Sporting some killer new choices for each body kinds and lens know-how, we don’t know whether or not to be extra enthusiastic about Costa’s new gold-mirrored lens or revamped Grand Catalina frames. Efficiency and style-driven, each of those lethal new choices from Costa are wonderful on their very own and even higher when paired collectively.
Costa has been busy. Simply once I thought the model couldn’t outdo itself after the current launch of the fortieth Anniversary King Tide frames, Costa Del Mar determined to go all out and produce again the retro Grand Catalina frames. These iconic shades haven’t been produced for the reason that Nineteen Eighties.
Not solely has the model resurrected a legendary body type worn by the likes of famend anglers Flip Pallot and Jose Wejebe, however they’ve additionally engineered a extremely modern new lens choice that pushes versatility additional than I assumed potential. After a couple of weeks of testing a pair of Grand Cats outfitted with the gold-mirrored lens, I’ve received a great deal of reward for the combo.
Briefly: Costa Del Mar continues to do what it does greatest, bringing high-caliber fishing sun shades to anglers. The revamped Grand Catalina with gold-mirrored lenses are price each penny, and it’s onerous to not hook hogs once you look this cool.
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Body colour
Matte black -
Lens colour
Gold mirror -
Lens materials
Polarized glass (580G) -
Body match
Large -
Dimension
XL -
Lens curve
Base 6
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Most safety from solar and wind -
Detachable facet shields -
Adjustable nosepads -
Sweat channels -
Unbelievable visibility in variable gentle situations
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XL body is likely to be too huge for some folks
Costa Del Mar Grand Catalina Evaluate
The Grand Catalina Frames
Sporting a cushty match and really feel, extremely sensible efficiency options, and a very badass aesthetic, the Grand Catalina frames have turn into an instantaneous staple for basically all of my endeavors, each on and off the water.
Costa has taken the flexibility between type and performance to new heights with this hybrid body mannequin, so for those who’re critical concerning the efficiency of your eyewear and prefer to look cool, too, you’d higher perk your ears right here. My speedy first impression of the Grand Catalinas was fairly easy: why did Costa ever take this body type out of manufacturing!?
Obtainable in a spread of body colours and lens choices, you possibly can dial in simply the precise personalised look after which pair it along with your most popular Costa lens.
Grand Catalina Options
Detachable Facet Shields
First employed on Costa’s King Tide frames launched final 12 months, the model has included its easy but state-of-the-art detachable facet shields into the Grand Catalina’s design. Simply indifferent and popped again onto the frames in seconds, I can’t stress how game-changing these facet shields might be for sure angling eventualities.
Dramatically boosting the quantity of blocked bottom and peripheral gentle that enters your discipline of view, these facet shields preserve your eyes on the prize with out cramping your type or consolation. Whereas this can be a stunning characteristic for all angling contexts, sight fishermen, specifically, will discover the facet shields are removed from a advertising gimmick and can immediately sense the viewing benefit.
For those who’ve ever cupped your arms round your eyes whereas making an attempt to identify tails, construction, or pushing fish, you then’ll see what the hype is about straight away right here. You’ll be able to, after all, put on the Grand Cats with out the facet shields for a very totally different look for those who don’t really feel like carrying your fish goggles to the seaside or bar.
Opposite to the King Tide frames, I discover the Grand Catalinas to be much more fashionable with the facet shields engaged — however that’s coming from a man with an affinity for retro aesthetics.
Darn Close to Bulletproof Building
For those who’re apprehensive concerning the integrity of this detachable part, don’t be — the facet shields are constructed from a BIO-RESIN skeleton/sub-structure (identical BIO-RESIN because the body), which is then over-molded with Costa’s HydroLite TPE rubber. Merely put, this can be a fairly bulletproof characteristic that may be torqued on and manipulated way over you’ll ever realistically put them via.
Costa additionally provides substitute facet shields for simply $20. For those who misplace them, you possibly can seize one other set with out having to spring for brand spanking new shades.
A genuinely sensible design characteristic, I’m sure we’ll be seeing extra Costa frames make the most of these facet shields transferring ahead.
Vented Adjustable Nostril Pads
Have you ever ever owned and beloved a pair of sun shades with wonderful lenses and aesthetics, however they simply don’t sit proper in your face? Costa has been incorporating adjustable nostril pads into their Professional sequence frames for a while now. I believe this characteristic is massively underrated.
These easy nostril pads allow you to customise your match extra exactly. They guarantee you possibly can area the frames far sufficient out of your eyes in order that your eyelashes don’t brush towards the lenses.
You may as well use the nostril pads to create the correct amount of area to make sure correct venting to keep away from fog build-up. Anglers with uniquely formed heads will probably be particularly happy by the flexibility to tailor their match higher right here.
Engineered with a chrome steel core for straightforward manipulation with agency reminiscence and a double-injected HydroLite rubber exterior for enhanced, nonslip consolation, personalizing the Grand Catalinas to your particular head form and desire is made simple.
Sweat Administration Channels
Anglers and outdoorsmen who recreate in particularly scorching climates will probably be thrilled to know Costa hasn’t lower any corners on sweat administration right here. Mindfully designed sweat channels are constructed into the frames to make sure perspiration doesn’t pool up wherever in or round your eyes. The concept right here is to basically redirect your sweat previous your temples and down the sun shades’ arms.
This will seem to be a minor part when in comparison with the opposite design options, however the consideration to element right here is probably life-changing, relying on who you’re or the place you’re fishing. I’ve been trudging the flats on my native Cape Cod looking for striped bass, and though the warmth is just not wildly oppressive right here in Massachusetts, I can nonetheless really feel the sweat channels at work on particularly muggy, high-exertion days.
Costa Del Mar 580G Gold Mirror Lens
Whereas the Grand Catalinas are a knockout body type, let’s discuss the actual star of the present in the case of Costa’s new choices — the brand new rose-base gold mirrored 580G lens. Designed for variable gentle situations, that is arguably the closest factor to a do-everything lens you’re going to seek out.
Within the model’s phrases, the gold mirror lens “provides enhanced versatility throughout a spectrum of lighting situations, making certain optimum readability whether or not out on the water within the shiny solar or on an overcast day.” The brand new lens will probably be supplied in additional than 20 kinds throughout Costa’s three body classes — PRO, hybrid, and way of life
Above all else, Costa Del Mar has earned such a good title within the fishing eyewear trade as a consequence of its lens know-how. The model’s 580G (glass) lens is especially celebrated for its integrity, readability, and colour enhancement. In that regard, the gold mirrors are enterprise as traditional.
Designed to scale back blur and haze by filtering out UV and blue-violet gentle whereas boosting reds, greens, and blues on the colour spectrum, it solely takes your eyes a second behind any colour 580G lens to really feel the superior definition.
To not be ignored, the model claims its 580G lens is 20% thinner and 22% lighter than common polarized glass. They put on particularly light-weight. Study extra about Costa’s 580 lens tech.
Versatile 14% Seen Mild Transmission
Seen gentle transmission, or VLT, is a measure of the quantity of seen gentle that may cross via a given lens. The gold mirror lens is designed to sort out the widest potential spectrum of lighting situations by that includes a 14% VLT. This enables a bit extra gentle via the lens than the model’s inexperienced mirror choice at 10% and copper mirror at 12%. Costa’s designated low-light lens, the dawn silver mirror, is available in at a whopping 25% VLT to offer you an concept of the place the gold mirrors lie.
Whereas the gold mirrors are a splendidly versatile choice that spans numerous angling contexts, every 580G lens is purpose-built for a particular array of lighting situations and habitats, so do your homework on which lens is greatest really useful for the fishing eventualities you bear in mind.
You’ll be able to dive deeper into correct lens colour choice and dial within the good choice for you.
Scratch-Resistance
For those who’ve owned a pair of 580G lenses from Costa then I don’t need to let you know that they maintain up very properly with reference to scratching. You’ll be able to actually beat up on these lenses with out struggling any irritating abrasions that impede your discipline of view or means to focus your eyes. Don’t get me fallacious, you possibly can crack these lenses for those who attempt onerous sufficient, however the scratch resistance right here is unparalleled.
The model has achieved this next-level integrity by engineering an encapsulated mirror. Primarily, the mirror coating is utilized to the lens, after which a skinny glass layer is utilized over prime. This implies your mirrored coating is just not the primary line of protection, dramatically enhancing scratch resistance.
My Expertise
I’ve been testing the gold lenses for a couple of weeks now in a wide range of settings. They’ve carried out excellently in virtually each context. Greatest suited to keen on full solar, the gold mirror lens has supplied me with killer distinction and readability in salt marsh estuary habitats, sand flats, and inshore fisheries.
The lens has additionally been a pleasure to fish in my native freshwater kettle ponds whereas recognizing largemouth bass nests and subsurface constructions. They’re effectively suited to fully avoiding eye fatigue on full solar days whereas additionally someway nonetheless providing good penetration and distinction in decrease gentle situations.
I don’t suggest the gold mirror lens for absolutely overcast days (take a look at Costa’s dawn silver lens on that entrance), however they outperform my trusty go-to inexperienced mirrors in most habitats in the case of skinny or intermittent cloud cowl.
One context I’ve found whereas testing these sun shades that the gold mirror lens doesn’t excel at is night gentle over white sand backside. Because the solar will get low, I’ve discovered that these lenses lack the glare penetration I’m searching for in comparison with my green-mirrored and amber choices.
Severely Sturdy
To not be ignored, the integrity of those lenses, together with all of Costa’s glass lenses, is profound. They’re actually scratch-resistant, so good luck scuffing up these dangerous boys. I’m particularly onerous on my gear and recognized to be careless with my shades within the warmth of thrilling fishing moments, however my 580G lenses throughout the board are wanting simply as crispy as once I unboxed them.
Efficiency apart, the gold mirrors are simply the bee’s knees in the case of type. Belief me once I say you’ll flip heads in these — nearly everybody who’s seen me carrying my gold-mirrored Grand Catalinas has requested about them!
Why You Ought to Add a Gold Mirror Lens to Your Quiver
The highest reply to why you must personal a pair of Costas geared up with the gold-mirrored lens is straightforward — versatility. Efficiency eyewear is just not low-cost. In case your funds is tight and also you’re going to spend the large bucks for the perfect of the perfect, you’d be clever to snag a lens that will provide you with an edge in all kinds of ecosystems and light-weight situations. I’ve fished numerous lenses throughout many sun shades manufacturers in nearly each habitat.
The gold mirrors hit probably the most bases, for my part. I nonetheless favor my inexperienced mirrors for full solar flats fishing and my dawn silver mirrors for decrease gentle endeavors. Nonetheless, if I might solely personal one 508G lens, I’d go together with the gold mirrors.
Don’t consider these lenses as good for the whole lot however nice for nothing. They’re nice lenses in all fishing environments, even when there is likely to be different prime decisions.
Pairing the Grand Catalinas and the Gold-Mirrored Lens: In Closing
The Grand Cats are versatile, and the gold mirrors are versatile. Collectively they create a very hanging way of life efficiency aesthetic.