Oakley vs Costa Del Mar

I’m putting an end to this debate now! Back in 2014 I purchased a pair of Oakley sunglasses. They were Oakley Fuel Cells which I thought were top of the line. They were great as my first pair of quality sun glasses. They were something more than the typical cheap Wal-Mart sunglasses that I typically purchased. They’re stylish, polarized and helped me protect my eyes while on the water fishing. I thought they were great, but that’s before I received my first pair of Costa Del Mar’s.

In May I had the opportunity to fish a tournament on Lake Gaston in North Carolina. I drew a boater that was well seasoned and frankly, the best guy I’ve ever fished with. We were on a clear water lake where you could see down into 7-8 foot of water. Bass were still spawning but were also chasing bream on bream beds as the spawn was in full force for the bream, bluegill and other sun fish.

From 20 yards away or more he was spotting bass moving along bulk heads, bream beds and docks. For the life of me I couldn’t see them. I could only spot them when they were right up against the boat. I paid $180 for my Oakley Fuel Cells. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t see them. Was I blind? No…

…My counter-part was wearing a pair of Costa Del Mar Tuna Alley sun glasses with a blue mirror. I flat out told him I can’t see the fish he was targeting. He said it was because I was wearing Oakley’s that were black tinted. He had an extra pair of Costa’s in his boat and offered them to me.

Costa del Mar Sunglasses

When I put them on it was as if I went from the old black and white TV from the 60’s to a 50 inch 1080p High Definition LED TV. And I am not even kidding one bit. The clarity and definition I got with the Costa Del Mar’s was amazing. I was immediately sold on the Costa brand.

So that leads me to this blog post. I purchased my first pair of Costa Del Mar’s. I ordered the Blackfin frame in Turquoise with a Copper lens.

Why Copper? Copper is great for sight fishing. There is a lot of science involved with the lens colors. Each color works great for each different situation. The copper, amber and sunrise colors are great for early morning and low light conditions. The green and blue colors are excellent for mid day and high bright situations.

I loved my initial pair so much that I purchased an identical pair with a green lens. Now I am covered for all conditions through out the day. I can honestly say that now having experienced both brands, Oakley and Costa… I am sold on Costa. I can’t ever see purchasing a pair of glasses from any other company.

I’m not sponsored by Costa and I don’t have to be. I support any company that puts out a product that will help me become a better angler. And that’s what Costa Del Mar does. Oakley makes a fine product… but for a bass angler, Costa Del Mar is what you need to have on your boat.