SeaSpecs Reviewed

By STEVE ACKERMAN
www.allaboutsurf.com/surfsup/seaspecs Published: October 24, 2006

Have you ever forgotten to toss your high-priced spectacles into your bag before rushing for the water, only to loose them to King Neptune himself? I know I have far to often. Whether I simply forgot that I had them on before heading out into the surf or I was trying to sneak into the water just long enough to rinse my board off. Then from out of nowhere... WHAM! And before I realized what had happened, my shades were sleeping with the fishes. Some new... some old, I must have lost a dozen or more in a similar fashion over the last few of years.

Well, now there is a ventilated, self-draining eyewear called SeaSpecs. They are specifically designed for outdoor water sports from surf to snow, but are light weight and comfortable enough for everyday use. Some of the outdoor sports requiring this kind of extreme eye protection would be waveriding, water and snow skiing, snowboarding, jet ski, kayaking, boating, fishing and lets not forget surfing.

It is important to remember that the same harmful rays that damage skin will also increase your risk of developing eye problems. You see... when sunlight reflects off of water, snow or sand, the exposure and intensity of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation is increased. It is these invisible high-energy rays that lie just beyond the violet end of the visible light spectrum that do the most damage. People who spend long hours in the sun without adequate eye protection can develop painful eye conditions like photokeratitis, a reversible sunburn of the cornea or pterygium, a fleshy growth on the white part of your eye that often requires surgery to correct. It is as simple as wearing the proper eye protection that can reduce the risk and possibly prevent eye damage or vision loss entirely while outdooring.

SeaSpecs have combined all of the important protections and quality into a very stylish design, including polarized lenses with 100% UVA & UVB protection [polarized prescription lenses are available] to protect your eyes from the sun's harmful rays, impact-resistant frames to keep them in one piece, and an easily adjustable strap to keep them on your face should you get hit hard enough to knock them off. Plus, they float too.

While testing these shades out, I was most impressed by the clarity of the lenses even after being completely submersed over-and-over again. The lenses continued to provide good visibility throughout the entire day, both in and out of the water. And the shades always remained securely attached, even after a few nasty wipeouts.
SeaSpecs come in black, blue, metallic red and metallic orange with gray lenses or black with brown lenses. A pair of these shades will run you about $59 bones ($195 to $295 for prescription lenses) which is a pretty fair price for effective eye protection. Whether you are landing a little too hard after catching air off the side of a mountain, hanging your head in misery over the stern rail of your boat or dropping into that wave just a little too late, you'll be glad you are wearing SeaSpecs. I recommend this extreme eyewear to any sport enthusiast looking for affordable eye protection without sacrificing on quality.

I thoroughly enjoyed testing these shades out. My only wish... that they had sent me a slicker color to try out. The black or blue pair would have looked much cooler wrapped around my head than the fiery orange pair I have been running around with.

So drop by www.seaspecs.com for more information, check out some cool shots of them in action and go try a pair out for yourself.


05 November 2007

Sea Specs gear review:

In brief:
  • Excellent design features: snug fit, side protection
  • Floats on water
  • Available in a range of frame colours and lenses, including prescription lenses
  • Very competitive price.


We bought three pairs of Sea Specs at the start of the year and have used them on our last three trips. I'm pleased to report that they're working out great and they make a huge difference when you're on the Jet Ski.

There are two key benefits to using a product like this:

  • Reduction of glare: you will avoid being blinded from sun reflection off the water, and your eyes will be protected from harmful UV light
  • Protection against waves and spray: your eyes will be protected from the inevitable splashing and spray that you encounter out on the water.

The big drawcard for me in using a product like Sea Specs is that you need to be able to see at all times while you're out on the water. My greatest concern is the possibility of collisions with other craft - a real issue at busy jet ski beaches - and the risk of running over someone in the water, e.g. divers. A little bit of diving does go on around the cliffs to the north of Safety Beach.

The fact that Sea Specs are available in prescription lenses is a HUGE bonus in this regard.

Sea Specs provide enhanced protection from both sun glare and water, thanks to their snug fit. The frames wrap right around the side of your face, blocking out sunlight and keeping water from getting in behind the lenses.

The secure fit is further enhanced with a generous rubberised nosepiece and an adjustable strap which runs around the back of your head, to prevent the Sea Specs from coming off if you collide with a wave. Having the strap also means you can loosen it and hang you Sea Specs around your neck when you're not jet skiing - definitely a better option than perching them on your head, where they can be accidentally knocked off into the sand.

Sea Specs suitability for water sports is further enhanced by the fact that they float on water, so if you accidentally drop them in the water you won't lose them!

We are very happy with our Sea Specs - they are very favourably priced compared to competing products from Oakley and other manufacturers - and now that we have them we definitely wouldn't jet ski without them.

I also found Sea Specs great to deal with - very friendly, with prompt responses to email enquiries and an excellent experience ordering over the web.