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Jun 08
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Sunglasses are accessories for fashion and convenience, but they can also have a huge role in making you a better athlete or protecting your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays. The most popular sunglasses for outdoor athletic situations are polarized sunglasses, which can help reduce glare. These sunglasses have special properties that make them different from simple shades that you would normally pick up at the drugstore or corner market.
A glare is basically a reflection of light off of a smooth surface, like water or a mirror. When light waves are floating around normally, they are diffused and move in different directions. When light waves bounce off of the same wave or pane of glass, though, they all get turned in the same direction. When they’re all facing in the same direction, they come at you with special intensity.
It is just this intensity that causes glare on the surface of a lake or off of the mirror of the car in front of you. When you’re fishing, the glare can be simply annoying and can hinder your ability to fish well. When you’re driving or working with machinery, though, a glare can actually be dangerous. It can cause you to miss things you might see otherwise and to make poor decisions in the moment.
Polarized lenses basically block this light. The light comes in at a horizontal angle, and like blinds that only block certain types of light, the glasses block the light from your eyes. Through polarized lenses, like Oakley sunglasses, you can see things a lot more clearly in certain situations.
These glasses are becoming more and more sophisticated, but you do have to pay attention to how and when you use them. For example, they shouldn’t be used when you’re skiing downhill, since the glare from a patch of ice is what can alert you to the problem. Sometimes, too, polarized lenses can make reading digital and LCD displays difficult, if not impossible.
Sunglasses like Oakley’s can be a great way to enhance your outdoor experience, but remember, also, that polarized lenses can be somewhat limited. Figure out when you need to use your sunglasses, and then find glasses that fit that situation. Some people have more than one pair of polarized lenses, such as a pair for fishing and a pair for driving. This can be a great option if you get a good deal on Oakley sunglasses!