4/23/2014

Getting Good Polarized Fishing Sunglasses

By Essie Osborn


The topic of polarized fishing sunglasses is surprisingly technical. These anti-glare lenses are not merely darkened. They are specially made to filter out light reflected off water. Understanding how they work means understanding how light operates. Of course, like much other technology, you can just take it on faith and use the glasses because they work.

However, a basic understanding can help you select the right protective lenses for your purpose. Although many advertisements claim that fisherman lenses are also good for skiing and other snow sports, as well as for cycling, driving, and golfing, this may not be true. The old adage: 'buyer beware' holds true in this case.

This is where it gets both interesting to some and confusing to others. Light in its natural form - sunlight - is 'scattered', meaning that it comes from many different directions. It's when light travels in a direct path, as when it's reflected off water, that it causes what we call glare.

The angle of the light affects how it can be filtered by polarizing glasses. They work best at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, apparently. High noon light renders than less effective at seeing underwater. It's also better to look into the water at an angle rather than straight down. Cocking your head can interfere with vision, as well, experts say.

Water reflects light differently than snow does, but it bounces off a car hood in a similar manner to it's action on the water's surface. This is one reason why skiers might not want to use this sort of eye protection. Things far away may appear clearer and light will be blocked in general, but icy patches may not show up, causing a dangerous situation. Drivers may also find vision impaired under certain conditions, as might those trying to read digital instruments.

This topic is both intriguing and simple enough to make a good science fair project. For those who don't want to stretch their minds, reputable manufacturers should have customer service reps to answer questions. Fishing magazines and online sites might make recommendations; just be sure they're not cleverly disguised ads for a certain product that may or may not be suitable. The aim for fishermen is to block harmful glare and see underwater when stalking fish.

The best way to proceed if you don't want an in-depth understanding is to find a reputable manufacturer and depend on their expertise to provide you with the proper gear. Fishing magazines and online sites are good sources of information, as are customer reviews. An eye doctor might be able to give you good advice on this specialized form of eye protection.

However, if you really want to know, the internet has some fascinating articles. There's even a way to make sure that the lenses you have are really polarized - it involves looking at reflections in a certain way and then cocking your head and seeing if the image changes. Check it out; after all, knowledge is power, right?




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment