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If you’re looking for some new fishing sunglasses that will cut through surface glare, protect your eyes, and help you see more fish, then Costa sunglasses are a good way to go.
I have spent most of my fishing years out scouring the deep blue seas of the Indian ocean or the flats of Seychelles, and a good pair of fishing sunglasses makes all the difference. Almost all the top fishing guides in the world wear Costa sunglasses and there is a good reason for it.
Join me as we take a deep look at the Costa Del Mar Sampan fishing sunglasses so you can decide whether these are the fishing sunglasses for you.
The Costa Del Mar Sampan Polarized Fishing Sunglasses
The Costa Del Mar Sampan Polarized fishing sunglasses are made from the best materials, are super comfy, have awesome lenses, and they’re really durable too.
The Frames
The frames are made from TR 90 Nylon which is a very light but tough and comfortable material. This means these sunglasses sit lightly on your ears and nose, can handle years exposed to the sun, and they will not corrode in saltwater either. Overall, they are amazingly comfortable to wear from dusk until dawn.
The Lenses
The lenses featured on the Costa Del Mar Sampan sunglasses are Costa’s 100% polarized 580 glass lenses that provide incredible clarity through light filtration technology.
By blocking the harsh yellow light and harmful blue light and at the same time enhancing green, blue, and red light. This combination provides better contrast, less blur, less haze, and a lot more clarity. Those bonefish you have struggled to see will suddenly be a lot easier to spot.
The lenses not only make seeing fish easier, but they also protect your eyes from harmful UV rays by blocking out high-energy visible blue light and 100% of the Ultraviolet rays up to 400nm.
Another great thing about these polarized fishing glasses from Costa is the incredible number of lens options available. You can choose from green mirror/tan to blue mirror/tan or silver mirror/yellow which covers pretty much every fishing situation.
To top it all off, Costa’s 580 lenses are also hydrophobic and oleophobic meaning they repel both oils and water, making cleaning them easier, and you’ll have to do it less often. They’re also super tough, heat resistant, scratch-resistant, and pretty affordable.
Pros
- Lightweight & tough frames
- Comfortable to wear all day long
- Glass lenses add extra clarity
- Option for polycarbonate lenses too
- Lenses are scratch and impact resistant
- Incredible polarization cuts through the glare
- Light filtering technology creates incredible contrast
- Comes in all the lens mirror/color options you could need
- Lenses actively repel oil and water
- Includes a limited lifetime warranty
- Super affordable for the quality
Cons
- Frames might not suit your style (you can choose different ones though)
Specs
Frame Material: TR 90 Nylon
Frame Colors: Matte black, tortoise, camo
Lens (L) Material: 580 Polycarbonate
L Colors: Copper, grey, yellow, blue mirror, green mirror, silver mirror
L Width: 60 mm
Hydrophobic: Yes
Oleophobic: Yes
Polarization: 100%
Who Is Costa Del Mar?
Costa Del Mar started out making fishing sunglasses in 1983 and they weren’t very well known in the fishing industry for a while. But, through incredible product development and great marketing, they have become the most popular fishing sunglasses brand on the planet and one of the best too.
Costa Del Mar’s sunglasses are worn by professional captains and pro flats guides all over the world, and most serious fishermen wear them too. After spending years being a flats fishing guide in Seychelles these were my preferred fishing glasses along with the Smith Basecamp polarized sunglasses, and If you’re looking for some amazing fishing sunglasses then Costa Del Mar is the brand I would recommend.
All Costa’s also come with a limited lifetime warranty, so when you buy a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses, you are getting them for life.
Costa belongs to the same group of companies as Oakley, Ray-Ban, and also Sunglasses hut. All are trusted and well-known sunglasses manufacturers and retailers.
Tip: The name “Costa Del Mar” is Spanish for “coast of the sea”
Design Features Worth Noting
Frames & Your Options
All Costa Del Mar’s polarized fishing sunglasses are made from the same material, TR 90 Nylon. TR 90 Nylon, as I mentioned above, is an awesome material that is durable, light, comfortable, and will last no matter how much sun and saltwater it experiences.
The frames vary from one pair of sunglasses to the next and the reason I recommend the Costa Sampan sunglasses is because the frames provide a lot of coverage and protection being wide. They also block out a lot of light from entering through the sides, making looking into the intense glare you can experience in the afternoons and mornings a lot easier.
The Costa Del Mar Sampans come in a range of frame colors too including Matte Black, Tortoise, Reef, and others so you can choose your preferred style.
What Lenses Should You Choose?
When you go to buy a pair of Costa Del Mar Sampan polarized fishing sunglasses, you are going to have to select the lenses you want them to come with.
All Costa Del Mar lenses come with the same 100% polarization, 100% UV protection, and the same light filtering technology. But, there are quite a few options to choose from in terms of materials and colors, and choosing the wrong option is going to cost you when it comes to seeing fish.
Glass vs Polycarbonate Lenses?
You can either choose to buy Costas with 580p lenses or 580g lenses, the g standing for glass and the p for polycarbonate.
I would personally recommend glass lenses as they provide far more clarity than polycarbonates making it easier to see fish. But, glass lenses are a little bit more delicate and can scratch more easily and they don’t handle impact as well as polycarbonate lenses.
If you’re clumsy, then maybe polycarbonates are the better option.
Which Lens Mirror & Color Combos Are Best?
You will find a lot of different lens colors and mirror combinations to choose from and each of them is better for one fishing situation than another. Whatever you choose, make sure you pick one with a mirror as the mirror provides a lot of added eye protection.
The all-around lens mirror/color option that works in most fishing situations is green mirror & tan. This combo is perfect for freshwater fishing on rivers and lakes, perfect for inshore fishing on flats, and it’s pretty good offshore.
If you spend all your time fishing offshore, you’ll want to go for a blue mirror with either tan or copper, as this will provide better clarity.
When it’s cloudy and you’re fishing on dark days, you’ll want an extra pair of low light sunglasses that come with a silver mirror and yellow lenses. These enhance light making it easier to see fish when the sun is not out.
How Does Polarization Work and Do I Need It?
Polarization works by removing reflected horizontal blue light, which is what glare on the water surface actually is, and the main thing stopping you from seeing what is under the surface.
Everyone needs polarized sunglasses when on the water as it removes most of the reflection and glare from the top of the water so you can see through it. This allows you to see all the colors in the ocean from sandbanks to shallow areas, pockets of turtle grass, and lots of fish.
What’s The Verdict?
If you’re looking for a pair of excellent polarized fishing sunglasses then you are not putting a foot wrong by choosing the Costa Del Mar Sampan Polarized Fishing Sunglasses.
These sunglasses do it all, between the incredible lenses and lens options to the durable and comfy frames.
I hope this article was useful in helping you choose the right sunglasses, protection from the sun is important for all fishermen. Match your fishing glasses with a guide shirt and you will definitely look and feel ready to catch those trophy fish!
You can read more on sun protection when fishing by checking out my Best Sun cream full review.
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