My Sports Glasses – Clear Vision in the Water and on Land!

As a PADI diving professional and the owner of a diving and water sports center, my job is to conduct PADI diving courses, organize trips to the most beautiful beaches across the globe and ensure that my guests are not only having a great time but a safe time, too.  A large part of these activities take place in the summer and this, of course, necessitates effectively protecting the eyes from solar radiation. As someone who normally wears glasses, I turned to the team at Offensichtlich, on whose advice I have been counting for years when it comes to customized eyewear for all my needs. What I was looking for was sunglasses that can live up to rigorous demands in terms of robustness and optimum protection from UV radiation – but I also wanted a sporty design.

The demands were thus high. I wanted a sporty pair of sunglasses that would be durable enough to withstand the rigors of fast-moving water sports (surfing, sailing, diving) and, at the same time, provide optimum wearing comfort and sharp image contrast combined with the prescription I need. These glasses had to be suitable both in sunshine and in the water and this, of course, unduly exposes the material to wear and tear aggravated by sand and salt water. Once these requirements were clearly outlined, "all" we had to do was find the perfect model and then also manage to fit it around my thick skull.

My Experience with the N’Authentic Pro Fullframe

from Whiteout & Glare (W+G)

We found what we were looking for in the N’Authentic Pro Fullframe model by Whiteout & Glare. I liked the design right from the start and, with a few adjustments at the hands of the manufacturers in W+G’s flagship store; it was possible to customize this model to fit my  admittedly somewhat special head size.

High-quality, made to prescription lenses from the Smart Attitude™ series by Shamir were professionally fitted into the frame by Mr. Wensky and his team. These effectively filter out damaging UV radiation. Additionally, the polarizing filter warrants optimum underwater vision. W+G equips its water sports glasses with useful accessories such as a leash to prevent their loss in the water because of a fall or strong surf. Removable forehead padding reduces the intrusion of spray water.

So far, so good. In January of 2014, I had the opportunity to thoroughly test these sunglasses during a trip to the Caribbean island of Curacao, where I sailed a catamaran and engaged in stand up paddling as well as some rough beach activities. This trip was organized by my diving center.

The results are conclusive.

I’ve never owned a better pair of sport sunglasses. The wearing comfort they offer is peerless. The high contrast afforded is excellent and their anti-glare protection is perfect for extremely sunny locations. After several inadvertent tumbles into the water, I had all the proof I needed that the leash will keep these glasses from sinking to the endless depths of the sea. After 14 days of continual use I detected no signs of wear. All I did was rinse them every day with tap water to prevent damage from the saltwater.

All in all I can say that the elaborate search undertaken to find this model, along with the adjustments made, was definitely worth it. None of the off-the-shelf eyewear from major sports brand manufacturers that I wore before have ever afforded me this degree of wearing comfort.

So, if you’re looking for a good pair of sports sunglasses for all kinds of water sports, you need look no further than W+G and the specialists at Offensichtlich.

Recommended links on the topic:

• The Webseite from Diveaholics