any suggestion on sunglasses

ki-raphael

New Member
Hi,
I sometimes find it hard to see the gusts and were they are going,
people have recommended to wear sunglasses.
Does anybody have a suggestion on what are really good sunglasses for sailing?

Thanks :cool:
 
its not too big an issue as of which brand but i would what is important is that they are polarized. that means it will cut the glare off the water and make it easier to see.
 
I use Gill glasses in the UK see http://www.gillmarine.com/section_header_pages/product_details.asp?id=304&sub_cat_code=23 they float (as does most/ all of their range) when lost off the head over the side, I have also added a floating strap to them too and in conjunction with a cap (tied to the top of my buoyancy aid shoulder strap) keeps the whole thing with me when I 'go for a swim'

Gill are very affordable (mine were £34 I believe), well made (resilient to knock and drops) and are also most are available in polarized flavor.

If your into the 'cool' labels, Gill don't seem to have they cache of some of the designer brands like Oakley, Rayban etc (I rate them very highly though) but you could pay a fortune for a pair of 'designer label' watersport sunglasses and would you want to 'lose these at sea'?

All polarized sunglass are designed to do the same thing (obviously different lens tints strengths/ tint colors/ filter types are available, protecting your eyes from the glare and allowing you to see more clearly in haze etc the old saying goes...you pays you money and you takes your choice stands

These are just my views/ opinions and I hope they will be helpful to you...
 
Kaenon Kore are great sunglasses, but I may as well just get $200 and light it on fire... I dont think I've Had a pair of sunglasses for more than a month.
 
I already wear ordinary glasses. To cut the glare, I've settled on wearing a baseball cap that I attach to my PFD with a short tether.

When I used to race keelboats, the baseball cap wasn't great as I spent so much time looking *UP* trimming the spinnaker. But for the laser, it's great and the short glances up at the mainsail to check trim aren't hindered by the cap.
 
Does anybody have a suggestion on what are really good sunglasses for sailing?
:
Yes, you could go find my "Native" polarized glasses at the bottom of Flathead Lake! They were great. No glare, neutral color. Then put some sort of strap that doesn't catch on the boom in a gybe and send them to the bottom of the lake.

They floated for a long time, but was I going to give up 6 places to go get them?
So frustrating.
 
I agree with the "cheap ones" line of thinking... I end up in the water a lot (sometimes by choice, sometimes not) so I stick with the $10 gas station specs ;)

I have heard that polarized lenses help you see wind lines, though - so it might be worth getting some that are a bit nicer... but don't go wearing $100+ glasses on the lake.

Then again, I sail in swim trunks and a T shirt and can't understand all the talk about rash guards and hiking pants... so your mileage may vary
 
It looks geeky as hell but... I wear normal corrective eyeglasses. When I used to teach Eskimo rolling in a kayak, in addition to a normal strap I used to use a second cord that ran from the ear pieces down and under my chin. Never lost my glasses in thousands of rolls. Worth a try when sailing in swim provoking conditions.
 
I have a pair of Kaenon Rhinos that have worked really well. I am actually on my 2nd pair. The optical coating on my first pair started to flake off after 3 years, and I sent them back in to see if the lenses could be replaced, and they sent me a new pair of glasses.
 
Just to say - Walmart and Target usually carry polarizied in the $10 range...
(But I'm still wearing my Maui Jims)
 
I also agree with the cheapest polarized sunglasses you can get. I never lose my cheap ones, but if I ever pay money for a pair, they're gone almost instantly. I've found a great selection of "last year's" styles of name brands for usually under $10 at my favorite outlet store - Burlington Coat Factory.

You're nuts to ever go sailing without sunglasses. Not only can you see the water better, they're the equivalent of sunscreen for your eyes. Unless you don't mind the idea of cataract surgery when you're 40, wear those shades, kids!
 
I like maui jims. They are expensive, but worth it. I wear sunglass holders. Don't want to have them go bye bye.
 
The consensus here is that you should get polarized glasses. I'm not so sure. When light reflects off water, there is polarizing effect, meaning that most of the reflected photons are oscillating in the same direction. The polarizing lenses cut out most of the light oscillating in that direction, which reduces amount of light reaching you eye from the surface of the water. (Tilt your head sideways, and since you're twisting the lenses to allow more of those photons through, the water surface will look brighter.)

That's great for fishermen, who might want to see through the water surface into the water, or for people just messing about in boats. But for the racer who wants to see the gusts and shifts acting on the water, i.e. the surface of the water itself, I don't think it's helpful. I have yet to test this out by looking at the water with polarizing glasses vs. simply tinted ones, but that's my thinking. It's also important to get a pair of glasses with a uniform tint (some are more strongly tinted towards the top of the lenses) so that it's easier to tell where the water is lighter or darker.

Like many, I go for cheapies, since I tend to lose them or break them, although in my fair share of capsizes, I've never had a pair fall off my head.
 
with sunglasses on the polarized vs. non-polarized there is two schools of thought that i know of. it comes down to preferance. with polarized glasses you can see the water more clearly and are able to see darker patches the gusts comming and shifts on the water easier. with the non-polarized the way to see gusts comming can be done a lil bit differantly, the gusts on a sunny day will have more flashy glare coming off from then. personally i can use either but far prefer polarized because it will reduce alot of eye strain from long hours on the water, also in the long run it is better for your eyes i believe. personally i also dont really think a whole lot of the $10-15 glasses. one great pair that i bought a couple of times were from h20 optics which are made by bolle and could be bought for around $50. now im using oaklys tho because of my discount there
 
I won't make any more speculation before I've done some of my own experimentation, but I will say this. What causes eye damage is UV light, so as long as your sunnies block that, which virtually all do, you're good. I don't think there's any difference in eye strain - you're rods and cones in your eyes don't care about the polarization of light at all. Also, my opinion is that difference between cheap and expensive sunnies is mainly style, sometimes ergonomics.
 
I have used several brands over the years, Rayban, Revo, Maui Jim, and Costa del Mar and those 10-20 dollar cheapies. I only buy polarized. I keep a pair of the cheap ones with my sailing gear just in case I forget my good ones. I have liked the Maui Jims the best, although the revos and costas are pretty great too. I try to buy last years model or a close out because they are usually discounted 50-60%. When sailing I wear a lanyard and I use one of those clips like you put on the back of your hat to fasten it to my vest or shirt collar if I am on a bigger boat. I haven't lost a pair to the lake since my Raybans 20 years ago.

Barometer Soup
 

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