What brand of glasses do you prefer?

Steve Ericksen · Post by **Steve Ericksen** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:15 am

Lost my Costa's at Clearlake and I'm in the market for a new pair. Which of the three brands do you prefer, which tint & why?+

Thanks!

Rod Martin · Post by **Rod Martin** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:05 pm

tunaman · Post by **tunaman** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:13 pm

Got a couple of pairs of Costa's about a month ago, and really like them so far. I've got a pair of the PCB gray, and the green mirror glass. The former worked really well under full sunlight, and the latter worked well under overcast and cloudy conditions.

I had been using a pair of Solar Bat's before, and they were OK. I like the Costa's better so far.

I also got a couple pair of cheapies that George hawked in one of his articles, and pretty much got what I paid for...

No offense GK!

Roger

ash · Post by **ash** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:26 pm

Well currently I am in Cocoons and they are good for what they are. Before my prescription was what it is I wore Costa Del Mars and loved these glasses, best that I have ever worn. The only issue was after about 5 years the grey tint on one side was turing a rose color...very wierd.

I voted for Costas

oakie joe · Post by **oakie joe** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:48 pm

I love my panoptics. I use them when guiding and i will never go back to any other brand.
just my .02

brambo0311 · Post by **brambo0311** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:56 pm

I just buy the cheapest polarized ones I can find. Get a yellow lens for early low light, it really makes stuff appear brighter when its dark. Then change to an amber or whatever when it gets light out. I think those ones that transition and turn darker when it gets brighter might be worth a look at. But they are expensive. My son grabs them off of me and runs to his hide out and does the old make wish on them a couple times a month, so I will keep getting the el-cheapos for a while. Check out big 5 they have the bolle ones polarized for 29.99 on special all the time. They have to run them on special though. They are usually 69.99 untill they run there add. They are not the best but are the best cheap ones I have found. Dont forget about fit though, if they have tight spots it will hurt worse than you think after a while. Give you a head ache, and make your nose feel like its broke.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:59 pm

I cant believe you dont have Maui Jims on your poll! Your not looking for the best??

fishercurtis · Post by **fishercurtis** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:31 pm

Maui Jims, definitley

Long Nguyen · Post by **Long Nguyen** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:34 pm

Here's a 3rd vote for Maui Jim.

Dewayne · Post by **Dewayne** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:50 pm

Why?
Great lens colors/tints for fishing and durability.

Superior optical clarity. You have to look through a set to really understand the difference. See Lens technology on the web link below to see what makes them better.

Great frame designs such as the Climate Control Series that helps prevent debris from getting in your eyes or wind from drying them out. Due to the fact they were originally designed as eye protection that must be worn at all times, the frames are more comfortable than many that are designed for looks.

They have a ballistic polycarbonate lens developed for military use so they offer great eye protection.

As for lens color the Smoke/Green is my favorite. It is a good all around tint and for fishing it helps contrast greens in weed lines and large mouth. For models my favorite are the JP-2P and the Tilt.

http://www.wileyx.com/index.aspx
See the dealer locator for a dealer near you and try a set before you buy.

Dewayne Bonham
Wiley-X Pro Staff

Sacto John · Post by **Sacto John** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:47 pm

I just bought a pair of Eye Surrender glasses up at the Galaxie Marine customer day. I bought a pair in the moss green lens because I wanted a good pair of sight fishing glasses as well as help spotting followers when I am throwing swimbaits. I got a chance to use them last weekend and they are a great pair of glasses. They make looking at underwater objects easy and the one fish I did see cruzing stuck out like a sore thumb
.
Now when I got home I notice the frame had a small crack in them. One of the reasons I bought the glasses was because of their lifetime warranty. I contacted the company through there contact form on their website stating what had happened and asking on what the next step would be. Not expecting to hear anything until I checked my e-mail I get a phone call from Wes at Eye Surrender. He apologized for the inconvenience of the broken glasses and said that he would be sending me a new pair right away. The glasses arrived the next day with a new hat thrown in.

This type of customer service is great especially when you consider that the glasses only cost $34.99. I would recommend Eye surrender glasses to anyone.

Steve Ericksen · Post by **Steve Ericksen** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:21 pm

Thanks for your input fellas.....looks like I need to explore a few more brands before making my decision!

whazup · Post by **whazup** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:34 pm

Maybe a dumb question, but can you get these glasses with a prescription in them?

Dewayne · Post by **Dewayne** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:50 pm

Whazup - Go to the web site at the bottom of my post above and selection their Prescription page for more info, but yes they do have a prescription lens program. I will be using it myself for the first time this year as those darn hook eyes seem to get smaller every year.

I originally found these glasses while at my optomotrist in Brentwood. The Dealer locator has many optomotrists listed.

DB

Fishitifyoucan · Post by **Fishitifyoucan** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:50 pm

Maui Jim all the way. Nothing else even comes close!! You get what you pay for.....the best polarized pair of sunglasses you will find and the best for your eyes.

gt5bass · Post by **gt5bass** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:06 pm

Dewayne wrote:Whazup - Go to the web site at the bottom of my post above and selection their Prescription page for more info, but yes they do have a prescription lens program. I will be using it myself for the first time this year as those darn hook eyes seem to get smaller every year.

I originally found these glasses while at my optomotrist in Brentwood. The Dealer locator has many optomotrists listed.

DB

I may just have to check out the prescription program. They have an Optometrist/dealer in my area that takes my insurance and they are a hell of a lot cheaper than my Oakleys and have better colored lenses too.

Smile_n_Jax · Post by **Smile_n_Jax** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:35 pm

First and foremost is the fit. Last Summer I tried a lot of glasses and nothing felt right until I went to Big5 and tried a pair of Body Glove's. Fit and feel was great, they're polarized and have interchangeable lenses. Mine came with grey and brown lenses, a hard case and some spray cleaner/defogger.

Lense color is another story. It all depends on your eyes. As an example, my eyes are very light sensitive, so light blue or yellow are out of the question. You may need to experiment, so that's why interchangeable lenses are a big help.

BIG DADDY BLUE RANGER · Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:47 pm

I'm a Maui Jim beleiver too..... just ask around any sunglass store as to who makes the absolute best polorized lens... MJ

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:07 pm

Although Solar Bat makes great sunglasses in three different quality levels to match your budget, I switched to them specifically because of the need for prescription glasses. I wear bifocals now, and I learned that no brand can make more optically correct prescription lenses with a curved lens than Solar Bat.

In high speed boating applications I prefer sunglasses that wrap my face so they won't move or fly off. At 70+ mph I can't afford to have prescription bifocals vibrating up and down while trying to see waves, GPS waypoints, or hazards. My Solar Bat Pano frame bifocals sit rock solid on my face, and becaus they wrap so well they don't let light in around the lens (giving better sight-fishing visibility). Other glass brands wrap well, but not in prescription lenses with optical clarity. Also Solar Bat has vented frames so eye moisture can escape and keep your lenses clear.

They are also of the highest ballistic rating, the frames are as sturdy after two years of daily use as the day they were new, and the tints are great and don't fade. You can buy less expensive glasses, but I have not found any that are better.

ciao,
Marc
Solar Bat Prostaff

Dan McKenzie · Post by **Dan McKenzie** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:29 pm

maui jim- in my opinion the best lens clarity, durability and comfort. if you wear prescription the make a great prescription lens. But in all truth many of the well made sunglasses are really good and of good quality. Try on as many pair as possible before purchasing.

Note: I had progressive trifocal lenses put into my last pair, it takes a very long time to adjust to them, if I were to do it again I would stay with single vision lenses only in my sunglasses.

fishwithron2 · Post by **fishwithron2** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:03 pm

Hey hawg hunter
I have Costa and my lens got scratch up and contacted them for new replacement lens. They had me send my old ones back and sent me anew pair and NO CHARGE. Give them a call and see what they can do for you.

TDawg · Post by **TDawg** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:31 pm

I see that you did not include them in your poll, but I really like my Solar Bats. They are very conformable to wear and after a while I forget that I am wearing them. For color I use the mossback green lenses, they really help to break up the glare on the water. They are really great in the delta for identifying weed lines. Plus, they are rated as safety glasses as well, which is really nice for pulling out a snag. I have had a jig come back at me and hit my glasses and not even scratch em`! If they were glass they would have broke and probably cut my eye!

Whatever brand/type you get make sure that your try them on first. Not all glasses are the same size and shape.

Good fishing,

TDawg

snapitoff2002 · Post by **snapitoff2002** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:54 pm

What lens color do you all recommend for Overcast and Darker days???

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:57 am

For overcast/cloudy/foggy days, or early morning or late evening, I prefer the HCY color (High Contrast Yellow). It is not a bright yellow, but more of an amber color so it won't hurt your eyes. When the sun is out I switch to Mossback Green.

ppickerell · Post by **ppickerell** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:40 am

Guideline.

Dewayne · Post by **Dewayne** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:16 pm

Like Mark said, yellows or browns are superior for cloudy low light conditions. Willey-X has a couple lens colors that are great in low light conditions. The Polarized Copper or the Bronze/Brown are both excellent choices. Quality polarization is even more critical in cloudy conditions, but you have to have a lens color that allows a lot of light to transmit through the lens. Sight fishing in cloudy conditions is probably the ultimate test of a pair of glasses IMHO. My boat always has a pair of cloudy weather polarized glasses on board.

A few years ago we had a Stren on the Delta where we were sight fishing in low light conditions. I led the first day because I could see deeper big fish that others were missing. On day 3 I could not figure out why Darrell Haygood (my co-angler for the day) was not pitching to the beds we were passing. After a couple hours he asked me if I was lying to him as I pointed out bed after bed. He was not seeing any of them. I loaned him a pair of Wiley-X glasses and he could not believe the difference quality glasses made over his inexpensive glasses. He could then see the beds and fish. The first 2 days my co-anglers had had trouble seeing beds/fish also, both of them had one of the brands also listed here. I thought my eyes were just better, but Darrell cleared that up demonstrating that the glasses were making that much of a difference.

If you see me around and want to try on a pair just let me know. I always have a pair or two with me.

Cooch · Post by **Cooch** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:01 pm

Made a believer out of me 9 years ago. I have a wide array of glasses and lenses, but rely on the Mossback 90% of the time. The most comfortable glasses I have ever worn.

And yes, I've been on the Solar Bat pro-staff fer those 9 years! Worn and tested a lot of different glasses, and still with em today. I will say this though, my cousin gave me a pair of yellow Nikes two years ago fer Xmas, the ones with yellow lenses that snow skiers where, they are awesome in the fog and when out there in the dark!

Lugnut · Post by **Lugnut** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:49 am

I have a pair of Costa Del Mar's but I often find myself wearing my everyday Polarized Ray Ban's. I am not sure if its the lens color but I can see the water a little better with them.

blackcloud · Post by **blackcloud** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:37 pm

I HAVE A PAIR OF COSTAS BUT THEY DON'T COMPARE TO ANY OF MY MAUI JIMS.

AMBER GLASS LENSES - DEFINITELY THE BEST WITH NO EQUAL

ttb31183 · Post by **ttb31183** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:30 pm

EyeSurrender glasses are awesome. I have broken, dropped in the water, or scracthed way to many Hobies and Costas to buy anything else. For the price of one pair of Costas you can get 4 different lenses of EyeSurrenders. Amber and Gray are my favs.

Chato · Post by **Chato** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:04 pm

I havnt had the extra money to buy the expensive glasses. But i use Wal Mart FLW glasses. I leave them everywhere but they come through. They're deffinately not the best looking but they work.

jsoregon · Post by **jsoregon** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:45 am

Costa clearly are the most optically correct sunglasses I've worn.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:21 am

Costa's in the new 580 lense Amber!! You'll love them...

Then mix in a couple pairs of darker Eye Surrenders ($39) for those super bright days where amber isn't enough.

That's how I roll...

Just my .02!

RexTR21 · Post by **RexTR21** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:46 am

Think I've used just about every quality glass there is, and I stuck with Costa. Best all around eyewear on the market. Period! I'm using the Harpoons with the blue mirror and couldn't be more pleased. You get what you pay for!

basshunter4u · Post by **basshunter4u** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:26 am

My first pair of good glasses were Hobbie eclipse. I have yet to need another pair. I will buy another pair when these are lost or broken but have no idea which company makes the best. I think I paid 130.00 for mine glass lense of course

Don O

www.swimbaitcity.com
www.donsbaits.com

Triton Mike · Post by **Triton Mike** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:53 am

I just went to the 580 lenses. Oh my gosh!!! LOL.

Mike

Costas for me please

gcopple · Post by **gcopple** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:54 am

i wear Eye Surrender. They have just come out with a new lense that is better than the previous ones if you can imagine that. I like the fact that the lenses are first class and thats what you pay for, not the frames. I only wear my "fishing glasses" when i'm fishing and have other glasses as my "everyday" glasses so them being priced right is awesome also. But i guess all brands are good, but if you want a good set of lenses with out the high price and fancy frames, get a pair of Eye Surrender's you won't be disapointed! And like said in a previous post, customer service is increadable. if you need any info feel free to pm me.

george

What brand of glasses do you prefer?

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