A Buyer’s Guide for Prescription Glasses for Water Sports
When summer weather hits, most of us can’t wait to get out on the water and enjoy outdoor water sports. Surfboards, jet skis, boat paddles — it’s all a ton of fun. However, they can also be dangerous if you don't take the proper precautions. Protecting your eyes while engaging in water sports is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your safety and protect yourself from injury.
Glasses that aren't designed specifically for this type of sport can quickly become foggy in the water, making it hard to see the direction you're moving or any obstacles in your way. The best gear is an eyewear that can withstand spray and salt water, extreme UV-A and UV-B reflections, and constantly changing light—all while providing crisp vision for your next water adventure.
Guide to choosing a new pair of water sports glasses
Optimal Coverage
Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause sunburn and even skin cancer if you're not careful. The same is true for your eyes. A good pair of water sports eyewear should have built-in UV protection as well as a wide lens that covers your peripheral vision most especially if you're participating in any fast-paced water sport like surfing or wing foiling.
Rec Specs frames have two main features that provide perfect coverage for water sports eyewear: lens size and base wrap. The wider and longer your lens is, the more coverage you'll have.
Secured Grip
Optimal protection for water sports comes from frames that have a frame strap to make sure that glasses stay on the head and won't fall off the water. It is adjustable to ensure that your protective eyewear always fits snugly and securely without causing any discomfort.
All our Rec Specs frames come with a frame strap.
Lens Technology
Tints
Whether you're a surfer, swimmer, or boater, the sun can be harsh on your eyes. Water sports are always outdoors and exposed to sunlight. That is why it’s best to evaluate your lens options in several lighting conditions depending on the time of the day you get into it the most.
Green and gray are the perfect tint for water sports. These lenses protect and comfort your eyes on foggy, cloudy or bright, sunshiny days. They provide good contrast and transmit color accuracy better than brown lenses. The water and sky will appear bluer and truer than ever before.
Also, these lenses are ideal for both sunny and low-light environments—so whether you're skiing or surfing, you can count on them to keep your eyes protected from UV rays.
Blue lenses are fashion-savvy and practical for UV protection. It enhances the contours around objects and improves color perception, but also has a calming effect on the eyes. This works best in misty and foggy conditions.
Polarized Lenses
Polarized lenses are the perfect choice for activities that take place on the water, whether it's swimming, boating, or surfing. The glare from the surface of the water can be blinding when you're trying to see what's below. Polarized lenses block out up to 98% of this glare, allowing you to see clearly at all times during your activity.
These lenses also offer superior clarity and eye protection from harmful UV rays. If you spend time in direct sunlight without protective eyewear, you run the risk of damaging your eyesight over time. Polarized lenses protect against harmful UV rays by filtering them before they enter your eyes.
Coatings
We highly recommend 2x2 ProCoat, which is included at no additional charge with your Rec Specs prescription lenses. It has a double coat of fast fog recovery and anti-glare, as well as unique hydrophobic characteristics.
A hydrophobic coating supports greatly to repel water drops from the lens surface as the stiffness between the liquid and the hydrophobic exterior is lower. So, when any droplets come in contact with the hydrophobic lens, they are more likely to resist the lens much more than they usually do. This coating also requires less cleaning than the normal ones as it significantly repels stains and grease from our fingers. This way, cleaning the lenses is much faster as well as stress-free.
Top Recommendations for Water Sports Glasses
We have picked out some of our best options for water sports glasses that are sure to help you get the most out of your water adventure.
Splash-Protection
Navigator H2O The best ever Navigator. This frame is perfectly engineered for a life of performance on land and sea. This is available with your prescription.
You can also check Trailblazer which features the same fast-fog recovery, hydrophobic coating, and glare reduction benefits.
Multi-sport
Pathfinder From every day to sports-ready sunglasses in seconds! This features a Switch® Lock and Load™magnetic eyecups for easy switching in varying conditions.
If you’re looking for more sizes, try Stormrider for a smaller fit and Highlander for a larger fit. Check out our entire collection of watersports sunglasses here.
Impact-Protection
Helmet Spex Known to keep goggles in place under a head gear, this frame maintains peak comfort and vision performance.
All Pro Goggle and Maxx 31 are also good alternatives that feature the same comfort, fit, and durability.
Best For Fishing and Boating
Cruiser Perfect choice for a day out on water. This frame is designed with soft, rubber nose pads and contoured temples with soft rubber touchpoints so you can wear it all day long.
You can also check Full View or Throttle for the same confident styling and great coverage.
When it comes to water sports, there's no room for error. Whether you’re a casual surfer, a competitive waverunner, or just someone who likes to spend time on the water, you need to keep your vision at the maximum. Our Outfitters are here to help in case you’re unsure of what prescription sports glasses to get. Click here to start shopping or chat to our agents from the ‘chat’ icon.
You can also use our easy at-home try-on process to test out water sports glasses from the comfort of your home. Click here to get started building your kit for FREE. Don’t forget – we also offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on your purchase!
