RE:[Paddlewise] Prescription sunglasses - polaroid vs tinted

From: MATT MARINER BROZE <marinerkayaks_at_msn.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:42:11 -0700
 PeterO wrote:

....>>>If it turns out that a VHF or GPS screen is harder to read with
polaroid
lenses then it would make sense to opt for tinted prescription glasses and to
use cheap polaroid non-prescription sun glasses for negotiating rocks when
its
unlikely I'll need to read GPS or VHF.

Does anyone have experience of using prescription sunglasses and whether
polaroid lenses are a problem with LCD screens. Its not something I can test
without buying prescription lenses as I can't read the screens in any
case!<<<<<


Years ago I would put polaroid flip-up clip-ons over my clear glasses when out
in the sun but looking through so many reflecting surfaces was not the best
situation and, besides being especially dorky, the plastic polaroid lenses
scratched up rather quickly. For the last twenty years or so my everyday
glasses are bifocals that darken in the sun. For skiing, kayaking, and some
driving (when the sun is reflecting off of car rear windows and trim ahead of
me) I have a pair of prescription polaroid sun glasses. With them it is hard
to impossible to read the speedometer and gauges. I don't think you can get
polaroid bifocals so reading or closer work requires me to lift them up too my
brow for awhile. Of course, I still do that occasionally with the bifocals too
(but not nearly as much as I had to do before bifocals). This is the best
combination I've found and since my prescription is stable these glasses have
only needed an occasional replacement of the nose pads. I'd get both frames
identical so that if you did break a frame you could put your bifocal lenses
into the other frame. I did this exchange with my old non-bifocal lenses when
my bifocal frames were damaged. That brings up the main downside of the
bifocals. I switch to the older non-bifocals I keep at the head of my bed if I
want to watch some TV while laying in bed. With the bifocals you don't see
distance well looking through the bottom of the lenses.



Both pair are in kid's titanium metal frames that can take face plants and
such while skiing without bending or breaking. Being nearsighted I like to
have smaller lenses to cut the glass weight (that the lenses getting thicker
out to the edges cause). So they are small for lightweight while still being
real tempered glass (rather than polycarbonate) for the best scratch
resistance.



I also have floating retainers to hold them to my head better and float them
if they do come off in the water. Years ago I lost a pair of glasses once when
racing a skin on frame kayak Chris Cunningham had at the S. Lake Union wooden
boat show in my street clothes. We hoped to beat all the rowing boats in a fun
race using kayaks. We kept passing the leading rowboat on the corners and it
would pass us again on the straightaways. At one point my choice was getting
hit by a returning oar or making a radical draw stroke to move out of the way.
I pulled the unfamiliar kayak right over during the draw with the unfamiliar
paddle (that looked to me like plywood blades screwed on to a broomstick). I
should have just grabbed my glasses as soon as my head hit the water but
instead I tried to roll the kayak and the water ripped my glasses off my face
in the process.
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Received on Sun Aug 02 2009 - 23:42:17 PDT

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