My Costa Sunglases.

[Darth-Baiter]

Wonderful , delightful glass.  Clarity. Etc. the fit covers my eyes nicely. Even. From the sides. I have the DiIEGO. I have a giant head. 

 

i have glass lenses so I usually do not wear them LMB fishing. 

 

but they don’t stay on my cap. When I’m unhooking a fish or tying a knot where I need my full eyesight , I take them off and put them above my cap-bill.  There is zero grip between the plastic ear pieces and the fabric of a cap. They will pop off and fall anywhere. I put the tiniest “first blemish” on the lens.  On my kayak, I would hope they float.  ( I’ll research costs:( )
 

il buy lanyards for them , but I don’t love those. I’m not used to them and I don’t love dangly things on my chest. 

[Jar11591]

Haha I’ve had the exact same experience with my Costas and putting them on my hat. I’ve almost lost them overboard a half dozen times because I forget they’re up there. I stopped putting them

on my hat, so if they aren’t on my face they go back in the case inside my tackle bag. My only beef with them. 

[Fishin Dad]

I have two pairs of glass Costas.  I am not overly impressed.  They are clear and made well, but I was not blown away by it.   I got them on a great sale.  I also have Smith sunglasses with glass lenses.   Being a cue ball (bald), I put them up on my head when I walk inside etc.  Those heavy glass lenses put dents in my skull and fall off way too easily.  I also don’t trust them fishing.  Heard too many horror stories.  I still keep them in the truck to use driving, but would not buy more.  

[Cbump]

16 minutes ago, Fishin Dad said:

also don’t trust them fishing.  Heard too many horror stories.

like what? probably a million or more fishermen across the world wearing costas while fishing. 
 

 

 

OP, they don’t float, trust me. 

[gim]

I have some but mine are the polycarbonate lenses.  I like them.  I tried the glass lens ones on at a store and walked around with them for 10 minutes and didn't care for the weight.  I've always had a plastic/polycarbonate lens with sunglasses though, so it was way different.  Mine are 5 years old now, no scratches, no damage.  I only use them when fishing and put them in the hard case otherwise.  I would buy another pair.  Mine are the green mirror ones so I can use them in sunny or cloudy conditions.

 

Prior to these I always just had cheap $20 pairs that I would replace every year.  Wish I would have bought these sooner.

[J Francho]

15 minutes ago, Cbump said:

 

OP, they don’t float, trust me. 

I can confirm, lol. 

[flyfisher]

Costa lenses are the best out there for fishing as far as glass lenses.  I don't see a ton of difference between their plastic and others but the biggest thing for me is they have their mirrored green lens which has a copper base which I haven't found in other brands..  Important thing is fit.  It takes me a while to get the right pair because I am very particular on how they fit and if it takes 10 pairs to try on and move around then so be it as they aren't cheap.  I haven't had mine slip off but I also never take them off once I start fishing either.

[Zcoker]

Fit as you described can also depend on the model. I have the Costa Blackfin's and they fit as tight as a glove up on the cap. Love them. Anyway, you don't have many holding options if you don't use a lanyard. Only thing that I can recommend is to take them in to a optical shop to have them professionally fit to your liking. They use heat to shape and form the plastic frames. There's no harm to the frames, either. I've had plastic frames fitted like this before with fantastic results! 

[GReb]

I had two pairs with plastic lenses before my current pair with glass. I prefer the glass. Might try Bagio next but could be while. I typically get 5-7 years out of a pair before replacing. 

[WIGuide]

3 hours ago, Cbump said:

like what? probably a million or more fishermen across the world wearing costas while fishing. 

A few years ago one of the camera men at B.A.S.S. took a direct hit to glass lens with a heavy flipping weight. The glass shattered and got blown towards his eye. He ended up making a full recovery if my memory serves me right but it took a while. 

 

I'm on my second pair of Costas and absolutely love them. They make enough frames that you can find one to adequately block out light which allows the lenses to do what they are designed to do.  I've tried on the poly lenses in store and they are  very good, but I prefer the glass. I know some of it is just from being taller, but I've been in the boat with enough people and pointed out things they couldn't see to comfortably say they give me an edge. 

[gim]

1 hour ago, GReb said:

I typically get 5-7 years out of a pair before replacing. 

I assume you replace them under warranty since they come with a lifetime one.

[Darth-Baiter]

Thanks everyone. I did not consider the extra weight of glass.  I’m sure that compounds the problem of them slipping off my ballcap.  

[TOXIC]

I have posted many times the advise given to me by a fishing friend who is also and optometrist.  Yes, glass lenses have slightly better clarity.  There’s a reason there are no glass safety glasses.  I will never buy anything other than poly lenses at his insistence.  He is also a fisherman.  They have come a long way in clarity and scratch resistance.  I’m not risking my eyesight. 

[Darth-Baiter]

6 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I have posted many times the advise given to me by a fishing friend who is also and optometrist.  Yes, glass lenses have slightly better clarity.  There’s a reason there are no glass safety glasses.  I will never buy anything other than poly lenses at his insistence.  He is also a fisherman.  They have come a long way in clarity and scratch resistance.  I’m not risking my eyesight. 

Yea. I remember your advice. 
 

I like glass in certain situations.  Like the ocean. 
 

plastic for pitch/flip. 
 

but I was hoping this thread was about them falling off my cap, which is a move pretty much all fishermen do. I think. 

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

 I will never buy anything other than poly lenses at his insistence.

I've bought nothing but OSHA rated Poly-carb glasses for my prescription for longer than I can remember. Couple places I worked, I just had to put OSHA rated side-shields on and I was golden...no fogging, uncomfortable goggles for this guy.

[Bluebasser86]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

I can confirm, lol. 

Same unfortunately. Brand new pair of glass lens Costas somewhere in Grand Lake after they fell off my hat into the water. Had them maybe 2 weeks. 

[Darth-Baiter]

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Same unfortunately. Brand new pair of glass lens Costas somewhere in Grand Lake after they fell off my hat into the water. Had them maybe 2 weeks. 

Ouch

[Cbump]

17 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

which is a move pretty much all fishermen do. I think.

I don’t think so. Not on the water. Most don’t remove them to unhook a fish. If I do for any reason, they hook on my shirt, hang from the lanyard, or just get set down for a second. 

[GReb]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I assume you replace them under warranty since they come with a lifetime one.

Never had to. One pair was lost when a friend totaled his truck and the other is kept as a backup in boat. 

[gim]

3 minutes ago, GReb said:

Never had to. One pair was lost when a friend totaled his truck and the other is kept as a backup in boat. 

You posted that you replace every 5-7 years.  So now I'm confused.

[Bankc]

I'm firmly against Costas because they're owned by Luxottica now, which has singlehandedly ruined the eyeglass market and made the whole process largely unaffordable (in my opinion, of course).  There are plenty of documentaries and articles online if you want to know the details.  But the gist is you can get a pair of sunglasses as good or better if you buy from another manufacturer, because there's no patents or technology out there that significantly places them ahead of anyone else.  It's a marketing hype machine.  Again, in my opinion.

 

As far as glass versus polycarbonate, I actually prefer acrylic.  It's more scratch resistant than polycarbonate, and while not as impact resistant, it's still plenty impact resistant for fishing.  It might not stop a bullet, but it'll stop a 1oz. bullet weight with no problem.  It's also clearer and transmits light better than polycarbonate.  It's honestly the superior product, but polycarbonate is more expensive and actually bullet proof (at least with a .22), so some brands will use that instead and pretend it's a superior material so they can charge more.  It also doesn't last as long due to the scratches, so they get more turnover from customers and can sell more glasses. 

 

The glass uses in glass glasses is crown glass.  It's actually a lot more impact resistant than the standard glass you'll find in windows and cups.  It too should stop a bullet weight (if in the right thickness), be a lot more scratch resistant than pretty much anything short of sapphire, and be clearer than any plastic lens.  The reason why they're not used much anymore is because they're very heavy and acrylic did a good enough job at a cheaper price while significantly reducing weight. And on a pair of sunglasses where you're going to be sweating a lot and looking down, weight is probably a bad thing.  

[Big Rick]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I assume you replace them under warranty since they come with a lifetime one.

While their warranty is very good, it has its limitations. You ship to them on your dime, they assess the issue and you receive correspondence from them with their determination of the damage. I have had frame failure in the past, like the rubberized coating peeling off, and they have replaced them every time with no issue. They even offered to replace the lenses at a greatly reduced price even though the lenses weren't part of the warranty claim. 

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, Bankc said:

I'm firmly against Costas because they're owned by Luxottica now, which has singlehandedly ruined the eyeglass market and made the whole process largely unaffordable (in my opinion, of course).

Give up your Ray-Bans and Oakleys too...

[gim]

How many of you are getting shot at or taking on incoming high speed bullet weights while you're fishing?  If this is occurring on even a very remote basis, maybe its time to reconsider where and who you're fishing with.

[J Francho]

I hit myself in the thigh once. Once.