Guidelines Eyewear

The sun has damaging effects not only on our skin but our eyes as well. We need to keep our eyes in tip top shape by protecting them as best we can. One of the best ways we can do this is to wear sunglasses that provide 100% UVA & UVB protection. There are many different brands and multiple different price points for these protective, stylish, lenses. Some range from $5 and go all they up to $200 plus. The trick is finding the one that best protects your eyes, can fit in your price range and be comfortable.

I heard about Guideline Eyegear through kayak fishing radio and wanted to check them out. They are in the lower to mid end of the price range, between $40-$70 for a pair without a prescription and offered many different styles. They do offer prescription sunglasses for The sunglasses provide 100% UVA and UVB protection (my first concern) were polarized (second concern) and now to see if they fit on my face comfortably and didn’t slide (third concern).

After receiving the sunglasses in the mail I put them to the test immediately. I took them out of their formed soft sided case, loaded up the kayak and drove….to the lake that is! The polarization worked great! There was very little to no glare off the road, other vehicles, and more importantly off the water. I noticed that I was not squinting like I have done with other glasses. After launching my kayak and fishing for a number of hours my eyes felt great and they were not tired at all. The glasses stayed where I placed them and didn’t slide down. The bridge of my nose and temples did not get sore from sunglasses pressing against them either.

I put both the Kingfisher and Surface sunglasses to the test. The Kingfisher lenses are amber colored and allowed me to clearly see into the water with ease. I am able to stand up and sight fish without any concern of glare and not being able to see the detail underneath the surface. The Surface have a grey lens. They cut the glare just as well, are just as comfortable, but as you can imagine they do not let me see into the water as well as the amber colored lenses. I can see into the water but not as clearly the farther away I look. The lenses on both pairs do not have any warping or uneven coloration.

I wanted to see how well the stay on your face to a more intense test. I wore each pair of glasses (separately) on a couple 4 mile runs. The only time either of them moved was when I bobbed my head quickly, more violently really, to see if they moved. Besides that one time they stayed in their place and no irritation or discomfort at all.

As mentioned before these sunglasses are at the lower-mid price range. Both pair of sunglasses I have cost around $60. After the many $15 and $20 pair of sunglasses I had kept moving, didn’t reduce glare that well, and didn’t allow me to see into the water clearly I new I had to up my price point. I am extremely happy with the Guideline Eyegear products. They are well made, comfortable, and perfect for the fisherman on a budget. They will not break the bank and, more importantly, they will protect your eyes! In my opinion, the Guideline Eyegear is a definite CATCH!