Best lenses to use as a lifeguard?

[Oakay]

Hello guys i just purchased my first ever pair of sunglasses (ever). A pair of x-squared glasses. I work as a lifeguard and need to wear polarized lenses at all times since it cuts through the glare. The problem being that thoss lenses need to be able to show ample clarity in cloudy weather yet still block out intense sunlight. So what polarized lenses (make and model) do you guys recommend ?

 

[coolstorm92]

I would not use x-squared for lifeguarding. Too heavy for all-day comfort and way too nice of a pair to risk damage to if you have to quickly enter the water. I would recommend getting a pair or two made from o-matter. Black iridium polarized for sunny and vr28 black iridium polarized for cloudy, although you can get away with vr28 bi in the sun too if you only want 1 pair.

 

[DG85]

Shallow Blue Polarized custom cut lenses. Those are optimized specifically for the job at at hand.
24k or titanium or VR28 polarized are other excellent contrast lenses.

Otherwise Ice or Emerald or Black for neutral.

I also would advise against using those for your job of perserving life and safety. If the time were to come for you to do your job and you're spending time to worry about putting them away or breaking a $400-500 pair of glasses would be no Bueno. Especially if it's your first, and only set of glasses

 

[Oakay]

Thanks for the replys guys. I will look into those lens but as for using o matters most of the stuff just isn't my still and is way to big and I just really really dislike plastic frames ... And it's not that bad the deepest part of the pool I guard is 5 feet so I can stand anywhere with my head out at all times. But I use polarized lenses to see under the water (I always get paranoid when the kids do nothing but sink to the bottom and see who stays down there the longest)

 

[WavecloudCustoms]

I'm a lifeguard and swim teacher of 20 years.. You really needs few different lenses. As said above, x metal is not ideal. Titanium does rust if exposed to chlorides on a regular basis, as does stainless steel.

On the lense thing, personally I don't like using polarised on the water. It can distort your distance perception and also the reduce in glare means that waves and water conditions are less visible. A pool should be crystal clear to the floor and the lifeguard should be regularly moving positions, so you can reposition yourself to see under the glare.

Another school of though would say - a lifeguard should never wea rsun glasses because it cuts out customer
To lifeguard eye contact, therefore reducing the lifeguards authority.

On the lense thing - A lense that increases contrast will work best imo

 

[WavecloudCustoms]

I'm a lifeguard and swim teacher of 20 years.. You really needs few different lenses. As said above, x metal is not ideal. Titanium does rust if exposed to chlorides on a regular basis, as does stainless steel.

On the lense thing, personally I don't like using polarised on the water. It can distort your distance perception and also the reduce in glare means that waves and water conditions are less visible. A pool should be crystal clear to the floor and the lifeguard should be regularly moving positions, so you can reposition yourself to see under the glare.

Another school of though would say - a lifeguard should never wea rsun glasses because it cuts out customer
To lifeguard eye contact, therefore reducing the lifeguards authority.

On the lense thing - A lense that increases contrast will work best imo

 

[CarGuy]

Mirrored...

 

[OakleyGuru379]

BIP

 

[kronin323]

The recommendations for BIP or Ice or similar neutral bases meet your requirement for intense sunlight, but not your requirement for cloudy weather. As wavecloud said, a contrast base tint is better suited to cover both conditions.

Shallow Blue polar is great for cloudy but IMO the light trans % is too high for intense sunlight.

There's also a couple of new water-specific Prizm options coming out but they're not released yet and don't know light trans %s yet either.

I also agree with wavecloud's comment that you really need a few different lenses to ideally cover all the bases, but within your constraints of a single pair, I echo the recommendation for VR28BIP. Warm, contrast base, can handle clouds, but a 10% trans lets intense sunlight be bearable.

 

[Oakay]

Wavecloud I like your thinking and your school of thought. And I actually agree with most of what you have to say (especially moving positions at regular intervals). The pool I work at is single guarded and I'm always circling it to make sure everyone is safe