I have never owned a pair of expensive sunglasses. My wife would like to buy me a pair. I have always been happy with $30 polarized Sea Striker sunglasses. What is the big difference between Sea Striker compared to Costa’s, Ray Ban, etc…
I used to do the same. Would go through about 2 Calcutta cheapie a season. Would either lose, or break after about 6 months. If they lasted longer, the lens would peel away.
Bought a pair of Costas and can see much better, my eyes relaxe now. Started taking better care of them, but still had to replace 2 frames in 5 years. Just the rubber end pieces were coming apart. I think I paid $15-$20 each time and got brand new frames each time. I have easily gotten my monies worth out of them in 5 years time. Now if you loose them, then they are obviously not worth the money, but I Will always have a pair of Costas from now on.
My wife paid the ultimate, bought a pair of Costa Px, and she loves them. They have already replaced the lens for free from scratches after 21 months of use. The Px are about 3x the cost, but have a better warranty and she loves being able to see so much better out on the water.
the arm screw backed out after 1 week. they wanted me to send it in and pay the $20 fee instead of sending me a screw. has a piece of paperclip on it now.
I’m still stuck on the Calcutta cheapies. They last me a year before the frame breaks right in the hinge, but for only $25, I can afford to buy as many as I need. I had a pair of costa brine in 480p green mirror lenses. I loved them, but when I lost them at the beach after only a few months, I learned a very valuable lesson.
I had a bubble form on my eye and doc told me to get some good sunglasses. I bought a pair of coStas and after a few months bubble went away. I’ll never wear cheap sunglasses again. Being someone who has poor vision, I am constantly reminded how important the gift of vision is. I don’t mind spending the $150 to protect something so important!
Smith Optics are great, I have a pair. Check out Suclouds (made by Smith Optics). Great warranty and they retail for $50. Can be forund for even less on line. Half Moon Outfitters carries them. I have 4 different pair and love all of them. Better than the pair of Costas my wife got me.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
They pretty much block all glare but without giving you raccoon eyes and are pretty good at keeping most spray off of your prescription glasses. Best part is, they don’t look like old people overshades.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 20 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 17 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
Thanks for the replies. I think I will spend the $$$ on something else. I tried a pair of Costas on and put my Sea Strikers on to compare water clarity. I did not see a noticeable difference.
We’ve talked about this on and off over the years, but with research, here’s my logic behind spending the money on the nicer brands:
The el cheapos don’t always provide as much protection for the right UV rays (UVA/UVB).
UVC: these are nasty, but the ozone blocks most of this
UVB: this is what gives you sunburn/causes eye fatigue
UVA: this is linked to certain eye diseases
With the high end stuff, you’re paying more for the best possible UV protection of your eyes plus designer looks/frames. Personally I’ve tried it and I can tell a huge difference between wearing cheapos ($10 gas station) vs higher end glasses (maui jim/costas/ray bans). The cheapos, I get a headache and tension by the end of the day. The nicer glasses, my eyes are more relaxed and I don’t get that tension. For me, its worth the money.
If you find a cheapo pair that blocks out 100% UVA/UVB and absorbs most HEV rays, you are getting the same protection as the $200 pair of costas. Most cheapos advertise 100% UV protection. You need to dig deeper to find out exactly what they are talking about. Most don’t do much as far as HEV. HEV is high energy visible radiation, or blue light. The HEV ages your eyes and can cause vision loss over time.
For UV protection, color doesn’t matter. But for HEV protection, color does matter. Most sunglass lenses that block a significant amount of blue light will be bronze, copper or reddish-brown color.
We’ve talked about this on and off over the years, but with research, here’s my logic behind spending the money on the nicer brands:
The el cheapos don’t always provide as much protection for the right UV rays (UVA/UVB).
UVC: these are nasty, but the ozone blocks most of this
UVB: this is what gives you sunburn/causes eye fatigue
UVA: this is linked to certain eye diseases
With the high end stuff, you’re paying more for the best possible UV protection of your eyes plus designer looks/frames. Personally I’ve tried it and I can tell a huge difference between wearing cheapos ($10 gas station) vs higher end glasses (maui jim/costas/ray bans). The cheapos, I get a headache and tension by the end of the day. The nicer glasses, my eyes are more relaxed and I don’t get that tension. For me, its worth the money.
If you find a cheapo pair that blocks out 100% UVA/UVB and absorbs most HEV rays, you are getting the same protection as the $200 pair of costas. Most cheapos advertise 100% UV protection. You need to dig deeper to find out exactly what they are talking about. Most don’t do much as far as HEV. HEV is high energy visible radiation, or blue light. The HEV ages your eyes and can cause vision loss over time.
For UV protection, color doesn’t matter. But for HEV protection, color does matter. Most sunglass lenses that block a significant amount of blue light will be bronze, copper or reddish-brown color.