I think my eyes have been getting sun burnt of late and Im thinking of getting a pair of these www.seaspecs.com
Anyone out there tried them or better still can compare them to the oakley waterjackets(dont want to jump right in and pay $250 for something I might not even be able to wear)
Wearing sunglasses is in general a good idea, and when out on the water it is a doubly good idea. No experience with these in particular, but I have lost several pairs of glasses that weren’t as well designed (or as costly, I guess) even though I had them strapped onto my head. The strap looks like a great idea, but make sure you use something to tie it onto your wetsuit. I have a friend who has probably lost over $1000 in prescription sunglasses (not sure of the brand…might be this one, actually) due to trusting the strap to keep them on no matter what, or once he adopted tethering them to his wetsuit, he would forget to do it before he paddled out.
For me personally, I got frustrated with my glasses always fogging up, or covered in water droplets/salt deposits. I also realized that my red eyes were not sunburned, but due to irritation from saltwater, pollen, and wind. Let us know how these bad boys work out…I like the idea in theory and would be willing to try something that was specifically designed for this very purpose.
–BCo
I have some. They fog up bad in cold water (50deg) until your face cools down enough. It’s a little distracting at first, but you get acclimted. I only use them when surfing early am which here means staring into the sun. Maybe good for mid summer day sessions too. They stay on quite well… I’ve been flogged a few time with them and no problems. The fog sucks though.
Want some incentive and motivation to buy some… look up pinguecula and pterygium on google… jeez… all the causation factors read like a descrpition of a backyard shapers environment: dust, salt water, wind, harsh chemicals, etc.
hunter
These are what I wear…
They have small breather holes around a rubber gasket that allows air and water to circulate…
No fogging and cost AU$300 for my extreme prescription, short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other…
Yeah HP
My wife bought me a pair a couple years ago when I told her how staring into early AM sun (East Coast) and afternoon setting sun (Costa Rica) burnt my eyes bad. I have light colored eyes which probably doesnt help.
They work really good for me, the strap holds em pretty good, I’ve take some beatings and haven’t lost them. I always take them with me to the tropics
I’d say go for it
Jim N
Guy I know just wears a hat, but he’s not duckdiving much. His floppy hat though I think works even if he duckdives. I figure most of the glare is from up, so it makes sense to me.
Wears a long sleeve rashguard too. Brilliant, to me. He’s pretty smart.
I’m not smart, but I did the floppy hat thing for the longest time. Bad part was that it was always covering my eyes up at inopportune times. Now I wear a ball cap, curved up real good to show my East Coast US upbringing and keep out sun from up and to the sides. Stays on pretty well, and I just tie it to my zipper tab. I’ve seen people duckdive with hats. Pressure of the water seems to keep the hats on really well.
–BCo
Hicksy,
Do those stay on during wipeouts? If not, do they float, or do you tether them?
JSS
Hey MM,
They stay on generally and they come with a neck strap as well…
They also offer a range of nose pieces and gasket thicknesses…
You can use them like swimming goggles, no water inside the lens or use the gaskets that have drainage holes…
Good way to stop fogging is to put 1 drop of glycerine on the inside of each lens, smear it around with your finger then rinse…
I used a pair of the seaspecs for about 10 months over the summer of 2005. Had the strap pull off the second week in the water, the good news is they float. Some glue got them back in business and from then on the main problem was droplets on the lens. I tried everything to keep them clear but never found the right product. Finally stopped using them as they got very scratched from the dried salt. While I was using them my eyes / eyelids where in the best shape in years. I always wear a hat but the UV off the water and the spray while taking off were killing me. If I could find a pair with a good hydrophobic coating it would be worth the cost.
How about a sun screen thats safe for your eyelids?
I have tried all sorts of glasses and goggles but by far the best solution is the Gath visor. … . keep it halfway down or more when paddling or sitting out the back and flick it up when riding the wave, it reduces the sunstroke headache 95%
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I think my eyes have been getting sun burnt of late and Im thinking of getting a pair of these www.seaspecs.com
Anyone out there tried them or better still can compare them to the oakley waterjackets(dont want to jump right in and pay $250 for something I might not even be able to wear)
You didn’t say whether or not you need corrective lenses. If so, ordinary soft contact lenses provide better than adequate UV protection. In fact, this should be true of any polycarbonate material (i.e., virtually all plastic lens glasses or goggles). Anyone who pays in the vicinity of $250 should be aware that what they are buying is tint and style, not protection. And if you still want to go that way, enjoy it!
-Samiam
Thanks for all the replys people, no I dont need corrective lenses, this is just a new problem that seems to be getting worse and worse. I tried the hat idea over the weekend and took a nice little hammering onto dry shingle cos the hat was covering that side of my face and i was just watching what the wave was at.
Im still very undecided what to do, the oakleys sound like a better option but are crazy money (300euro in the local shop, when they can get a pair back in) and so far im not too taken with what Iv heard of the sea specs.
I saw a knock off of the goggles some where at some stage and the lense looked very week, even popped out under a little presure from my tumb.