Kitesurfing sunglasses - any breakthroughs yet?

[markchatwin]

I need some good sunglasses/goggles for an upcoming trip to OBX and have searched the forum and found these 3 names:
1. Sea Specs
2. Kurtis
3. Aqua Shade - Lava (could not find this one online)

My questions are:

1. DO they all still suffer from the water not beading well and quickly leaving spots on your lenses obstructing vision?
2. Is it better to go the 3 pair deal that SeaSpecs is offering for $100 than the Kurtis for $200 being that both will have water spots after the first crash or spray?

At least with SeaSPecs if you lose a pair you might not be too pained about it plus one out of those 3 pair can be the ones with clear lenses for cloudy days.

But those Kurtis look really light and bendable - better in crashes?

Thanks...

[FredBGG]

I'm a photographer and am serious about looking after my eyes.

I have tried all sorts of glasses/goggles.

Kustis are by far the best.

They shed the water very very well.
They don't fog up exept for the most extreme conditions.

You are right that they are the safest because they don't have a frame.
They are totally flexible, but strong. You pretty much can't crack the lense.
I am guessing that due to the type of strength of the lense material they should be quite resistant to perforation

They also give you the best angle of vision with great periferal vision.
This is very important for safety.

The Kurtis goggles come with a safety strap to avoid losing them.
With a helmet the Kurtis goggle fit great as they have no arms that go over the ears.
Also with a Helmet you'll never lose them.
They also come with a storage can that will keep them from getting scratched up and also alows them to dry.

What I also like about the Kurtis specs/goggles is that you don't fell "caged in". The specs hover just off your fohead and eyes. There is no "eyelash crash" and ample ventilation but without wind blowing in your eyes.

The Sea Specs while well priced are no comparison. They don't adapt to small or large heads well.
Periferal vision is limited.
They can be uncomfortable under helmets.
They are an ok low budget option.

[Mattjamaica]

I have a pair of sea specs and find that they tend to fog up in the surf, also I don't like the cord that wraps around the back of the head as it can easily pull off the frames in a wipeout and you could lose them.
Barz were one of the first sunnies for surf that I came accros, but I couldn't afford em at the time -:)

[OzBungy]

The Kurtis are probably the best but also the most expensive by a long way.

The reason is that they sit a fair way out from your face so they are very resistant to fogging and it is easy to rinse them or give your eyes a wipe if needed.

The rubber pads that sit on your face look a touch fragile and the web site warns about treating them roughly. I haven't damaged mine yet but it's a bit of a worry.

Sea Specs and all the others are pretty much the same and moderately ok. You can get decent alternatives for less than $40 by searching for "surf goggles" on ebay.

All the water repelling coatings and anti-fog coatings are not particularly effective. You will get beads of water on your lenses and salt will dry. That's why the ease of rinsing of the Kurtis is useful.

It's probably just as effective to thoroughly clean your glasses with warm soapy water. That gets rid of the grease and dirt that causes water to stick and fogging to occur.

All the glasses with frames have a problem where the frames and pads get in the way so it is harder to clean the lenses properly. You always end up with corners that are not clean. The pads on the Kurtis get in the way but not as badly.

Any glasses you need to wear a leash. You will lose them. Either tie them onto the zip pull of your wettie, or make a little velcro collar (a trip of elastic around your neck. Velcro on each end. A loop of ribbon that goes around the head band.)

[fernmanus]

I had a pair of $250 Oakley Water Jackets. They were great for a couple months until I lost them while getting tumbled by a wave.

The best solution is to buy several pairs of inexpensive sunglasses and some croakies retainers. Then when you lose a pair (and unless you never crash, you will lose glasses) it is no big deal. Just pull another pair out and you are good to go. For $200 you can buy 10 pairs of inexpensive glasses and croakies. I find that 3 pairs lasts me a season, so I would have to go 3 years before it was worth my while to pair a pair of Kustis glasses.

I am not cheap. I just don't like forking over $200+ every time I lose a pair of glasses.

[m_glover]

It's inevitable. You are probably going to lose them, unless you never wipe out.

I hated the Sea Specs, haven't tried the other ones. Whatever you get, I'd recommend amber-colored lenses. After losing the Sea Specs, my husband and I bought a case of about 12 tinted safety glasses at Sam's Club for around $25. Yes, they were ugly as sin. But with a little rain-ex and a croakie, they got the job done. After 2 years, we still have 1 pair left.

If you do get an expensive pair, I'd recommend having some cheapies to wear on the rougher days. Who wants to worry about losing sunglasses when it's going off? Not me!


Meagan

[OzBungy]

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid ... Categories

[Jnonny]

Silverfish is another brand/option for Kitesurfing sunglasses.. I have a pair of their Prescription Sunglasses and have really been happy with them, plus great leash system.. they have three frame styles with or without prescription option..

http://silverfish.com/optimizer/product/S342.html

The sunglasses come with a "snap-in" head strap that securely attaches to frame and also a secondary bungee type leash.. basically a redundant safety leash system of sorts.. if the first head strap leash fails/slips-off, then the secondary leash will catch.. have had some knarly crashes that knocked them off my head, but second leash caught and haven't lost em yet --have had them for some years now..

also coat em with Rain-X to help bead off the water..

--John..

[FredBGG]

If you use the Kurtis specs with the leash or with a helmet you wont lose them in the water.
I have inspected the bowels of overhead surf with the Kurtis specs on and never lost them.

Now trying not to lose them with a car full of kiting junk when car pooling with 4 other kiters is another issue

No need to use Rain-X or anything like that.

Keep in mind that some rain-x will get into your eyes when water splases around in them... not good.

Better than Rain-X there is a wax product you can use. Better anti-fogging than Rain-X.

On the down side Kurtis specs arn't available with prescription lenses.

With the cheap ebay specs you are risking an eye injury if the frames break in a crash.

[Clew In]

Hey,

I bought a pair of Sea Specs and after the first time I wore them the strap pulled out. Glue them in if you buy a pair. I think the holes in the sides of the lenses let air flow through so they do not fog. Looks funny; however, I think it works well.

I bought a cheaper pair just like the Sea Specks (for lighter lens) and they do not have the padding around the nose area. Not as comfortable.

Also, rinse with water to clean sand and salt off before cleaning the lens with a cloth.

Clew In