The best sunglasses for water sports

There are several different challenges that are faced by those who partake in water sports when it comes to choosing a good pair of sunglasses. Changing light levels, light shining from the sun and reflecting off the water, as well as the spray of the water itself are just a few of these difficulties.

Things to consider

With the variety of water sports out there, there are several different aspects that you need to consider before purchasing your sunglasses. Firstly, consider the specific water sport you’re going to be doing, as this will affect the different needs for your sunglasses. Outside of that, you should consider durability, comfort, UV protection, glasses shape, as well as the type of lens.

For Example

Firstly, UV protection is one of the most important things to consider. UV rays can bounce off surfaces such as water, which means that your exposure increases the longer you’re on the water. Therefore, we recommend that you keep in mind the UV protection of your sunglasses, hopefully having a pair that reflects 100% of the rays.
Consider looking for a pair of sunglasses that have polarised lenses. These lenses will help protect you from the excessive glare that the sun provides. This reduces damage to your eyes and allows you to see clearly when you’re out on the ocean.
The frames of the sunglasses themselves should be robust and made of a strong and lightweight material, with shatterproof being a preference too. You should consider this, especially for sports like surfing or windsurfing due to the nature of the equipment involved.
One of the more protective styles of sunglasses is wrap-around sunglasses. These cling to the contours of your face to prevent rays from the sun from coming in around the edges of the sunglasses.
Having a good grip on the bridge of your nose as well as on the temples of your sunglasses means it’s less likely to fall from your face during your activity, which is always a plus when you’re out on the water.
Depending on your sport of choice, you’ll be spending different amounts of time in different levels of water. If you’re looking at a sport that sees you spending long periods of time in deep waters, going with grey lenses is ideal. This is due to their ability to block glare and allow you to see better into the deep water. However, if you’re spending more time in shallow waters, you can look at brown or amber coloured lenses, as these improve the sharpness and contrast of your vision which is more important in shallow waters due to hazards.
Finally, if you need a prescription in your regular glasses, then looking for sunglasses that also allow you to put your prescription in is something that you should consider too, as this will help your clarity of vision when doing your water sport of choice.