Mine were awesome. Sank faster than I expected, unfortunately
Check out Seaspecs. Polarized with UV protection.
Motto of one of the opticians in the Keys isā¦
āYou canāt catch 'em if you canāt see 'em.āā¦
Iām a clutz. dollar general. $5. buy three.
I just got two pair of Foster Grants for $17 BOGO online.
Check out Safety Glasses USA. They have a wide variety of inexpensive, durable sunglasses and sunglass readers. They also sell some higher-end brands, if thatās what you want.
When Iām out on the water, especially the ocean, when the sun light is sparkling off the water, I prefer glacier glasses because the side shields keep out bright light from the sides and the wrap around arms means the glasses are not coming off, and the lenses have to be polarised.
Iām sure there are plenty but be sure to get glasses that donāt have the frame that wraps completely around the lens as they fog much more do to less ventilation. Iām partial to Oakley due to their prism shallow water polarizing lens, very sturdy build and the option to customize.
I have been pretty happy with these:
Chopper | Rx Motorcycle Eyewear - Riding Sunglasses (libertysport.com)
they have a strap, and magnetic side shields. I wear prescription lenses, so got them at my optician. The lenses I got are not the darkest, nor are they polarized, but they do have a black mirror coating on the lens. I also carry a relatively cheap pair of polarized, fit over sunglasses, like these:
for those times when the sun is low and I need to head into it. Two sunglasses at once! The combination works pretty well, and that gives me a few more options.
Agreed - I buy the cheapest ones I can fine - usually around $15 at a gas station or convenience store. I like the ones that look more like reading glasses with the straight front. I find the ones that wrap around my face fog up to easily.
Go with polycarbonate lenses if you can as they are opaque to UV, unlike the other plastics.
I wear sunglasses any time itās even a little bright and I baby them, so I tend to buy nice ones. Lately Iāve been using the Costa Tuna Alley on the water. I donāt love the fit (everyoneās head is shaped differently) but the coverage and optics are great.
I have some Julbo glacier glasses. Never used them on the kayak but theyāre great. Very dark and fantastic coverage.
Finally, I own a pair of Roka sunglasses that are my go-to for most outdoor activities. My particular pair arenāt polarized so I donāt kayak in them much but that option is available. They have a try before you buy program so you can check them out and only pay shipping if you decide to return them (if you buy any of your trial pairs they cover the shipping). High quality lenses and great fit. Best pair of sunglasses Iāve ever owned (and no, Iām not getting a kickback ).
Smith Chromapop polarized. Havenāt lost or damaged a pair yet. Having had an eye scare in the past, Iāve come to realize that I need to pamper my eyes with with the best (relatively speakingā¦) doing what I love the most.
I wear polarised Zone 3 swimming goggles which protect my eyes from UVA & UVB as with sunglasses, they do not stay in place and do not keep the glare or salt out of my eyes.
I wear prescription glasses but ended up dropping over $400 on a pair of prescription polarized anti-glare for fishing plus starting to get into open boat whitewater, figured theyād help out on seeing some rocks. I recently got a floating strap just in case but have tried to see if my glasses float in the sink yet. Lol
When I looked into sunglasses awhile ago, reliable sources said to get wrap-arounds with at
least 99% UVA and UVB protection or āUV 400 nm.ā They also said that inexpensive glasses that actually provide that are generally fine, but how do you know what you are getting from a brand X product sold for $5.00 at a gas station? I need a correction for astigmatism. For my most recent pair of sunglasses, my optician told me that polycarbonate is tougher than glass or commonly used plastic, but that about 1 out of 10 people get eye strain from it. I got it despite some history of eye strain, and havenāt had problems. I chose orange-ish ācontrastā lens because they reputedly help in identifying slightly submerged rocks. I think they do, but they also make the sky look less blue and the trees look less green, so next time I have to plunk down $400 for sunglasses, Iām going to get dark grey. With the aid of a head strap, I usually hang on to a pair for about a decade.
Honestly, Iād just use your cycling glasses rather than buy a second pair. I used to have a pair of Rudy Projects cycling glasses with interchangeable lenses that I used for all outdoor sporting activities.
One other idea would be to take a pair of glasses with Transitions/photochromic lenses that you no longer wear on a daily basis (like from a couple of years ago) and make those your dedicated paddling glasses (I keep a pair of those in my car as backups in case I lose my primary pair). Or order a cheap pair of Rx single-distance glasses online. Whichever option you pick, be prepared to lose them.
Iām not blind without my glasses ā especially for distance ā so on a normal day, Iāll just wear a baseball hat to shade my eyes and face and thatās enough. If itās like nuclear-bright out, then Iāll wear the Rx Ray-Bans I use for driving and stick the tether on them.
This price of Chums retainer are definitely right and I appreciated the colour options. I was actually able to get the strap successfully on, so that right there is a big plus! They are comfy and seem secure. Work well on the wide arms of the sporty frames. The size is generous and theyāre cotton so theyāre comfortable around your neck.
Iām nearsighted so I generally need to wear my prescription glasses (currently tri-focals). Used to use the clip on polarized sunglasses for paddling when I wore wire-rim frames but since the latest pair are plastic frames, the only clip ons that fit are finicky and fragile and I have already wasted too much on them (one pair broke the first time I put them on!) But last month I found these Solar Shield wraparounds that fit perfectly over my oversized plastic glasses ā polarized, ventilate well (have been wearing them hiking but not on the water yet ā the gap around the side shields is open enough for air flow) and only 1.1 ounces per my postal scale.
I like that the bows are narrow enough to not bother my ears and the bow ends are flared to securely hold a lanyard (they actually look like tiny wing paddle blades). Have not tested yet but they are so light I am guessing they will float. Best of all, under $20. I got these at the local CVS but they are a bit cheaper on line.
I like that NETTEMPT retainers donāt leave a ātailā hanging down the back of my neck. I feel great and the strap keeps them in place whenever I am running. I like how they came in two little individual plastic boxes for safe keeping. I will see how long they last. I love how it was a dual pack.