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We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

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PullStrings
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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby PullStrings » Tue May 21, 2019 3:23 am

Matteo V wrote:
Mon May 20, 2019 3:02 pm
No kiter "needs" a $200 pair of sunglasses for out on the water when $1 sunglasses work almost as well.
$200 is nothing for an important piece of equipment
Look at the price of a new Ride Engine 2019 harness Elite carbon....from $358 to $418
Even other brands lower priced 2019 harnesses are around $200
People need great quality harnesses for riding comfort...same for quality sunglasses for vision comfort plus protection

$1 sunglasses are not even close at all to work as well
They are :
Not safety rated frame to keep lenses in on impact
Not safety rated lenses to prevent shattering
Not hydrophobic surfaces to make water droplets bead at a 100 degree angle
Not oleophobic surfaces to make oils and sunscreen wipe off easily
Not scratch resistant surfaces
Not anti-reflective on the back of the lenses which is very important to see effortlessly through the lenses
Not built with prism base in ( some call it decentered ) for horizontal vision comfort in 8 base wrap frames
Not distortion free from edge to edge
( cheap lenses in cheap sunglasses are made real thin and are wavy )

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Bille
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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby Bille » Tue May 21, 2019 5:53 am

PullStrings wrote:
Tue May 21, 2019 3:23 am
...

$200 is nothing for an important piece of equipment
...
I said this , in page 6 ; after i checked the new price of the
goggles i use :
Bille wrote:
Sun May 19, 2019 5:23 pm
...

I just checked the price for the gogles i use , and they went up a
Bunch ; so their right in line with your Typhoon sunglasses .
The cost for Black Barz Sport Goggles with Polarized Blue/Grey
is now $240. Without the Polarized lenses , they are $120 ; but i need the
Polarized ones. :(
...

Bille
When someone persuades me that i'm wrong in my line of thinking ; i
have no problem with changing the attitude . I payed $120 in 2010
for the goggles i'm using now. YEA ---- they went up a bunch !

PullStrings is correct that $200 is nothing for an important piece of equipment.
My Eyes ; they are very important to me .

Bille

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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby leeuwen » Tue May 21, 2019 7:04 am

I had 2 kinds of specifically build watersport sunglasses.
First ones I bought at a kitespot at discount for about 30 euros.
There where quite ok but the comfort was just not good enough.
You needed to pull them quite tight to your face to not lose them in a crash.
However, the ridges that touch the face are just hard plastics so that gets uncomfortable quite quickly.

I now have a pair of polarized c-line davy glasses.
Those are quite an upgrade in regards to comfort and they are 50 for non-polarized and 75 euro for polarized.
They are also made with TR90 so they should stand up to quite some abuse.

In regards to functionality, safety and comfort it seemed to be an ok deal but I'd be happy to hear about similar quality sunglasses for less.
In regards to more expensive options (Not taking brand/esthetics into account):
The lens coatings *might* get slightly better with more expensive sunglasses but that is a lot of dollars for diminishing returns.

Another question: what are people doing who need prescription glasses? Any brand building those for watersports?
Or are people wearing contacts?
My vision is still good enough that I don't really need it but being able to read the kitesizes from some distance would be nice :D

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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby HALF » Tue May 21, 2019 7:17 am

Yeah, for prescription lenses check the typhoon RX line, just 490USD, or if that is too much for you, the surger RX line, merely for 480USD.

I myself wear daily contact lenses so i don't have to worry about losing them or having to clean them after the end of the day.

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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby Matteo V » Wed May 22, 2019 1:29 am

PullStrings wrote:
Tue May 21, 2019 3:23 am
$200 is nothing for an important piece of equipment
Look at the price of a new Ride Engine 2019 harness Elite carbon....from $358 to $418
Even other brands lower priced 2019 harnesses are around $200
People need great quality harnesses for riding comfort...same for quality sunglasses for vision comfort plus protection
So a harness is comparable to sunglasses?????? Just a bit disingenuous, don't you think? I mean the frame, as well as the lens pretty much pops out of a mold. No hand sewing is really necessary on sunglasses right?



Here are the $1 sunglasses (and safety glasses I use at work):


MCR Checklite "Crews"
mcr-CL012-web600.jpg


Pulley, please don't think bad of me for doing this (my response in red)...
PullStrings wrote:
Tue May 21, 2019 3:23 am
Not safety rated frame to keep lenses in on impact Yes they are
Not safety rated lenses to prevent shattering Yes they are
Not hydrophobic surfaces to make water droplets bead at a 100 degree angle Honestly, I have never measured the angle
Not oleophobic surfaces to make oils and sunscreen wipe off easily I use McDonalds napkins to wipe them off once after the first half hour and they clean up with just a few rubbs
Not scratch resistant surfaces Who cares, they are a dollar so I stuff them any where in my car, drop them in the sand and wipe the sand off with my fingers, and occasionally step on them without a care in the world because I can just get another one out and then I have no scratches for only $1
Not anti-reflective on the back of the lenses which is very important to see effortlessly through the lenses Just checked mine and I can see through them, as well as have thousands of sessions without any eye fatigue
Not built with prism base in ( some call it decentered ) for horizontal vision comfort in 8 base wrap frames c'mon man, is that just "word salad", or are you an optometrist? Can you give me an explanation of "horizontal vision comfort" vs "vertical vision comfort" vs "diagonal vision comfort"?
Not distortion free from edge to edge Fortunately, my head turns almost 180° so I almost never really have to stare through the edges of these glasses - I just turn my head when something catches my attention on the periphery
( cheap lenses in cheap sunglasses are made real thin and are wavy ) SO THAT'S WHY FLAT WATER LOOKS WAVY AND THE BREAK LOOKS FLAT! it must have been my cheap sunglasses all the time (sarcasm for ESL forum users)


Look, pulley, here you go.

$200 sunglasses are a great way to express your own sense of style.
$200 sunglasses are a great way to save the environment by not going through lots of disposable sunglasses like I do.
$200 sunglasses are a great way to support some business owner that has a 1 in a million chance of actually creating a true innovation in the market.
But $200 sunglasses still cost you $200. And that is cool. Go for it. Just don't try to put off on everyone here that $200 sunglasses are a necessity for kiteboarding.

My kit is below -
20190521_194243.jpg
1. Buy a 1/8" drill bit and glue it into a piece of wood or "melt" it into a piece of plastic
2. Buy a small pair of needle nose pliers
3. buy some 1/8" bungee or shock cord in bulk
4. Buy some MCR Checklite "Crews"
5. Using your new hand drill, make a hole at the indent on the end of the ear piece
6. Clean off the rough edges of the hole with the edge of the drill bit.
7. Fray the end of the bungee cord (a fresh cut without burning is best) so that you can put that through the hole you just made - but it will be tight THUS ADJUSTABLE!
8. Pull the bungee cord in with the pliers and make the length you want (I make mine loose so the glasses are not pulling at the bridge of my nose)
9. Knot then burn the ends of the bungee and use your new $1+ sunglasses for kiting

PullStrings
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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby PullStrings » Wed May 22, 2019 3:04 am

Matteo V wrote:
Wed May 22, 2019 1:29 am

Not safety rated frame to keep lenses in on impact Yes they are
Not safety rated lenses to prevent shattering Yes they are
Not hydrophobic surfaces to make water droplets bead at a 100 degree angle Honestly, I have never measured the angle
Not oleophobic surfaces to make oils and sunscreen wipe off easily I use McDonalds napkins to wipe them off once after the first half hour and they clean up with just a few rubbs
Not scratch resistant surfaces Who cares, they are a dollar so I stuff them any where in my car, drop them in the sand and wipe the sand off with my fingers, and occasionally step on them without a care in the world because I can just get another one out and then I have no scratches for only $1
Not anti-reflective on the back of the lenses which is very important to see effortlessly through the lenses Just checked mine and I can see through them, as well as have thousands of sessions without any eye fatigue
Not built with prism base in ( some call it decentered ) for horizontal vision comfort in 8 base wrap frames c'mon man, is that just "word salad", or are you an optometrist? Can you give me an explanation of "horizontal vision comfort" vs "vertical vision comfort" vs "diagonal vision comfort"?
Not distortion free from edge to edge Fortunately, my head turns almost 180° so I almost never really have to stare through the edges of these glasses - I just turn my head when something catches my attention on the periphery
( cheap lenses in cheap sunglasses are made real thin and are wavy ) SO THAT'S WHY FLAT WATER LOOKS WAVY AND THE BREAK LOOKS FLAT! it must have been my cheap sunglasses all the time (sarcasm for ESL forum users)
About the glasses you show :

There is no frame holding the lenses it's a one piece molded front & lenses
Yes they are shatter resistant polycarbonate and protect from UV up to 400
They are not hydrophobic at all
They are not oleophobic at all
Yes scratch resistant front and back
They have no backside anti-reflective (AR) that reduces glare from the back of the lenses returning to the eye
AR on the back increases contrast sensitivity 20% and is 7 times more comfortable to see through...plus does not reflect back bad UV in the eyes
Horizontal vision comfort means that the eyes have to work and strain because of the curved frame 20 to 25 degrees and 8 base curve lenses at 2.0 mm of center safety thickness
It causes at least a total of 0.75 base "out" prism (0.37 diopter base out per lens).....the maximum optical tolerance is 0.67 of prismatic error horizontally
All good Wrap sunglasses with safety center thickness have each Right & Left Plano lens with at least 0.37 D base " in" to negate that effect making it zero and perfect optically
Those one piece "molded" tinted Gray glasses of yours probably have no edge to edge distortion
Distortion is seen with cheap sunglasses with thin lenses around 1.0 to 1.5 mm when they are assembled into metal or plastic frames
Lenses are compressed by the frame and get warped all over the place
:coolshades:
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dragnfly
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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby dragnfly » Wed May 22, 2019 7:59 am

I'd definitely go for the $1 option. They are still 1000% better than nothing.

Are $200 glasses 200% better than $1 ones?

I've opted for these, which seem pretty decent for the $25 (not tried them yet)

SUN PROTECTION
Category 4 lenses 100% UV protection: Ideal in sunny weather.
POLARISED
Polarised lenses: limit reflections on the water
BUOYANCY
Floating frame: easily find your sunglasses in the water.
STABILITY
Adjustable head strap: to keep the sunglasses in place
WATER REPELLENT
The water-repellent coating reduces water collection on the lenses.
COVERAGE
Wraparound design: protects the eyes from wind, splashes and bad weather.

Image

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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby HALF » Wed May 22, 2019 10:09 am

dragnfly wrote:
Wed May 22, 2019 7:59 am
Are $200 glasses 200% better than $1 ones?
A small correction, the price increase is not 200% but 20000% (or 19900% to be precise).

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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby Matteo V » Wed May 22, 2019 3:15 pm

PullStrings wrote:
Wed May 22, 2019 3:04 am
Distortion is seen with cheap sunglasses with thin lenses around 1.0 to 1.5 mm when they are assembled into metal or plastic frames
Lenses are compressed by the frame and get warped all over the place
:coolshades:
Just a note - the sunglasses you are referring to are "kids sunglasses" or junk "fashion sunglasses". Eye wear that costs $5 at walmart should be avoided especially if you can pop out the lenses with your fingers. Those types are more likely to be a liability in a crash than an asset. Only safety rated glasses should be used in high impact sports. But given there are $1 safety glasses that many of us have proven to work well,......well, the cheapest option is also more than adequate.

PullStrings
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Re: We should be wearing sunglasses throughout the day and especially while kiteboarding! Why aren't we?

Postby PullStrings » Wed May 22, 2019 9:23 pm

Matteo V wrote:
Wed May 22, 2019 3:15 pm
But given there are $1 safety glasses that many of us have proven to work well,......well, the cheapest option is also more than adequate.
Warning: Do not try on a pair of high quality lenses sunglasses with backside anti-reflective for kiting with Hydro and Oleo tech in them
It's a highly addictive product !!
Once you get to see the difference through those lenses there is no coming back to the El Cheapo tolerable kind

Question about your beloved $1 glasses for work and kiting :
Do you also wear them to drive your car when it's sunny ??
Or do you have a better pair for that ??
After all most of us spend more hours behind the wheel than behind a control bar

Car driving....glare glare from everywhere....not just disabling but the blinding kind....so dangerous you could run somebody over by not seeing them !!
From driving directly towards a low sun in the morning and the afternoon
From the road wet and dry....from your dashboard...from the inside of your windshield...from the back window of car in front of you...your own hood...etc

By the way the shades i use with my contact lenses for driving and kitesurfing cost more than $200 :wink:
Leashed with Terra Cord Croakies
At the end of Cord i make a short leash line (shoestring) that's attached to the center upper part of my waist harness (i made a small hole) using bowline knots to attach all
Never lost a pair of sunglasses to the ocean
Can always grab them back if they happen to come off my head in huge wipeout
So they serve me two purposes

Here let me show you the total opposite of your one :cash: El Cheapo sunnies :dance:

Image

Image

:bye:


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