We’ve come a long way

My favorite sunglasses of all time were a pair of glass-lensed Costa del Mars (that’s what the company name was back in those days). The amber lenses literally opened up a new world to me every time I hit the water.

Unless the water was super muddy, it was like the liquid wasn’t even there; stumps, downed trees, oyster shells, fish were all visible. I looked a bit like a bug because the glasses were a bit bulky, a characteristic heightened by my pea-size melon.

There was just one problem: The lenses were thick and heavy, so by the end of the day my head throbbed.

So I would use them sparingly, but soon I abandoned them and moved on to lighter polycarbonate options that — while much less able to reveal the underwater world in such stark relief — didn’t give me headaches.

So I was thrilled when I stopped by the Costa booth during the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and tried on a pair of glasses that turned out to be fitted with glass lenses.

In fact, I stopped talking and started listening more when Costa rep Heather Miller told me the lenses were glass. I simply couldn’t believe how far the technology has come.

And to top it off, Costa (the company shed the rest of its original name along with the heavy glass lenses) has developed a new polarizing coating.

The company’s 580 lenses (offered in glass and polycarbonate) block yellow light at the 580 nanometer spectrum — which is to say it blocks the light that is hardest for our eyes to filter — and provide crisp color enhancement, along with glare elimination.

And, as is to be expected from high-end sunglasses, the lenses are 100-percent polarized.

The result are glasses that offer everything anglers need for a day on the water.

The 580 lenses come in seven color choices, which are designed for very specific uses:

• Gray lenses are great for activities on water or land in medium to bright sun conditions.

• Copper and amber lenses are designed to be all-around lens choices that also work well for sight fishing.

• Blue mirror lenses have encapsulated mirrors that deliver superior contrast and color in full sun while eliminating glare. These lenses, which start with a gray lens base, are best for activities on open water.

• Green mirror lenses begin with an amber base and are great for fishing inshore, on the flats, rivers and streams.

• Silver mirror lenses begin with a copper lens base and are great for freshwater sight fishing and any outdoor activity with variable light.

• Sunrise lens allow the most light to enter the lens, and are best suited for low-light conditions.And prescription lenses are available through Costa optical dealers.

About Andy Crawford 863 Articles
Andy Crawford has spent nearly his entire career writing about and photographing Louisiana’s hunting and fishing community. While he has written for national publications, even spending four years as a senior writer for B.A.S.S., Crawford never strayed far from the pages of Louisiana Sportsman. Learn more about his work at www.AndyCrawford.Photography.