sunglasses for windsurfing?

[mcintst]

Can anyone recommend any good sunglasses for windsurfing?

-Stuart.

[galeforce79]

Spy sunglasses
they are super strong, opticly correct and give the option for different lenses.

[spyder]

i tried out spex a long time ago, they worked well. not sure if theyre still around. but those Oakley WaterJackets are pretty cool, except the price tag is way more than what i would spend for something to lose in the water. BUT good ol costco has a knock-off that sells cheap, and works!!

[gemoore]

Like Spyder, I used Spex for a long while and now only for nuking days. Theyre good, but kind of goofy looking.

I got a pair of Hobie (I dont know who really makes them) sunglasses at sierratradercom. Another guy I know has Hobies (different designs) and we both love them.

In my opinion, the main important thing is polarized lenses (because it MARKEDLY improves your ability to see wind on the water). Its also reputed to be good for decreasing UV rays (which are known to cause cataracts).

Good luck

[spyder]

ah, but a tradeoff in my opinion, is polarized you tend to see through the chop and reduces your ability to read it. but i agree, seeing the wind line, and more protective, is a plus.

[isobars]

1. Cheap, cause theyre going to get munged and rubbed clean and lost and scratched.
2. Cheap, cause yourre looking through mung and water drops anyway so superior optical quality is a waste of money.
3. Cheap, cause I tend to throw them as fas as I can throw them when they will NOT stay fog-free in cold water (no matter what I rub on them or how many layers of lens there are or how much they cost or what they guarantee.
4. That said, I love Spex, but find that any old $10 pair that fits well does the same job ... and I can throw them as far as I can when they fog up.

On bright days, dark colors. On overcast days, yellow or brown lens increase contrast significantly.

Rain-X helps shed water.

And when I realized I cant see the terrain for CRAP wearing polaroid lens, I asked many sailors about that. It seemed that about a third of people can not see the terrain for crap through polaroids. Heck, I can see better through my hemohrroids than through polaroids on water. I think it has to do with how nearly same ones vision is between the two eyes.

If you wanna look cool, do it on land. If you wanna SEE cool on the water, buy something youre willing to throw away when it gets scratched up. And test drive cheap polaroids before spending a whopping $20 on them. Youll likely love em or hate em.

Mike \m/

[gemoore]

Interesting. For me, I find it mainly helps in seeing the ripples during jibes, thus helping me know when I go past 6:00 and can begin my exit.

In an unrelated but relevant issue, it should be pointed out that sailors (all kinds) are at increased risk for cataracts due to increased exposure to UV rays. Dogma has it that polarized / dark lenses decrease your exposure, but Ive heard that they may paradoxically increase the exposure due to opening the iris wider. I dont know if this is true or not (havent looked up any studies). But I do know that recent studies suggest that use of sunscreen paradoxically seems to increase risk of skin cancer. Editorials of that data express the view (as yet unsubstantiated) that its because people put on sun block and forget to repeat the application a few hours later (after its worn off). In regard to cataracts - IN THEORY - the polarized lenses block more of the harmful rays.

GEM

[isobars]

GEMs quite right ... we forgot to include the uv caveat. Make CERTAIN your eyes are protected by high-uv-filter lens. Fortunately, most of them are these days. But check the label; surveys indicate most shades uv labels are honest.

The problem of dark glasses letting the pupil enlarge, thus letting more uv into the eyes, thus accelerating cataract formation, is a common and logical claim. I have seen one logical opposing point of view and test result, but I havent researched the topic yet simply because overall, if the lens blocks 99% of the uv, that more than offsets the effect of larger pupils (they arent going to expand 100-fold).

And, yes, sunscreen lulls us into complacency so we sail at midday and dot reapply, which is dumb. But is ANYBODY going to stop sailing at midday just because it might kill us? Not I! Strong sunscreen, helmet w/visor, neoprene or lycra, careful and frequent skin examination, and go for it!

I judge my jibe exit by fixing my eyes on some distant downwind landmark, cloud, object, whatever. Watching the water gets me too wrapped up in my own little immediate world, too disconnected from the big picture, just as looking at the pavement in front of me would when driving a car. Looking at the big picture helps my jibe percent significantly, even in big terrain. Looking at a downwind spot also gives me a target, in both time and space, at which to aim my sail flip. I throw my front hand at that downwind landmark (after throwing the back hand away to get the clew out of the way), so the sail is driven hard downwind -- right where Im heading. The sail flip is thus completed while Im sailing with the wind at the speed of the wind, and thus is effortless, as though there were no sail on the bare frame. Then I can sail through the last 80-90 degrees of the whole turn under power, maintaining full beam reach speed throught the entire jibe, sometimes accelerating from entry speed in the jibe. When I get hung up in watching the water in my vicinity, I always jibe the sail too late and the sail has a ton of power while Im trying to jibe it.

Mike \m/

[mbvizer]

Ive tried with and without polarization and find my eyes a whole lot happier with the polarized lenses. I found comfy glasses at Wal-Mart for $20.00. Dont forget a good tight crokie or string.

Tipster

[mbvizer]

Ive tried with and without polarization and find my eyes a whole lot happier with the polarized lenses. I found comfy glasses at Wal-Mart for $20.00. Dont forget a good tight crokie or string.

Tipster