Sunglass Tint Color

[wordty]

Looking to drop some dough on some nice shades and wanting advice on which color lens is best...using on fresh water...Caney, Harpeth, and occasionally a lake...anyone used the 580 Glass lens by Costa Del Mar?

[Travis C.]

I don't know about the harpeth but on the Caney my copper lens seems to be much better than my gray lens.

You may not get the same results out of all those three places with the same lens color. Light conditions and water clarity play a big role in which type you may need.

Other than just worrying about a color you'll need to consider weight of frame, glass or plastic lens and don't forget where the ear pieces meet the frame at the hinge. The better they wrap your face or the wider the ear pieces are at the hinge equals more light blocked from coming in the side. That increases visibility too.

[butts0907]

I bought some not-so-expensive polarized glasses last year and the guy at the counter told me the brown/copper colored lenses worked better than the gray. I kind of though he was just trying to sell me something more expensive, but I've since heard the same thing from several different people.

[Reel Tune]

I have a pair of Triple Tails 580G Green Mirror, Blackfins 580P Copper, Man-O-Wars 580G Gray, Permit 400P Dark Amber.

For an all around lens for freshwater with not a lot of visibility I prefer the copper, and blue mirror. When I’m in the Gulf its blue mirror.

The 580G lenses are nice, but heavier. They block the harmful yellow light, and are more resistant to scratching. The 580P’s also block the yellow light, weigh less, won’t shatter, but more susceptible to scratches.

The 400 series do not block the yellow light, but all Costa’s are polarized.

I would try as many pair on as you can as the frames vary greatly and they have a frame to fit almost any face. I stepped on a pair around the end of April and sent them back. In less than 3 weeks later they showed back up in the mailbox they said they just replaced the lenses, but they looked like brand new glasses.

Trying on the glasses indoors is ok, but once you hit the outdoors with the 580 lenses it’s like seeing in HD, it’s just amazing.

I’m sure there are other great glasses out there, but being built in the USA, customer service, and quality is the best I have found. Even their call center is friendly and easy to understand.

Edit: The glass lenses fog up much easier also.

[bd-]

In my opinion, copper tinted lenses are the most versatile. They provide very good contrast, and they are comfortable in both bright sun and low light conditions.

I don't like gray lenses - they cut out sunlight but don't enhance contrast. The whole point of polarized lenses is to help you see fish and bottom contours better, and enhancing contrast helps with that.

I used to have some yellow tinted polarized lenses, which were great in lower light, but hard on the eyes on a really bright day. Green mirror tint can be spectacular in some saltwater sight fishing applications (such as bonefishing on super-clear, super-bright grass flats in the Caribbean or the Keys), but I don't do enough saltwater fishing to have a dedicated pair of sunglasses for it.

Keep in mind that the tint of the lens is like a filter in photography - you have to think about what colors you want to de-emphasize and what colors you want to really "pop" for optimum fishing visibility.

Costa del Mar sunglasses are popular but I am partial to Kaenons.

bd