Boating Sunglasses

Whether you’re into powerboats, cruising in calm waters or putting your feet up in a hammock under anchor, one thing that you may not have considered stowing in your gear bag is specialized boating sunglasses. Regular sunglasses have their purpose, but when you’re contending with hours in the blazing sun, blinding reflections off the water, and sea spray – perhaps you’ve wondered if there’s something better out there?

Well-designed boating sunglasses will help you protect your eyes from harmful UV exposure by minimising the amount of ‘UV leakage’. This is where UV rays find their way behind your lenses and into your eyes through the gaps between the sunglasses frame and your face. This is especially important in a marine environment where UV is reflected off surfaces like water and the boat deck. The negative effects of UV radiation are cumulative and build up over a lifetime. So if you love spending long hours on your boat – acquiring some specialised boating glasses is a sound investment.

watershades-black

Are You Looking for Boating Sunglasses?

Polarized boating sunglasses offer other benefits in addition to UV protection. Polarized lenses cut through the glare and help you see the water ahead clearly. They help you assess your surroundings, seeing blind spots and hazards that may otherwise be hidden in a patch of glare.

Wrap-fit sunglasses also provide excellent peripheral vision which helps you spot movement and hazards outside of your binocular and focus range. A pair of purpose-designed boating sunglasses are going to keep you, and those around you, much safer on the water. 

5 point checklist for boating sunglasses

UV & SPRAY PROTECTION
When paddling around on the water, if there is a route for UV rays, light and spray to get behind your lenses and into your eyes, it will be found. Choosing a wrap fit frame is essential to help minimise the exposure of your eyes to UV and to all the other things that bombard our eyes on the water.
GLARE & POLARISATION
When sunlight is reflected off water it can lead to distracting and blinding glare, particularly when the sun is at a low angle. This not only makes life uncomfortable but it can also distract your focus and concentration. Polarised lenses cut out the glare and increase comfort and contrast, which in turn reduces eye fatigue and boosts your focus.
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
'VLT' (Visible Light Transmission) determines what percentage of visible light (not to be confused with UV) passes through the lenses and into the eyes. Category 3 lenses are generally the most suitable for kayak angling, unless you’re located in a cloudy region where it might be more appropriate to consider a category 2 lens or a photochromic lens which spans across categories 1-3.
LENS COATINGS
A hydrophobic coating repels water whereas an oleophobic coating repels oils, sweat, dirt and dust. It is the last layer on the lenses. Having both of these coatings on your lenses will add significantly to visual clarity and therefore your performance and enjoyment.
RETENTION SYSTEM
What happens if you accidentally capsize? Will your sunglasses be catapulted into the water? Will you find them before they sink? There are two ways to mitigate against this: sunglasses that float, or sunglasses that incorporate a reliable tethering system. If you choose a floating solution for angling on rivers and tributaries, will you be able to retrieve the sunglasses before the current takes them downstream?
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The Best Boating Sunglasses

We teamed up with industry experts ZEISS who use cutting-edge technology to deliver the best boating sunglasses lenses available.

Instead of focusing on only one or two water-friendly features, we designed our water sport sunglasses range to be a fully superior product out there on the waves.

All of our boating sunglasses incorporate state of the art lens technology including hydrophobic, oleophobic and anti-scratch coatings on both sides of the lenses. Some also have an anti-fog coating. Furthermore, all our boating or sailing sunglasses lenses sail through the FDA impact resistance (or ‘Drop Ball’) test requirements. Even our wrap frames are built using shape-memory TR90 nylon which is not only indestructible but also absorbs and spreads impact loads.

Our Typhoon and Surge models are designed for speed and more intense boating activities or in competitive environments. They both feature our patented double vortex venting system, which counteracts fogging and reduces heat build-up behind the lenses. They also come equipped with a 100% failsafe leash and silicone necklace retainer system – guaranteed to stay connected to you at all times.Even if you accidentally go overboard and the sunglasses are forcibly removed from your head, they will stay connected to you.

You may instead prefer the simplicity of boating sunglasses that float. With a lightweight floating frame, our Flo model is ideal for calmer, more leisurely water and weather conditions. If they fall off, they’ll just bob along on top of the water until you retrieve them.

Choosing Your Pair of Boating Sunglasses

Boating Sunglasses need to be robust and built to withstand the harsh marine environment. All of our watershades meet this essential criterium – which is why we offer a market-leading 3-years warranty. Choosing the bestboating sunglasses for you will depend on where you plan to use them and the nature of the local weather conditions. Choose the Typhoon or Surge frame for rough seas or high-speed boating as these offer greater security against loss. To choose your lenses, check out our lens summary guide for a detailed look at all of our watershades lens options. We have also put together a summary of all of the essential considerations to make the wisest choice, including a lens tint guide, a guide on lens materials and their qualities and a guide on the visible light transmission rates for all of our lenses. Look through our range of products and find the protection you need against the elements and to lift your boating experience. Next time you head out in your boat, you’re be sure to feel the difference LiP Sunglasses make to your day! Watershades are also perfect as a rowing sunglasses, or as a Fishing sunglasses

Layers of technology incorporated into our boating lenses

Function reference chart for Typhoon, Surge and FLO

Model / Functions Typhoon Surge Flo
UVA/B Protection Yes Yes Yes
Polarised Lenses? Yes Yes Some
Hydrophobic Coating? Yes Yes Yes
Oleophobic Coating? Yes Yes Yes
Hard Coating? Yes Yes Yes
Retention Leash? Yes Yes No
Floating Frame? No No Yes
Anti-fog Venting? Yes Yes No

Choose your boating eyewear partner

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READ OUR WATERSPORTS EYEWEAR GUIDE

If you are looking to know more about sunglasses for watersports, but don’t yet know what to buy or why, dive into our comprehensive watersports eyewear guide with 30 pages of insight and knowledge.

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