenses until I was in my 40s. By the time I was in my 50s, I was wearing bifocals. Now, I get a new prescription every year.) For the past decade, or so, I have been buying polarized progressive sunglasses from ZenniOptical, too. I typically have an eye exam in the spring, and then purchase my glasses when Zenni has their annual sale (usually around Memorial Day). They typically have a sale around Thanksgiving, too. Bottom line: You can usually get a nice pair of polarized glasses with progressive lenses for somewhere around $125. Even my ophthalmologist buys his glasses at Zenni.

From ghoulies and ghosties,
and long leggedy beasties,
and things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord deliver us!

I like Maui Jim’s. I get the amber lens . I fish mostly saltwater on Cape Cod. Bill

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Smith yet. I wear the guide's choice with techlite copper lenses. They're a great all around lens color, and the glass is amazingly clear. The only area they could be better is in super low light, but they still get the job done. I was lucky enough to be able to try a bunch of different lenses and brands on the water from my local fly shop before buying, and they worked the best for me (New England streams in varying light conditions).

I like Smith...I have the ski goggles for running. Nothing worse than getting a bug in your eye while running.

I have used Costas and Maui Jims but now use Shady Rays very comfortable and excellent vision in my neck of the water.

Norman Miller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mark, don’t order them online until you go to a
> retailer that sells them so you can try them on
> for fit. There are many different faces out there
> that’s why they make so many different frame
> styles. Just a correction, blue mirror is
> supposedly best for offshore and green mirror
> supposedly best for inshore and saltwater.
> If you live near Rancho Chucamongo, out side of
> Los Angles, there is a Bass Pro Shop there. Bass
> Pro Shops have a huge inventory of sunglasses, at
> least all the ones I’ve been to.
> Norm

If you’re going to go to a retailer and spend time trying glasses on and a salesman takes time to help you, please consider buying from that retailer that took the time to help you instead of ordering online from some other company.

I checked out the Zenni site and their price seems really good but I would not order from them . The bridge of my nose is fairly wide and their site doesn't offer options in bridge size . If it won't fit comfortably , then even a great price is a total waste of money . I'm sure that folks with "normal/average" facial features would be pretty happy with Zenni . The other question I would have is - for people who require multifocal lenses , how does Zenni determine the height of the reading segment ? If you're looking for a good price , it might be safer to check out a big box retailer that has an optical dispensary . I use one close to me and the price is very similar to what the Zenni site quoted . If you could get a custom built rod for about the same price of an Ugly Stik , which would you chose :)

Earlier I wrote that I had decided to order replacement lenses for my older Oakley Half Jacket sunglasses, in lieu of ordering a new set of sunglasses. Well, that didn't work out as I had hoped, at least not from where I ordered the replacement lenses from. The lenses I received were too large. I contacted them and let them know they didn't fit and their customer service is excellent. They offered me several options over a couple of different e mails. Anyhow, I am sure I will get the issue resolved with them, or maybe a different supplier.

The real reason I am writing is I had be tossing back and forth just ordering a new set of glasses to use when I am flipping and pitching in shallow water. I have a pair of Oakley Monster Dogs with VR28 polarized lenses that are dedicated to that. The VR28 lenses offer excellent clarity and contrast and are great for lower light conditions or semi overcast days, but they are lacking in brighter conditions. Anyhow ...... I went ahead and ordered a new set of Oakley Half Jacket 2.0s from Oakley's custom line.

I ordered them on the 20th,and according to Oakley's order confirmation e mail, I was to expect them either the 25th or 26th. I had also ordered a case specific to the glasses, and it was to arrive a day earlier than the glasses. Getting home from work I pulled the truck into the garage, opened the door to go to the house and there sitting on my side steps is a box. I thought, oh wow, the case got here early. Picked up the box, went into the house, changed out of my work clothes and opened the box, expecting the case. But It wasn't the case, it was the glasses!!

I got the Prizm Polarized Shallow Water lenses that Oakley offers. I wasn't expecting the Prizm lenses to be any better than the VR28 lenses, as back in the day those were the lenses you wanted for shallow water fishing. Well ..... there is a HUGE difference between the VR28s and the Prizm Polarized Shallow Water lenses. The Shallow Water lenses have a mirrored green finish to them so they block out a little more light, and in side by side comparison with the VR28 lens, are much better for the bright sun we have here right now. I expected that, but what I didn't expect was the difference in clarity and contrast between the two lenses. The Shallow Water lenses offer a lot more clarity and contrast. These things are crazy good.

I will be testing them out tomorrow and see how they compare in the low light conditions of early morning. I will be surprised if they are better in those conditions that the VR 28 lens glasses I have. As I said, comparing the two in bright light you can tell the shallow water lenses transmit less light. Aside from that unknown, I would not hesitate to recommend the Prizm Polarized Shallow Water lenses. They are going to be phenomenal glasses.

If I were to put how good they are in terms relative to rod building, I would say they are RX 10 Eternity, or NFC X Ray kind of good.

LOVE THEM..... and they are sweet as heck looking too LOL

I'm a glasses wearer and used to use clip-ons. My buddy wore Cocoons and I tried those and they are much better than the clip-ons. My fishing buddy wears glass Costas and can see much more than I can. When I get the cataract out of my right eye I will invest in a pair and wear reading glasses to tie hooks.

Fished with my new glasses for the first time today. On the water at 6:15 AM. Overcast and sprinkles of rain first thing in the morning, transitioning to a broken cloud deck, and then mostly sunny conditions. The new glasses are fantastic. I tad darker than the VR28 polarized lenses in my Monster Dogs, but I could still see better into the water with the Prizm Shallow Water lenses in the quite low light conditions at the time. About a half an hour later it was game on, vision wise, and continued to be so through every light condition I faced.

Fishing wasn't so great though. I lost the first fish I had on that hit a frog being walked over a shallow water mil foil bed. Would have loved to have touched that one as it was a good one. Caught one a little later on bulging a spinnerbait over weeks. Decent fish of maybe 2 lbs. Lost another one that looked like a keeper (at least 12") on the spinnerbait. I saw a few fish come up out of the weeds and just bump the spinnerbait, but didn't fully commit. Last and only other fish I had on, was about 3 lbs. I changed from a bluegill color with gold blades that I was using when it was overcast, to a blue shad with silver blades once the sun got out and the wind came up. That fish munched it.

Love the new glasses. Well worth their cost in my book.

Thanks for the update on the Prism lenses. I need new progressives badly and I was looking at their options last week.

People will laugh but I just buy the Ozark Mountain house brand at WalMart. I lose sunglasses on a regular basis so the $5 OM glasses suit me fine. The polarization is very good. They are lightweight and comfortable. There are several lens colors to choose from. Usually in the fishing section in an open display box that holds about a dozen pairs. I buy a couple pairs every so often and keep a pair in the boat, both my vehicles and another around the house. If I lose one I just pick up another. They seem to do everything I want them to do except not get lost!