CostaDelMar

[FishinFool]

My cheapo pair of glasses is all scratched up and it's time to buy a new pair. I am thinking of buying a pair of Costa's and would appreciate some input from you guys. I liked the way they fit my head the best out of the different brands I tried on. Unfortunately the guy at Cabela's couldn't answer many of my questions. I do a lot of stream fishing for smallmouth and from walking through the woods my lenses would get scratched. I would like a pair that won't scratch too easily. Here are my big questions. What is the difference between the polycarbonate lenses and glass ones? Does one scratch a little easier, does one cut down on glare better, etc. I noticed that some frames had 580 lenses and some had 400's. Is the clarity that much beter with the 580's? Is it worth the price difference? I've heard that Costa isn't very good at standing behind their lifetime warranty and it's like jumping through hoops to try and get them fixed. Has anyone had any first hand knowledge of trying to get their glasses fixed? I'm just trying to decide if it is really worth spending the extra $$$.

I really apreciate the feedback guys!

F.F.

[KickNBass]

I have Maui Jimswith Glass lenses and absolutely love them. The difference between them and regular polarized are amazing, it's like all of your eye strain goes away when you put them on.

I can't speak much to the scratching but I do believe glass is much more scratch resistant. I really baby mine, so they never get scratched.

They also have a lens replacement policy that isn't too painful. Right now on the ir price sheet, it's $60 for a new pair of lenses. No too bad.

The only thing I wish I had was a pair that has a removeble frame like the Wiley-X glasses do to block sunlight. They might have it but I haven't researched it...

[Lakeside_Nelson]

I have a pair of 400's that I absolutely love. I have seen the 580's in person and they are VERY clear. Glass is the only way to go in my opinion, although I own a couple poly Natives that work great too. I haven't had any scratches yet or repairs to anything so I can't say much about how the customer service is.

[Larson15]

I have had polycarbonate glasses in the past and i would always end up scratching them. I have a pair of costa 580's with glass now and will never own anything different from now on. They are just about impossible to scratch.

The main different between the 400 and the 580 is that the 580 blocks a lot more yellow light which is the hardest color for the human eye to process. Yellow is what causes glare and distortion. The less amount of yellow you see, the more vivid all other colors will be.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Glass is more scratch resistant. And clearer. I have both styles and MUCH prefer the Glass 580.. but they are double the cost too. I have never had to use the Costa customer service, so I cant comment on that. Not all but most frames will be available in both the 400 and the 580 lenses.

[Cecil]

I love my 580's. You can certainly tell the difference between them and the 400's. I am getting another pair of 580's this spring

[Presco]

I have a pair of 580s, but I really baby mine as well(for that price you have to). I also have a pair of WileyXs from that Abu give away this past year. They are really nice as well and probably half the cost of the 580s. WileyX makes lenses for the military and pride themselves on the quality of their lenses. I have to assume that means they are pretty scratch resistant.

[TR21HP]

I use Wiley X for shooting and have had a number of shell casings bounce of the lenses and never even a slight bit of scratch. I would recommend these to anyone for any outdoor activity and as said previously a lot cheaper than the Costa Del Mars.

[Sportland_Bait]

I really like the Wiley X too. I've had a couple of pairs. Great glasses. Never tried Costas.

Jason

[Larson15]

I had 2 pair of Wiley's before my costa's and they both scratched!

[shiltsy]

Some of this is probably personal preference, but are there any frame styles or lens colors that freshwater anglers prefer? I've been looking at Costa's for a while and want to maximize my investment since I'll need a second mortgage to pay for them! ;-)

[Coach Dog]

Ray Ban "P" is a pretty nice set of shades. I have a couple pair that I wear for every day and since they are polarized, they are awesome for fishing as well.

[swampbuck]

Costas customer service is awesome for their frames, Send them in and you get a new pair back ASAP.

I sent in a pair that had some pretty beat up lenses and a brken frame

and I got back a brand new pair!!

Cant complain about that!

[thatoneguy]

I'll second the praise for Costa's customer service, plus the quality of their product is tremendous. I won't go on the lake without them.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Some of this is probably personal preference, but are there any frame styles or lens colors that freshwater anglers prefer? I've been looking at Costa's for a while and want to maximize my investment since I'll need a second mortgage to pay for them! ;-)

on the 580- I have the new silver mirror and love them.. other wise on the 400 I have grey and amber and like both.

[FishinFool]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!! Keep it coming either good or bad!

[Larson15]

Gray tint is better for the bright blue bird sky days. Not the most ideal for cloudy days. Gray allows for a natural colorant of what you are seeing.

Copper, brown and amber is better for the cloudy/low-light days. These colors allow for higher contrast of color.

[cjac]

I have a few pairs now, I started with the 400 lenses but upgraded to the 580s based on quality of lens and the eye protection they offer.

You only get one set of eyes, and the health of your eyes is not measured by price. There's no price tag you can put on your vision and the protection high grade lenses give you and the reduction on eye fatigue from inferior lens imperfections. If you spend any time on the water, they'll pay for themselves in protection, let alone performance.

That said, the giant e-commerce site has 580s in the $150 range in all kinds of frames and lenses. That's about $0.65 on the dollar compared to retail.

Chris