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Posted

Was looking at the Costa 580's at BPS today.Then I realized that I didn't even know where my prescription glasses were.I bought a 30 dollar pair of SK plus sunglasses instead.The goal is not to lose or break them for the year,and buy new ones if I still have them come next Christmas.My question to the masses is are the 200 dollar sunglasses really worth the extra 170 bucks? Or is it simply a need to say you own Costa 580's? Unfortunately They don't let you take them outside for a test drive.

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Posted

i always seem to either lose or destroy things like sunglasses, especially sunglasses. i stopped spending big bucks on them a few years ago. SK works for me.

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  • Super User
Posted
4 minutes ago, lo n slo said:

i always seem to either lose or destroy things like sunglasses, especially sunglasses. i stopped spending big bucks on them a few years ago. SK works for me.

I get MY SK glasses from TW 5 at a time.  When they go overboard, dropped in a river or lent to a friend, i just grab another pair.

 

  • Like 2
Posted
55 minutes ago, MassBassin508 said:

Was looking at the Costa 580's at BPS today.Then I realized that I didn't even know where my prescription glasses were.I bought a 30 dollar pair of SK plus sunglasses instead.The goal is not to lose or break them for the year,and buy new ones if I still have them come next Christmas.My question to the masses is are the 200 dollar sunglasses really worth the extra 170 bucks? Or is it simply a need to say you own Costa 580's? Unfortunately They don't let you take them outside for a test drive.

Costas are worth the money.  I've tried them all and if you buy the right colored lenses for the water you fish, there is a big difference.  I have the green lenses for inshore fishing and nothing else I have tried matches them.  My good friend lives at the coat and has several of the blue lens variety and they are great on the ocean.

 

I own Ray Bans and Oakleys and never wear them anymore.

 

Everyone of my fishing buddies that have tried mine on while on the water has bought them.  You can save $50 an buy the plastic lenses and there is supposed to be no degradation in quality other than they are much more susceptible to scratches. 

Posted
47 minutes ago, MassBassin508 said:

Was looking at the Costa 580's at BPS today.Then I realized that I didn't even know where my prescription glasses were.I bought a 30 dollar pair of SK plus sunglasses instead.The goal is not to lose or break them for the year,and buy new ones if I still have them come next Christmas.My question to the masses is are the 200 dollar sunglasses really worth the extra 170 bucks? Or is it simply a need to say you own Costa 580's? Unfortunately They don't let you take them outside for a test drive.

I just picked up a pair a few days ago and I really like the fit and finish. Look sunglasses are like leather wallets, a $20 wallet will hold your cash and cards just as well as a $90 wallet. Difference is you replace the cheaper one often (they start to fall apart) or you pay more up front and have a wallet that will out live you (Saddle back leather wallets, ect).

Also they sell lanyards to avoid sunglasses for going over board, cheap insurance.

Posted

Yeah, I am also a big believer in Costa's. tried Solar Bats before they changed over, Oakley and Wiley X's and Costa's are by far the best for sight fishing, especially in clear water plus they are ultra comfortable. I have the 580P's in Silver (copper base with mirror front and back) and they are the best I have ever fished with. Looking to get Green mirror next year. Worth it for me!

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Posted

I've tried expensive and cheap sunglasses, and saw no real difference., But back when Northern Bass supply was still up in NH. I bought a pair of H3O's from Sandy, (probably 20 years ago) They come complete with a clear plastic box and two extra lenses that are different colored for different levels of light,a cleaning cloth and a lanyard. I still use them to this day, and am very pleased with them.

Now I do occasionally buy a couple strike kings at walmart, just to have polarized glasses in my truck and a few extra's on the boat for my kids or emergency backups. 

So, in summary, if you can find suglasses that offer spare lenses and some different colored lenses, Id say give them a shot.,.. The different colored lenses are worth it

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  • Super User
Posted

Its probably worth it if you can afford it. I'll stick to cheap polorized lenses for now I always lose mine anyway.

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Posted

I went through 2 pair of SK glasses. One got lost, the other scratched up. They are good glasses for the price but I noticed when fishing with people that had Costas or better quality glasses that they were seeing things in the water I wasn't.

When I compared my SK to Costas I noticed the visibility in the water was better on the Costas. Is that little bit of visibility worth it? I still don't know. I haven't gotten to the point of spending 200+ dollars on glasses.

 

I did step up to the Walmart DVX glasses made by Wiley X specifically for Walmart and noticed it was a pretty good upgrade at $90 a pair over the SK's. I lost those then found them after I bought a pair of Wiley X's. Lenses seem to be the same, but the Wiley X's are built better. They feel far more durable. The Wiley X's were on sale for maybe 120. So not a big difference from the DVX.

 

The Wiley X is still what I use. Happy with them and even if the Costas are slightly better I find the Wileys to be good enough for me at a price I am willing to pay. I will tell you that I have made it a habit now to keep my glasses on me with strap. When I take them off they stay either on my hat, or around my neck. If I ever set them down, its at home or in the car.

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Posted

If you are pretty good with not losing your gear, and don't beat it up like a spoiled 12 year old, then the price of a good pair of sunglasses is well worth it.  I've had the same 580G for 4 years now.  I've fished just about every weekend if not every other weekend, and started tournament fishing last year, and they've held up well.  With the investment put into a good pair of glasses, I've had a lanyard on mine since the day I bought them, as I could not fathom watching a pair of $200 + pair of glasses sink to the bottom of a lake.

 

Once you get them, you will kick yourself for not getting them sooner, as they can make your time much more enjoyable on the water, than what you ever could have imagined.  You will be able to see things better, and I can say this for me, my eyes are not as fatigued as they used to get.

Posted

I've used cheap sunglasses and there's really no comparison. If you want an 'excuse', think about it this way - you can always buy another pair of sunglasses, but not another pair of eyes. I just don't trust that the bargain brands actually provide the UVA/UVB protection they claim. I don't wear them to look cool, or even to see better in the water. I'm not a sight fisherman. I wear them to protect my eyes. When it comes to protective gear, I don't skimp. 

  • Like 1
Posted

I've done research on the Costas in terms of fishing and seem to believe that the 580G with green lenses are what you would want if you're willing to spend the money.  I received this exact setup in the form of Fathoms and they look great.  Haven't had much time to use them, but definitely will be wearing them a lot after ice-out.  I think they are also backed for life by Costa?  The glass lenses also are supposed to be scratch resistant which would help a lot if used heavily.

Posted

I've had my Costas with green mirrored lenses for 10+ yrs now. Love em. 

Posted

I use Maui Jim's in amber with the readers on the bottom. These work well for me. And I can tie knots and leaders with them. If the lenses get too scratched up I send them back to Maui Jim's and they replace them for $50.00. New glasses again. Their customer service is really good and fast. I'm surprised nobody else uses these. You can get some good deals on them on sale also. 

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

I've worn Maui Jim's with prescription lenses for over 6 years now, and absolutely feel that they are worth the money. I had laser surgery done a couple years after I originally bought them, and replaced the lenses in the original pair the following year after missing them terribly. Since then I have bought a second pair of aviator style so that I have a pair in both of the vehicles. 

 

I use the wrap arounds while fishing but have considered getting a dedicated pair of amber lens sunglasses for lower light situations. (my gf claims I have a problem since I have $1000 total in two pairs of sunglasses and still want to buy another pair or two)

 

There are several cheaper brands out there recently which I have wanted to try out. Has anyone tried the Shady Rays glasses yet? I was also looking at Spy, which I can get at a 50% discount through work. 

  

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Posted
On 12/27/2016 at 9:42 AM, SFL BassHunter said:

Is that little bit of visibility worth it? I still don't know. I haven't gotten to the point of spending 200+ dollars on glasses.

 

The point where I decided to spend more was when I went into prescription glasses.  It then really became important to me to maximize the vision with the best quality optics despite the higher cost...

 

I use to lose/break my cheaper glasses frequently but haven't once I switched to prescription.  Funny how spending more can make you more careful.  The fact that Maui and Costa (and maybe some others) replace damaged lenses make it more compelling to spend the additional money IMO.  

  • Like 1
Posted

Maybe the reason guys continually lose $20 dollar glasses, is because they're $20 glasses.

 

Spending $200 or on glasses is pretty good incentive to take care of them. It shouldn't be hard for an adult to take care of a pricey possession. I love my costas and think they are well worth it.

  • Like 2
Posted

I have Costas and Oakleys (prefer the Oakleys overall). I won't go back to any cheapies unless I go broke... Most of the $30 and lower glasses I've tried fit poorly, break/scratch easily and often end up giving me a headache (which i'm prone to have).  

 

 

Posted

I'm lucky enough to get Oakley glasses for a huge discount so I have several pair of Prizm glasses. There is a huge difference on the water compared to my normal polarized. It's pretty amazing looking a water and then seeing it without the glare on top when I am wearing the Prizm lens. There is also a noticeable difference in how much you can see underwater between my normal and Prizm lens. Having said that, if I was paying retail without the discount, I would probably buy Costa. Oakley has started to outsource from China as well and not all their glasses are still made here. 

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  • Super User
Posted
On 1/17/2017 at 7:29 PM, XzyluM said:

I'm lucky enough to get Oakley glasses for a huge discount so I have several pair of Prizm glasses. There is a huge difference on the water compared to my normal polarized. It's pretty amazing looking a water and then seeing it without the glare on top when I am wearing the Prizm lens. There is also a noticeable difference in how much you can see underwater between my normal and Prizm lens. Having said that, if I was paying retail without the discount, I would probably buy Costa. Oakley has started to outsource from China as well and not all their glasses are still made here. 

I have considered the Oakley shallow water prism lenses - can you really see into the water as well as they say?  (I currently have black iridium lenses).  I also hear the shallow water lenses are not good for driving.  So do I have to wear one pair when driving to the lake and then another pair once I get there and start fishing?

Posted
1 minute ago, FryDog62 said:

I have considered the Oakley shallow water prism lenses - can you really see into the water as well as they say?  (I currently have black iridium lenses).  I also hear the shallow water lenses are not good for driving.  So do I have to wear one pair when driving to the lake and then another pair once I get there and start fishing?

 

You can see a lot of little things that isn't normally noticable with the Prizm lens. I've seen turtles buried on the bottom with them and fish that I would have never known were there. Everyone's eyes are different though. I don't switch glasses while driving. I wear my Prizm lens regardless if I am fishing. They will brighten what you see a lot and make colors pop more. I have normal black polarized lens as well and usually wear them on cloudy days or when I am doing something could could damage them. I noticed they just came out with Fives with Prizm lens. So I plan on getting another pair since those frames are my favorite. 

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  • 5 months later...
Posted

The polarized finsh on the strike king classes will rub off after 3 months of fishing. I encourage people to try native glasses they run about 100 bucks and you can change the lenses at will. Quality glasses maje a big difference in success on the water.

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