Prescription sunglasses or contacts?

albatross

albatross

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Joined
Oct 2, 2006
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Location
SW PA, Greensburg
I suspect the vast majority of you like to fish with polarized lenses most of the time. I would think that the majority of my fellow posters here on the board no longer have 20-20 vision. So, what do you do and why?

1) Contacts and regular polarized glasses.
2) Prescription glasses and polarized over-glasses.
3) Prescription polarized lenses.

I've been using contacts and polarized sunglasses, but I'm considering getting some prescription polarized lenses. Any suggestions for where to get prescription polarized lenses?
 
Albie,

I don't wear corrective lenses but won't fish without Polarized glasses. I have a couple kids and a wife that are blind as bats though without their glasses. So I know what glasses cost. And after a trip to Erie with Jack M and his buddy, the manager at the optiocal dept of a major chain my understanding is the cost increases approximately $80-120 dollars depending on the tinting style of the lens with polarization. So if your prescription glasses cost say $150, after polarization and tinting they could be $250 or more.

Of course I was pretty tired when they were boring me with the details...so Jack may be able to add some fact to my mumbo jumbo. :-D
 
Both Lenscrafters and Pearle Vision have prescription polarized lenses.
 
The cost of the glasses is higher, I think more like $50-100, and Maurice wasn't too tired to pay attention, but more likely too drunk.

The real problem is vision care insurance won't cover polarization unless you can get your optician to say they are medically neccessary. I have to confess that as a result of this issue and my basic cheapness, I have had to opt for seeing my fly on the water rather than seeing fish in the water. I have clip-ons that are polarized, but the double lens effect causes a relection distraction and unless the sun is hurting my eyes, I leave them off. I would urge you to either spring for a pair of prescription polarized lenses or stick to the contacts and sunglasses.
 
Dear albatross,

I can't see the sky without glasses. Years ago when soft contacts first came out I got them and thought they were great. That was back in the days when you had to heat sterilize them daily and soak them in some foul smelling de-gunking solution once a week. I wore the same contact lens for years and never had a problem but alas my prescription changed.

By that time extended wear contact lens were the norm and after trying just about every possible brand and style and finding that my eyes just couldn't handle them I switched back to regular old eyeglasses. I now wear lightly tinted glasses for everyday use and a pair of prescription polorized glasses for fishing and like the combination. I'd prefer not to need any correction, but after going through the hassle or trying to find contacts I could wear and failing I figure it's the next best thing.

As far as where to get polorized glasses the choice is pretty much yours. Keep in mind that depending on your actual prescription you may be limited as to what styles are available to you. For example my coke bottle prescription doesn't lend itself to any stylish wrap style glasses frames. I've successfully purchased prescription glasses and sunglasses from both Pearle and my optician. The cost depends on so many variables that it is hard to give you an estimate. The last time I replaced both my regular glasses and sunglasses at the same time I spent over $ 500.00, but I went with lightweight frames, scratch resistant plastic lens, graduated tint on the regular glasses, etc, etc.

Many of the major sunglass manufacturers will make prescription sunglasses that match their current styles. One place that I can recommend based on several friends who have purchased prescription sunglasses is Smith/Action Optics.

http://www.smithoptics.com/Specialty-Fishing_Category_77.html

In addition I have heard good reports about this maker as well.

http://www.fishermaneyewear.com/retail/

Good luck finding something that's suitable for you.

Regards,
Tim Murphy :)
 
Like Tim, I too struggled with contacts and eventually gave up on 'em. I wear "fit-over" polarized sunglasses now. My advice would be that if you find contacts comfortable... stick with them and sunglasses rather than prescription lenses.
 
There’s always laser surgery. :cool:
 
JackM wrote:

The real problem is vision care insurance won't cover polarization unless you can get your optician to say they are medically neccessary.

Vision Care Insurance??? Oh yea, I remember what that is. Every year I lose another benefit, and that one I lost about 4 or 5 years ago.

I used polarized perscription glasses. Here is my situation. My eyes are not all that bad. In fact, I don't need any correction for close up stuff. I need the correction for distance. The problem is that if I correct for distance, I can't see worth a darn up close. So, if i used contacts, or surgery, I'd have to re-correct for closeup work with reading glasses. So, what good is it? No matter what, I would have to wear glasses sometimes. Therefore I use glasses for distance and can simply take them off for the close stuff, like tying knots. My polarized sunglasses are a little on the dark side though, because I use them for driving. If i fished more, I'd have a pair of lighter ones.

You can get single vision polarized glassas for fairly cheap at Sam's Club, and I'll assume at other similar places. They will last you a long time, too.

My brother had the surgery. His eyes were a lot worse than mine to start. He said if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't. He still wears glasses most of the time, whether it is sunglasses for outside, or reading glasses in the office. Like me, he was near sighted. They tried making one eye for distance, and the other for near. Didn't work for him, so he had to get a second surgery on the one eye. So now he needs reading glasses, but can see pretty well at distance without. The only plus is he doesn't need the heavy coke bottle glasses anymore.
 
I started wearing glasses about 6 years ago, and I hate it, but what you gonna do. My first preference would be laser surgery, but I’m on the fence about it, because of the things that Farmer Dave mentioned. I need bifocals. My second preference would be contacts, but I have astigmatism, and I tried contacts but they didn’t work out. So I’m stuck with bifocals. I use polarized fit-overs, because I don’t want to spend the money for prescription polarized glasses. They work pretty well, but my biggest problem is that there is a gap between the glasses and my face, so there is often sun glare/reflection on the back of the glasses. There is a pretty noticeable difference when I cup my hands over the side of my glasses, and I have to do this often, which is bothersome. I know I miss seeing a lot of fish because of this. I know because my wife sees them all the time when I don’t. She wears contacts with form fitting polarized glasses. (So she helps me see the fish, and I tie on her flies because she doesn’t have near-vision because of the contacts.) I guess the point of all this as far as your situation is that if you are going to get polarized prescription glasses, you may want to get the “stylish” ones that wrap around and fit close to your face, to avoid glare.
 
I wear a good pair of sunglasses over contacts daily. I've come to terms with my blindness. If you can find it in yourself to splurge on a good pair of sunglasses, you'll find that they can also look pretty damn good. I wear mine almost everywhere its bright.
 
Dear Board,

I don't want to hijack albatross's thread but I have a couple of quick questions for Wulff-Man and FishIdiot and anybody else who wears those "fit-overs" or the similar "cacoons."

What about summertime fishing? Do you find that you have two pairs of glasses that get steamed up? I have trouble with sweat dripping in my eyes and on my glasses when I wear one pair and I'm wondering if it gets worse wearing two?

I've thought about the "fit-overs" because I know my next pair of glasses will have to be bifocals and I really don't feel like paying the money for prescription bifocal sunglasses if there is a reasonable alternative.

Regards,
Tim Murphy :)
 
Tim, I wear the Cocoons, and I don't have any problem with them steaming up in the summer. My glasses steam up, but the Cocoons don't. Probably because the glasses are closer to my face. And I don't think the Cocoons make my glasses steam up any greater, because they get steamed up if I take the Cocoons off, too.
 
I' getting a chuckle out of all the google ads at the top of this thread now being eyeglass related.

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm surprized at how many are using the fit-over solution over your standard eyeglasses. I guess that becomes a more attractive option when you have a complicated prescription.

I hadn't even considered surgery as an option. Seems a little extreme for my fishing habit.
 
I'll disagree with Jack's assesment on the eye insurance. Check your policy. Mine pretty much covers all of the expense. I have a very unusual perscription that is hard to get done correctly. I have been going to eyetique for several years now. http://www.eyetique.com/products/contacts/?sbd=1&sfd=1

This is a situation where you get what you pay for. I say spend as much as you can afford. I have had several pairs of sunglasses made here. Their customer services can not be beat. I broke a pair while drinking last year and they replaced no questions asked. My wife let the dog eat her last pair and they replaced the frames for a couple of bucks. They will also make any set of frames into sunglasses so you really have an unlimited choice on your frames.

Check'em out
 
I use Rudy Projects. They're expensive, but they work. They have wrap around polarized lenses with prescription (in my case, progressive) inserts. When my prescription changes, I only need to change the lenses in the inserts.
And if I scratch them up, I can get a new pair of polarized lenses for $15.00. That helps ease the pain of the initial expense.
 
As TimMurphey wrote, I can't see the sky without my glasses, but my solution is a pair of polarized flip ups over my regular glasses. I fish a lot of small streams and am in and out of the sun all day, so being able to adjust to shade quickly is important. I prefer the amber to the green and keep one pair in my trout vest and one in the bass vest. Each pair usually lasts the season. Seems to work pretty well.
Coughlin
 
I wear prescription bi-focals and found a heck of a good deal at JCPenney several years ago. They had an ad in the paper selling 2 pairs of glasses for $100 including free eye exam. Of course the frame selection was limited, but I did find ones that i like.
I got one pair of reg bifocals and one pair of polarized bifocals.
They charged around $40 extra for the polarized, so both pair came to about $150. They have scratch resistant plastic lenses - which I was a little leery of at the time,- but they've held up fine for over 2 years now.
Since then, many more eyeglass stores have opened in the Pittsburgh area, and they are always running specials in the paper - there's certainly lots of competition. So you can find deals out there.
I am due for another exam now and have been checking things out. Pearle has an ad in the paper giving 30% off AARP members, to which I grudgingly admit I now belong.
I think AAA members also get discounts at various eyeglass stores too
 
One other thing to consider is polarized lenses make it hard to see the LCD screen on your digital devices, like a camera, cell phone, GPS, IPod, laptop etc. No big deal with contacts, clip-ons or fit-overs, you just take them off. But if you can’t see the sky without glasses, its a pain with prescription sunglasses. I end up keeping the regular glasses handy in case I have to actually see an LCD screen.
 
Dear Gone4Day,

Electronic devices and gizmos have no place on a stream! That includes cameras without optical viewfinders!

PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

Regards,
Tim Murphy :)
 
I use both contacts and glasses, though if I'm fishing all day I opt for the glasses. For the glasses I use the clip ons that you can get at the eye doctors as opposed to the ones you get at KMart. They are a better quality lens. I've been using this for 15 years now. If I go for just an evening I usually use the contacts with polarized sun glasses until it get too dark to use them. Having polarized sun glasses is a definete advantage.
 
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