The World Through Polarized Glasses
By Shayne Benowitz
“Davey, the water is so clear today!” I enthused to my captain from the back of Fury’s parasail boat. Indeed, conditions have been summertime perfection: flat and calm with crystal clear water. Today, it was so clear, you could see straight to the sandy bottom and the blue, aqua, and green color differentiation was in sharp focus. “Of course, this is the first day I’ve worn my new polarized sunglasses,” I added.
There was just something extra sharp and clear about the water, and Davey agreed that polarized sunglasses make all the difference in the world. When I first started working at Fury Water Adventures, I wore the same shades I’d been wearing for years. They weren’t sporty or polarized, but I thought they got the job done. I wasn’t ready to give up my designer shades for the same glasses all the boys were wearing. I’d heard them go on and on about their polarized sunglasses, and I always thought, “How can it make that big of a difference?”
Well… I have to admit. It does. We come to expect UV protection from our sunglasses, but polarized lenses offer so much more clarity by deflecting the sun’s harsh glare. It was a sad day when I retired my old sunglasses. After three years of getting banged around on the boats, it was finally time for a new pair.
I headed to the Fury Surf Shack to try on our wide selection of Von Zippers and Ray Bans. I had a few requirements. I wanted a black frame, and the bigger the better. I bought a pair of Von Zipper’s Manx ($110), still not polarized, but oh-so stylish with their large wrap-around frame. Well, six months later, those sunglasses have found their home on the bottom of the ocean. Oh, the turnover is just heartbreaking! It was time for another pair, and I bought Von Zipper’s Debutante ($140). Polarized lenses come at a premium, but I was ready to test them out. Plus, they were good-looking with a large frame and a VZ cutout logo on the sides.
I am super-pleased with the difference that polarized lenses make. It’s definitely worth the extra cash if you spend most of your time on the water or in the great outdoors. It also helps that the Fury Surf Shack carries such a great variety of fashionable shades because, well, that’s also important. Right?
Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer working on her debut novel. For more travel stories and a daily dose of what’s cool around the globe visit her Wanderlust Website at http://web.me.com/shaynebeth.
