Recommendations on goggles to wear while sailing?
Currently wearing glasses, but will switch to contacts in a few months and wondering what others use to keep the seawater outta eyes.
Have googled it, but the results are almost all sunglasses, and I know there are more goggles out there.
Does anyone use ski goggles?

The good polarized goggles I have found are nearly the price of the Gath retractable helmet at Murrays, which I would prefer for the ocean, but $190 is steep!.

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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They aren't goggles but they support several regattas I go to and my wife wears contacts and has switched to them. Check out Sea Specs.

http://www.seaspecs.com/html/specifications.html



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Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
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I bought a box full of cheap sunglasses at my local Princess Auto (similar to Harbor Freight). At $2 per pair I don't mind losing a half dozen a season. Murray's has a good deal on 'demo' barz goggles.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Costco usually has Bolle ski googles on sale in Oct. for around $40. Perfect for contact users. Pete

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Does anyone use ski goggles?

I thought about trying them, especially when 3 up on the 5.7. In those cases 2 on the wire & I end up sitting on the hull, foot braced against the traveller casting, eating all the waves.
I have 1/2 dozen different ski googles, I think they all have the same weakness for sailing. The liner that goes against your face is a type of foam that would hold water, plus all the vents are foam covered. All good quality ski googles are double lens, to help control fogging. I have not actually tried a pair, but I think they would accumulate water between the lenses. It would drain, but not instantly. Built for cold weather use, the venting is not huge, they fog badly when you sweat in warmer weather, & or be the cause of sweat running in your eyes.
The cheaper single lens ones "might" work.
You bring up a good point though, I'll bring a pair up for a test drive & report what I find under actual use.
I do like Wolfman, buy 1/2 dozen pairs of knockoff Bolle or Raybans in Shanghai, then put those $1 floater straps on them. I leave several pairs hanging on the gear hooks at the back door so guests don't risk their expensive lenses.



Edited by Edchris177 on Aug 21, 2013 - 09:47 PM.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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An alternative to ski goggles might be motocross goggles. Not sure how the venting compares to ski goggles, but might be better warm weather venting.

When I sailed our SC20 in the ocean I wished for glasses with wiper blades since the salt would build up so bad. It felt like a saltwater firehose shower.

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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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i used ski goggles in heavy air
the salt water destroyed them quickly

200 for prescription sunglasses is not bad
i got a pair of polarized ray bans for about 240

$2 glasses? - do you think they actually have uva/uvb protection? here in florida, it's not worth the risk



Edited by MN3 on Aug 22, 2013 - 07:19 AM.

nacra55

They aren't goggles but they support several regattas I go to and my wife wears contacts and has switched to them. Check out Sea Specs.

http://www.seaspecs.com/html/specifications.html

These do look good! And at $55, they do not break the bank.
I am hoping to find something that does not allow the salt water to drip down my forehead into my eyes.
These have vents on top- do they drip in her eyes?

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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I know what you mean with the saltwater in your eyes.
She's up front and normally on the wire so she doesn't get the splash we get in the back.

I can tell you they don't fold up flat for in your pocket.

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Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
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be weary of water skiers as crew. they are good at directing spray at the skipper and pretending it wasn't them... don't ask me how i know ... but he doesn't crew with me anymore

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she doesn't get the splash we get in the back.

Check these out....they are pricy, but they work well.. And the come in prescription too! Do you have a prescription plan?

http://www.murrays.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=B-SP&Store_Code=MS

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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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I've been using paintball goggles on the boat and the bike - got em at that evil place based in AR but they work and were about 10.00

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Lee - On the BIG Lake in MS

Harstil Kaulua 31 - Current Project Boat
Cal 25 - What ? Time to freshen it up again??
MC Scow 16 (1 in the water and 1 parts/project) SOLD
Capri 22 - What do you mean you wont deliver it??
Chrysler Pirateer 13 - new addition to the fleet
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I'll second SeaSpecs.... $200 and they ROCK. Prescription at that price. Love 'em.

Flipped several times this year, no loss or damage. Can't say enough.

Small business, Hawaii friendly... you can call and talk to them and they take good care of you.

-Rob

Intensity Sails has a sale on "Waveshields Watersports Sunglasses" that look similar to the SeaSpecs. You can pick up a pair for $16 (available in Black on Black only).....

http://www.intensitysails.com/wawasu.html

I found a website that offers prescription sun glasses. If you just use single vision(i.e. not bi focal or any of that) lenses, they are only 26 dollars. I'm looking into picking some up. I just realized a few weekends ago that I am in denial about not needing glasses while sailing...the hard way. All I need to do is go to my eye doctor and see if they'll come off my prescription info, so I can send it to the website and I'm good to go.

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Vince
Houston, TX
1982 prindle 16 - became a parts boat shortly after purchase. "The Crackling Hullflyer"
1984 prindle 16 - current boat "Blew By You"
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It depends on what your using them for: If your sailing a cat in the ocean when it's honkin and the spray is like someone has a high pressure hose at your face, then the only think that I thought worked were the Barz Googles that Murrays Sells, prescription too at about $200 that JohnES has a link for above. This is sealed like a large swim goggle. The motocross and ski, I have both tried and they get wet on the inside and are good only for a short bit. I keep the Barz in my water proof bag on the boat and only get them out when I need them, and wear just regular sunglasses when it's not smacking me in the face. It's really not so much the smacking as it is the salt getting to your eyes after a while. It gets to be no fun, stings after a while and you flat out can't see.

I wear swim goggles when it gets bad. Wrap around safety sunglasses normally. Goggles may look silly but what ever!

Anyone tried Rain-X or something similar to keep them from getting totally spotted up? When I get back from a day of sailing I'm usually shocked at how bad they get.

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Jeff R
'88 H18 "Jolly Mon"
'10 C2 USA1193
NE IN / SE MI
cramsailing.com
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Needed protection for my eyes. SeaSpecs are great and the strap is comfortable. RainX says not to use on polarized lens. I rinse mine with water. The price is right and you get one free when you buy 2. Lots of frame colors and lens options. Check them out - www.seaspecs.com

ditto seaspecs... esp for Rx. awesome.

ditto on the Rx SeaSpecs - lots of my friends use them and now they can see when they're out on the water! Affordable, too. info on the FAQ page - www.seaspecs.com/faq.html. YAY - the weekend is almost here