Polaroid glasses still the best?

Tee-Cee · Sep 29, 2009

It probably seems like a strange subject to raise now that summer has long gone but its at this time of year I tend to look for bargains in tackle shops and opticians and in the past I've done pretty well!

I still use a pair of yellow tint Polaroids from years ago for stalking and a pair of 15 year old Fox glasses that have served me well for general use.

I see many catalogues(Sportfish etc)that have pages of glasses of ALL types ranging from a few pounds to £200 or so but I wonder if any do a BETTER job than Polaroids??

Within reason(NOT £200-or even close!)I would be happy to pay out for something special but its knowing what to buy-hence this Thread.......

So,does anyone have any experience of glasses that are a step ABOVE Polaroid-proven to see down into the water just that little bit better??

I spend a great deal of time walking my waters and just sitting watching for good fish so it a way in would be an investment to try something new....

Supplies names might help as well!!

Thanks

Stealph Viper · Sep 29, 2009

I don't know whether there are better glasses for viewing fish beneath the water, but i did read somewhere that different coloured lenses in different light conditions aid better viewing.

I think that is why we have a choice of different coloured lenses, Yellow, Amber, Brown, Blue etc, but i'm not sure which lens suits which light conditions. I'm sure someone on here will know.

Ray Roberts · Sep 29, 2009

I bought a pair off of these: www.optilabs.com

They are the mutts nuts, they do prescription sun-glasses also. Expensive but you get what you pay for and the staff are extremely helpful.

If you need the prescription glasses and live near Croydon they do eye tests on the premises and are very thorough. If you don't live nearby they will make them to your prescription.

They do normal glasses as well. The price of these is very reasonable and the last pair I bought were a third of the price quoted by my local optician, for exactly the same pair.

geoffmaynard · Sep 29, 2009

I've had opi-labs power-lens ones too. They were okay but not great as, at that time (and tyhis may have changed) the choice of colours was restricted to shades of either brown or grey. These are poor fish-spotting colours.
Yellow/amber is generally the best for fish spotting in the UK light conditions. In the tropics, red and blue are the favourites of blue-water pro guides and amber or green for shallower-water guides.

Tee-Cee · Sep 29, 2009

Geoff/Ray....

But are they 'better' than Poleroids or do they do a different job???

I agree with Geoff that yellow/amber seems to be the best but perhaps the grey/brown are better in other light conditions....?

All comments welcome!!

I know it may come down to personal choice in the end but.........................

Ray Roberts · Sep 29, 2009

Tee-Cee said:
But are they 'better' than Polaroids or do they do a different job???

Polaroid is a brand name. They all have polarizing lenses which reduce glare off the water. Optilabs do a variety of coloured lenses (see the link I put up) They also now do a polarizing photochromic lens which looks interesting.

preston96 · Sep 29, 2009

Ray Roberts said:
Polaroid is a brand name. They all have polarizing lenses which reduce glare off the water. Optilabs do a variety of coloured lenses (see the link I put up) They also now do a polarizing photochromic lens which looks interesting.

You must be a trainee politician with that answer lol.

For anglers it is the polarizing effect that is the important bit .....coloured glass surely isn't the same is it?..........i know that polariods are a must for fish spotting but i have never tried optilabs.

I don't want to part with ££££££££££££'s when ££'s do the job better.

So has anyone done a true comparison?

supgen · Sep 29, 2009

I paid 40 quid extra at specsavers to get polaroid lenses put on my free pair, and boy does it make a difference when you can see and have the polarized lense. Only thing is you don't get great coverage from the sides like you do with purpose built polaroids.

Graham Whatmore · Sep 29, 2009

I've got a set of optilabs and they are worth every penny of the cost, far superior to ordinary so called polaroids, mine are prescription bi focal ones too.

preston96 · Sep 29, 2009

Graham Whatmore said:
I've got a set of optilabs and they are worth every penny of the cost, far superior to ordinary so called polaroids, mine are prescription bi focal ones too.

But superior for what Graham?......general use or for fish spotting?

Philip · Sep 29, 2009

I could not be without a pair of polarizing glasses. So important in fact I carry a spare pair in the car just in case. I have tried expensive lenses and cheap ones...The expensive ones were perhaps marginally better but I could not justify the price knowing I would scratch or lose them before too long anyway. I have heard some people say the yellow ones are better for low light but there is not alot of difference for me.

Always worth getting a strap to go round your neck as well...when you up a tree and peering down one day they will fall off and sink into the lake no matter how careful you are.

Marker · Sep 29, 2009

i still use a pair of optix cormorants, they were all the rage 20 odd years ago when i bought my first pair

redalert06 · Sep 29, 2009

are there different levels of polarisation though? are £5 ones the same at looking through the reflection as £80 ones?

Graham Whatmore · Sep 29, 2009

Paul, because I need bifocals I can't use any ordinary sunglasses these days and yes I did once have some made to prescription by my optician but they were a degree worse than useless. They were ordinary bifocals with a brown coating on and absolutely no polaroid facility at all. When I pointed this out to the optician he said it couldn't be done, I could only have polaroid in a plain lens. When I then pointed out that optilabs made them in bifocals he said it was impossible - so much for his knowledge then.

Vision through the water is way way better than the days when I used ordinary polaroids in fact I was pleasantly surprised when I first had them just how good they were. My prescription has changed now so I really ought to get some up to date lens because I use them for driving as well.

They are good Paul, very good believe me but if you don't need prescription lens then maybe the cost would put you off.

chavender · Sep 30, 2009

Tee-Cee said:
Geoff/Ray....

But are they 'better' than Poleroids or do they do a different job???

I agree with Geoff that yellow/amber seems to be the best but perhaps the grey/brown are better in other light conditions....?

All comments welcome!!

I know it may come down to personal choice in the end but.........................

each colour has a use and suite different light conditions

amber is good for none intensive light .. normal light levels
gray is best suited to intensive light conditions ...mid-day
yellow is best in low light conditions before and after dawn / dusk

you dont need 100% polerization for good results

apart from perscription lenses ,cost is no indication of quality of vission

i have three pairs that i use ,one of each colour (although unless its a very bright day ,i forgo the grays) ,amber being the general use ones and yellow in low light conditions , not one of them cost more than £3 ! and all do the job i need of them ,ok they`re not the most fasionable frames or high style .

the amber and yellow ones are marketed as "driving Glasses" amber for daytime & yellow for night to cut out glare ,i was actually looking for some too help prevent migraine's but i found them equally as good for fishing as polerized glasses ,used to buy them at carboots for £1 a pair (amberview/ambershade & night vission) but now get them off e-bay ,i do have a habit of leaving them lying about and forgetting them .the grays i have now came from aldi`s for £2.99

not sure what percentage of polerization they have ,its not mentioned on the packaging & dont care as they work just fine .

so dont be succered in by being expensive they must be the best ,it aint always necessarily so !

Peter Jacobs · Sep 30, 2009

Paul,

For years I used prescription glasses with Polarised lenses.

At the beginning of the Trout season I bought a pair of these as I wanted something better than the ones I was using:

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/product/cocoon-sunglasses

I've used them now for about 5 months over my ordinary glasses and can honestly say that they are far better than the prescription ones.

I bought the amber coloured lenses which intensify the available light and have been very happy with them.

MarkTheSpark · Sep 30, 2009

The best polarising glasses I've owned by far were Polaroid Xoors. Then I lost them. Mourned them ever since.

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) · Sep 30, 2009

Peter Jacobs said:
http://www.sportfish.co.uk/product/cocoon-sunglasses

I bought a pair of these on the advice of Neil Maidment (specialised polarised varifocal lenses being v.v. expensive). They have been great..worn over the glasses and offering protection when fishing the fly.

(Stop laughing Spiders....it's fishing the fly just I don't send it very far!!)

Graham Whatmore · Sep 30, 2009

Hmmmmm! interesting Peter but aren't they a bit cumbersome worn over your own specs, they need to be quite large to fit over your specs surely?

As I need to get new lens for mine that might be a cheaper alternative providing they don't make you look like Joe 90

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) · Sep 30, 2009

Graham

Thought that may be the case but they aren't cumbersome.

I look like some sinister mafia hitman....or did the PaSC say rafia hitman??

Polaroid glasses still the best?

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