Polarized Prescription Fishing Sunglasses
From LoveToKnow Sunglasses
Polarized prescription fishing sunglasses mix the best of all worlds. Without having to wear sunglasses over your prescription glasses, you can cut the glare and keep your vision sharp. You can choose plastic or polycarbonate lenses since there's not much of a chance that you'll be cracking or shattering your lenses while fishing. You can also choose any frame you'd like since the lenses will be cut specifically for you, in your prescription.
How Polarized Prescription Fishing Sunglasses Work
Polarized lenses will help you with your fishing in two ways: cutting the glare and making it easier to see through shallow water. In a good pair of polarized sunglasses, there are three layers of material. On the outside layers, there's the regular plastic, polycarbonate, etc. In between those two, there's a layer of material meant to break down the glare. It can be horizontal or vertical in order to neutralize that glare. For water activities such as fishing, the polarizing material is put in vertically; for the everyday pair of driving sunglasses, it's horizontal.
As mentioned above, a good pair of sunglasses has the three layers. A bad pair, or a cheap pair, will have the polarizing material on the outside of the lenses. That will work fine for a little while, but over time, that material will wear off, leaving you with a useless pair of sunglasses. The good thing about prescription sunglasses is, you're going to have to go to a somewhat reputable shop to have your prescription filled anyway. Getting your eyeglasses at an optical shop or lab is not the same thing as buying them from a street vendor or drugstore rack. You will pay more, but the quality will be much higher.
Alternatives to Consider
If you're not too wild about the idea of paying for a whole new set of sunglasses with your prescription built in (they can be fairly pricy!), you may want to slip on a pair of sunglasses that fit over your everyday prescription eyeglasses. Consider Live Eyewear's Cocoons. They fit over your frames and offer shielding from the sun from most angles. They also come in a variety of colors and are polarized, too.
Finding Your Fishing Sunglasses
What to Look For
The first question to ask yourself is what time of day—and where--you expect to do most of your fishing. Early morning or low light levels call for rosy lenses. Fishing in the middle of the day calls for the more traditional gray and amber lenses you see most often when you check out polarized styles.
Where to Shop
Since your prescription will be in the lenses themselves (unless you opt for the over-the-glasses sunglasses or clip-ons), you'll have to get your sunglasses specially made. If the lab you use has a great stock of polarized lenses available in different prescriptions, you could have them as soon as an hour. Chances are, though, they'll need to order your specific prescription from a lens manufacturer. Prepare to wait at least a week for the finished product.
If you skip the polarized portion (not really recommended, since that's what helps cut the glare so much) because you're in a hurry and there's a big fishing trip coming up, you may be able to have your lenses made more quickly. You can have any clear lenses with your prescription tinted a deep gray or amber, then have them dipped in a solution that offers 100% UV protection. One-hour labs are more likely to have everything you need in stock if you go this route.
No matter which path you choose for your prescription sunglasses, make sure you don't skimp on the UV protection. Whether you opt for polarized over merely tinted lenses (if you have a chance to test out the differences, you probably won't skip the polarized portion no matter how long it takes), or go with tinted for time or money's sake, remember the importance of UVA/UVB protection. The sun can cause vision problems like cataracts and glaucoma. With fishing sunglasses, you'll definitely be spending quite a bit of time out in the sunlight; it's wise not to take your chance with your eyes. Protect them at every opportunity.
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