I'm not gonna dole out +$100 on sunglasses but if you feel it's necessary then which ones? What's the preferred waterman's shades. I plan on doing some fishing, so ones that could cut thru the glare and seaweed
So, I haven't invested in shades in a while, but I will say this: Costa are my go to if you are willing to spend the money. Especially for fishing. When I moved here, all the fishing guys told me that the costa polarized lenses help you see better depth in the local waters and all this. So to date, I have like 6 pairs of Costas. All 6 have slightly different lenses, so if I was you, I would go to a sunglass hut or something and try a bunch of different kinds on, then buy the ones you want online unless they have a good sale. All the lenses have different features. I have one pair, they are tans with like silverish lenses. These are great, because when you wear them, they block the sun, but the brighten everything you see. It's crazy. I use them for long drives to Charleston or whatever, because it makes everything brighter, but blocks the sun. I have the classic black frames with the blue lenses, and those act just like basic sunglasses to me. Slight tint and keep the sun out. Very durable.
The most recent pair I have are from a charity raffle at this fly fishing tournament we sponsored. I got a bunch of free raffle tickets because of our donations and my buddies all got fly rods and shit, but there was a $280 pair of costas on the table when they pulled my number, so I grabbed them. These are dark brown with like a rust colored lense. And these are interesting, because when I wear them on a boat or beach, they highlight different colors on the water. It makes white water and clear water brighten, almost like it's glowing at certain angles....
So at any rate, there are all kinds of Costa lenses and all the local fisherman here tend to wear them.... Costa was not a thing on the west coast, so I had never heard of them before I moved here.
Also, if they get damaged or get wear and tear, you can send them back to Costa and they will repair them for free. I have done that before. They are out of Florida....
A couple other alternative you may want to consider: Rheos sunglasses. They are polarized, they float in the water and they are made in Charleston, SC. So that is your local crew.... We sell them in our retail stores. And last I looked, they are like $60...
Another cool company that makes solid glasses for a lot cheaper is Blender, out of San Diego. Made by surfers. They are all $60-$80 and my wife has a few pairs and loves them....
Here is a link to the "Angler Model" Costas. The large image at the top of the page are the most recent ones I got from that tournament. They have a flex nose guard and all these crazy features. They also have hooks on the sides of the lenses, so I use little barrel swivel (fishing clips) and connect the "retainer" to them. Two of my Costas have the hooks on the sides and I love that. Retainers are a must for me if I am in the ocean with them or out on the boat....
https://www.costadelmar.com/en-us/pro-series
I haven't invested in a quality pair in a while, but I agree with Zach, my last pair of polorized Costas were pretty awesome. I use to also wear Arnette, and Anarchy back in the day.
I have a few pairs of Von Zippers that I got over 20 years ago. Back in those days, in San Diego, Taj Burrow and a lot of the oz guys were sponsored by VZ. They were all over my local surf shop that I supported. At any rate, they aren't polarized or anything fancy, but all three pairs are in almost perfect conditions after 20 years. The lenses didn't delam like a lot of older ones do. So just from a standpoint of shades that held up to decades of elements, being used every day and all over the Baja desert, those things are fucking beasts. I also have a couple of pairs of "Electrics" from back in the day, and those bad boys held up REALLY well also....
But for what he is asking, about water and fishing, I am sticking with Costa.
Oh shit I forgot about Electric, I had a pair of those as well, nice while I had them.
Oakley Half Jackets with polarized lenses, got then online on sale for $150 with shipping.
First off, do NOT buy Costa.
Costa used to be a great company until they were bought out by Luxottica. They're dog shit now. The "Wavestorm" of high end polarized glasses. Don't support them.
The OG Costa people went out and started a new company called Bajio.
Bajio fucking rules. Good people and an event better product. They also just won their *second straight* "Best Eyewear/Fishing Lifestyle" award at this year's ICAST trade show.
They're just shitting on Costa and I'm 100% here for it.
And maybe....just maybe....I'll send you a 50% code...
Brand aside, I would highly recommend ordering glass lenses vs poly. Just do it.
And as someone who used to work for one of the companies that has already been mentioned (not Costa), I would only buy Bajio or Smith for sunglasses for brands in our market. Everyone else is sorta mediocre Luxottica trash.

