Sunglasses
- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated Feb 17, 2016 at 10:40 pm by
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I’ve got a pair of prescription Costa 580Gs. I’ve had them almost five years now and the lenses have become cloudy. Not sure why, as I keep them scrupulously clean. They are a little bit scratched after five years of use. But I think the cloudiness comes from something else. Does the film on the lenses break down over time? I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience. My prescription has changed a bit, so it’s probably time I started looking for a replacement pair of sunglasses. But I’m wondering if I ought to go with Costas again, given the deterioration in the pair I already own. Costa prescriptions come with a hefty price tag. (I think my 580s cost about $580 five years ago.) most of my fishing is done in south Florida and I really need quality sunglasses. Smith optics seems like an alternative.
One possibility which occurs to me would be delamination between the filter layers, or potentially a breakdown of the filter (which I don’t believe is made of silica glass like the rest of the lens). I would bring this one directly to Costa and see if they would view this as a warranty repair.
Another possibility is sunscreen or bug spray etching the protective coating, which again may not be glass.
Zach
Thanks for the suggestion, Zach. I contacted Costa and prescription sunglasses, which cost three times as much as non-prescription sunglasses, are only under warranty for two years. Non-prescription sunglasses have a lifetime warranty. Go figure.
That’s annoying Jim. That would influence my decision as to my next choice, for sure. Smith also makes excellent sunglasses.
Zach
Jim,
What you’ve experienced is something my eyecare professional warned me about. All these coatings on eyeglasses and sunglasses have a tendency to break down over time. I recently went in thinking my prescription had changed and was told it was exactly the same but the coatings in my lenses had broken and they were actually making it hard to see.
Sadly, the lack of warranty on prescription sunglasses is the primary reason why I’ve avoided them and instead wear contacts when I’m on the water or wearing sunglasses for long periods of time. Sadly at two years Costa’s warranty is better than Smith who only warranty theirs for a year.
A somewhat lesser solution: I have a really strong, complex prescription. My ophthalmologist has an associated optical shop next door, and between them, they came up with a pretty good solution (polarized, tinted whatever “flavor” I wanted – – – neutral gray, brown, amber, yellow, green, etc.). But, they had to be in plastic, and basically flat lenses (no complex wrap around frame). All resulting from my coke bottle prescription. And they were monovision, which definitely didn’t help when I need bifocals for tying on flies.
Those worked, were expensive (although actually less so than Costa/Smith), and had no particular warranty that I know of, other than the optical shop has been great over the years about any issues I’ve had.
In the end, I switched to the slip-over polarized glasses. I use Cocoons, usually amber in streams, gray in saltwater. They’re relatively cheap, let me use my normal glasses, and, for what they are, are really pretty amazingly good optically.
An extra benefit, if you fish in the salt much, is that one pair can be used for running (and keep salt spray off your prescription glasses), and a clean pair can be kept in your pocket to slip on for fishing.
Adding layers is rarely, if ever, better for vision, but this is a case that’s worked for me.
Buzz
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