Which Sunglasses?

[Stan Wright]

Which shade of sunglasses should I buy?
Every fisherman should wear sunglasses.... polarized sunglasses.
Polarized sunglasses cut the glare on the surface of the water enabling you to see the fish. That's very important when trying to catch spawning peacock bass. If you can't see the fish, an accurate cast is imposable.

Then there is the safety angle... UV protection for one thing.
Sunglasses also protect the eye from flying fishing lures. Last year a lead head jig came flying back into the boat and smashed the right lenses of my sunglasses. (I've also heard of sunglasses saving the eyesight of Marines from flying shrapnel and debris ) I'm a believer.


Now then, what shade of sunglasses should I get?
The grey or green color, or the amber color?
I've heard that the amber color works best for overcast days and in the rain.
Does that mean the grey and green ones work best on bright sunny days?

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[BASSTRACKER]

correct on the lens shades.alot of brands now have many shades for many diffrent light conditions. glasses are one thing i wouldnt skip on.uva and uvb protection and polorization are a definate must. a good set will run upwards of 100$ many mid range are good too at around 40-60$.dont expect the cheaper ones to be ansi rated which is the rating that is given for eye protection.alot of manufacturers are making multi changeable lens for diffrent conditions. i have a costa del mar that has 3 sets of lenses and covers my needs,low light to bright sun.maybe a bit pricey but hell only got one pair of eyes to make last and mine are well shot as it is from yrs on the water,check cabelas or bass pro they have good selections, i got mine on a sale maybe 30 dollars off a 120 pair.good luck

[Bozu]

Hey Stan,

Try and check out Ocean Waves Sunglasses line. (Oceanwaves.com) These are top of the line and a bit pricey but I think they are well worth it. For starters these sunglasses have glass lenses. Polycarbonate lens are lighter and cheaper but they can't match glass for pure optic clarity. Don't get me wrong, there are some very good Polycarbonate sunglasses available. Even Ocean Waves makes a good poly sunglass line. (Good quality and much easier on the wallet) But if you want one of the best... and I've invested enough kala on different brands to give my two cents on this subject, try the Ocean Waves line with glass lenses.

As for color, I prefer Ocean Waves Backwater green lenses. These are amber based with a greenish mirror tint. I've tried the offshore blue lenses which is a grey lens with a blue mirror finish. (Good for trolling) The backwater green works better on the lake and for stalking O'io on the flats. The whole line is polarized with their proprietary 12 layer bonding process. Lots of frame styles to choose from too.

Now for the bad news, they will run close to $200. I wear contacts but I also had them make a prescription pair with the same features. Yep, they can make a pair to your prescription but it will set you back about $500.
Ouch... but well worth it. Don't skimp when it comes to your eyes !

Words to live by....Good things aren't cheap, Cheap things aren't good.

Bozu

[roadwarriorsvt]

I wear prescription glasses and have dark polarized lenses that clip on right over my prescription lenses. They run about $15.00 at Walmart's optical center. This works great for driving and on the lake during high noon, but later in the day when the sun is not so bright, the dark lenses are not exactly optimum. I'd say go with a lighter polarized lens so you'll still be able to cut the glare off the water surface but not make it so dark you can't see much else. Without having looked thru the lenses you're asking about, I'd still say go with the amber or green. I'll be looking for something lighter as well.