Expensive Sunglasses

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Prerequisite

Last thing- once you have a polarized pair that you can wear and still clearly read LCD screens, you might realize that all glasses are not equal.

I do this with my $20 pair, so I don't get it!

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Prerequisite

Ha! I suppose if I said "any seacock over 50.00 is a waste of money I don't care who's name is on it" I'm sure I'd be in for a great debate! While I don't believe that to be true, I think most sailors would agree that for boat items, you most often get what you pay for. Why do so many not think this way when it comes to sunglasses?

I did notice an optometrist on the board say he didn't put much stock in overpriced glasses, and as the husband of a doctor, I respect his opinion. That being said, I've never worn a pair of glasses that reduce eye fatigue, and provide the level of clarity as my Costas so they are worth their price to me. Also, if you are the type of person who uses the same pair of glasses for every day, you aren't seeing the true benefit of them. Lenses are tools- different occasions call for different lenses, and no lens excels in all conditions.

Nope, not all things transfer straight across like that....Like masking tape...pay for the good stuff or reap the sins.

Maybe you missed my part of my post where I stated I paid 350.00 for a pair of prescription grade sun Glasses that are no better?

Its OK if you think my opinion is of little merit.....Happy spending...I never will for sun glasses again..YMMV...

[Maine Sail]

Maui Jim or Costa's for me. I have measured 20/10+ vision and can not wear plastic lenses as the distortion gives me a splitting head ache. My eye doc says this is somewhat normal for people with sharp distance vision to get headaches from slightly distorted lenses. Until about 15 years ago I never knew what caused my head aches when I wore sunglasses. Sadly very few companies are left making super clear optical glass lenses. Even the Maui Jim's with polycarb lenses I can't wear without getting a head ache.

I just keep hoping that Maui & Costa don't stop making glass lenses. Good vision is a plus and a minus..

I own three pairs of Maui Jim sun glasses all with glass lenses the youngest pair is now five years old and the oldest is over 15. No scratches and the frames are still tough as nails! Sat on my driving ones about 8 years ago and totally mashed the metal frames. I carefully & slowly bent them back into shape and they are still performing perfectly to this day.

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

I wondered this when I posted the thread. In the end I would think anyone who has a pair of $200+ (even $100+) sunglasses is going to have a justification story for them. After all the only other answer would be that they are...............!

I would argue that it is just the opposite. I can buy look-a-like sunglasses for $10.00 if I want to look the part but the optical quality sucks and they give me a splitting headache. Most are not afflicted by this but even they should notice less eye strain with a pair of high optical clarity glass lenses.

Also, my glass lenses last for years and years and years with no scratches, something plastic lenses, no matter how expensive, have never been able to do. My wife has polycarb lenses and a pair of Maui's with glass. Her Maui's are now 9 years old and the lenses crystal clear and scratch free. Here 1 year old plastic lenses are basically totaled..

My Maui logos wore off the glasses long ago and I could care less. It all about the optics for me. Just like there are low quality telescopes, binoculars and camera lenses there are also poor quality sunglasses when it comes to optics. Ever try a set of Leica binoculars? I rest my case..

Show me a pair of cheap polarized sun glasses with the optical quality of Maui's or Costa Del Mar, and glass lenses, and I'll buy a dozen pairs today!! Can't be done, trust me I've looked...

All that being said I can't for the life of me understand all you guys who loose sun glasses? Do you loose your wallets too? Get a set of leashes and actually wear them on you like you do your wallet. Still have all my "expensive" sunglasses..

If you don't need the optical clarity that some of us do, in your sunglasses, then don't buy expensive..

[Christian Van H]

Before we leave to go cruising, I promised myself I would pamper myself with one thing: a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. YES, you can see a difference. They ARE truly amazing...

[Stillraining]

Well ...Im not saying old dogs cant learn new tricks, so I supose I could be converted ..but after spending 350 bucks I was understandably disinchanted with the concept when less then steller performance.

Carry on

[barnakiel]

Whoa! What a great (th)read!

Have we already had a similar discuss on sailing hats here, or not yet?

I have been using hats on my boats a lot, and a good hat goes with good shades like bread and butter.

b.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Whoa! What a great (th)read!

Have we already had a similar discuss on sailing hats here, or not yet?

I have been using hats on my boats a lot, and a good hat goes with good shades like bread and butter.

b.

A good hat is a worthwhile investment. I got my current $20 wide brim hat at West Marine so probably way over paid.

Have anyone seen a $200 hat locked up in a glass case for protection?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

... I have been using hats on my boats a lot, and a good hat goes with good shades like bread and butter.
b.

See ➥ Tilley Endurables - The Finest Hats and Travel Clothing in the World

I'm not that fond of their hats, but love the shorts & pants.

[capt_douglas]

I'm on my third Tilley, last replaced in 2000. It's done me well but the newer ones with the wider brims seem a good move.

As for shorts and pants, I've been very happy with Patagonia gear. I will check out the Tilley shorts though.

[TabbyCat]

http://www.mauijim.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=11601&storeId=10001&produ ctId=28151&langId=-1

I like Maui Jims. $300, but maybe that's because I bought them in Bermuda?! They are super light weight, sometimes you forget you even have them on. They stay on your head without having to wear one of those cords. Some of the cheap sunglasses
give me a headache, either from pinching my nose or the weight on my ears.

I do have a pair of cheap $10 glasses that I wear when in the yard, painting the the hull or something.

[ConradG]

Wow, now I'll have to check for polarized lenses from A/O. Years ago I found a very old pair of safety glasses at a yard sale with metal side shields. The really great thing was their glass lensses of high opticle quality. I seem to scratch the plastic ones in less than a heatrbeat and the glass is so much more durable. Anyway, with metal spatter and grinding sparks..well they stick to glass and although looking out from behind little balls of rusting steel is better than trying to look through scratches, eventually they need to be replaced. When I found out the vast choice of tints available from American Optical for their safety glasses I started collecting the frames at fleamarkets. The best thing was that the last time I ordered lenses for my sunglasses pair they were $5! I have since purchased some slightly larger lensed "sunglasses" made by them that are lighter with thinner lenses but still glass. They are available through pilot shops for about $40 but pilots ussually choose specifically not to use polarized lenses precisely to get the first warning of a flash of glare coming from another moving threat...I'll have to check the availability of polarized lenses for the boat.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I am an ophthalmologist, and I spend ten to twenty dollars for polarized sunglasses. I am not particularly picky about my vision - whether I see 20/20 or 20/25 doesn't matter that much to me. When I am out sailing, any polarized sunglasses work for me as long as they are comfortable.

If I was doing search and rescue in a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft, I would be wearing more expensive sunglasses with a prescription in the glasses. Other people's lives would depend on what I saw from the air, and polarized glasses would be extremely important in eliminating as many reflections as possible from the water's surface.

Sunglasses can protect from "sun blindness". I have known one person who had corneal irritation from reflected sunlight while at sea, and he had to go below for a day for his eyes to heal from the UV light. That's only one person in more than thirty years of sailing. Sunblindness is like snowblindness - corneal irritation from reflected UV light.

Clear lenses without a tint remove most of the UV light. The polarized part of the lens eliminates much of the reflections off the surface of the water and makes it easier to see, but it doesn't remove that much more UV light.

If the goal is to stop UV light, just about any lens can do that pretty well.

If the goal is sharper vision, then a prescription lens with polarization and some degree of tint will work best.

That's a good post and one from someone with some credibility. It pretty much agrees with Internet research I've done on the subject.

I think the $300 sunglasses are more of a style or status symbol than anything else.

I used to wear tinted safety glasses from the home center but now that I'm wearing glasses full time, I have the prescription glasses that darken in sunlight. I'm not thrilled with them for other reasons, but they are effective as sunglasses.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Prerequisite

....... I think most sailors would agree that for boat items, you most often get what you pay for. Why do so many not think this way when it comes to sunglasses?

There's not a lot more you can do for sunglasses once you have good lenses and frames. The rest is style and brand recognition.

Consider the difference between a Chevrolet and a Cadillac. One cost much less than the other, but both will get you where you're going and they are equally reliable. The Cadillac may impress your neighbors, women, or clients, but other than that, they both get the job done.

[Jetexas]

I have a $300 pair of prescription sunglasses. I can't read the names on other boats without them. However, as Sailmonkey mentioned earlier, once they get a little salt on them I can't see any better through them than I can with no glasses.

The most I ever paid for non-prescription glasses was $40. The super-cheapo fake polarized ones make rainbows on everything.

[sck5]

check sierra trading post. i got a pair of polarized nikon sunglasses there for $100 (originally 300) that are startlingly clear. I play with shotguns on land (skeet, trap, sporting clays) and these glasses are by far the best I ever had for that - and shooting makes you notice imperfections - on the boat my wife uses them to read the water and says there is no comparison to the cheaper ones she has. I love them when it is my turn to read water. worth checking out.