Hobie Cat Forums

Alright guys, who makes the best polarized fishing sunglasses?

I love my Wiley X glasses with the insert that makes them almost like goggles. The polarization is amazing.

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The gods do not subtract from the alloted span of men's lives the hours spent fishing.

Hobie Polarized glasses are awesome, and they are running a special promo for Hobie enthusiasts right now - use the promo code described in this post:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43963&p=184941&hilit=hobie+polarized#p184941

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Jacques Bernier
http://www.hobiecat.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HobieCatCompany

Love my Costa Del Mar, Fisch w/580g green mirror glass lenses, in RX no less

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2011 Hobie Pro Angler - Papaya
2012 Hobie Tandem Island - Papaya

Berkley polarized with built in readers (for older eyes). Cheap enough to replace each season.

I like my Oakleys with the Shallow Blue Irridium lenses. However, I have had multiple issues with the service department.

I cracked a lens and they replaced one lens, but I paid for 2. They "recycled" the other one, I never saw it.

I sent them back a few months later for another cracked lens, and they lost my glasses. I had the signed, return UPS slip and they finally caved and sent me a new pair, (after 60 days).

Next time, it's Costa 580's.

I've owned two pairs of polarized Oakleys (Flakjacket and Radar) and now use a pair of Smith's Riversides.
Used the Oakleys for about 3 years and currently have been using the Riversides for about 2.

Oakley
Pros: Fantastic construction, simple frame design allows for immediate repair without any special tools.
Modular design. You can switch out and replace components easily.
Very very lightweight and very comfortable.
Very stylish.
Huge variety of frame styles and colors that can be mixed and matched with any lens types (polarized, photochromic etc..)
Cons: Lenses scratch easily.
Very expensive for what you get.

Smith Riversides
Pros: Good construction, more difficult to repair. After a year the frame hinge screw backed out a bit and I had to use a eyeglass repair kit to tighten it up. Not a big deal.
Incredible lenses. I abuse the crap out of my Smiths. Leave them on the floor, throw them in dry bags that have keys in them and there is not a single scratch on the lens. The polychromic lens is also amazing and absolutely perfect for fishing (especially if you like to start your fishing trip in the early mornings).
Cons:
Heavier than Oakleys and for the first few weeks I had some tenderness and pain at the top of my ears. Got used to it and it no longer bothers me at all.

Your frame choice will be largely dictated with what lens the frame supports. So not a very good lens selection at all if you decide to go with photochromic lenses.
The riversides , are in my opinion, the best in Smith's collection for fishing and I think they're pretty ugly (compared to Oakleys).


In the end, I would go with Smiths. It's nice to look good on the water but to me lens durability is much more important.
Maybe it was because I used my Oakleys for biking and they would scratch as soon as they were dropped on Asphalt but I forever have the opinion that they are pretty scratch prone lenses. The lenses themselves cost a good $120 , so it's a pretty big hit when you scratch up your lens.

Oakley's 7/10.
Smiths 8/10.

If Smiths could lighten up their Riverside and make them spiffier looking they'd get a 9/10.
If Oakleys beefed up their lens scratch resistance to match or exceed Smith's then I'd give them a 10/10.

I like the Hobie Escondidos in the brown tint. At least in California, when we are sight fishing the need to pull out the browns, yellows and greens from underneath the water's surface is critical. I have used a lot of expensive brands and this model is by far way better than those others brands. With the exception of the durability, where glass will not scratch the polymers will.

Costa del Mar with the reader lenses. Sweet. I need glasses to read / rig / tie knots and don't want to have to carry readers out on the yak with me.

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F.L. Salomon
GCKFA #1

Costa Del Mar

If you're looking for a cheap plastic that won't hurt if you scratch or lose them, Flying Fisherman makes some great polarized glasses.