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Extreme Eyewear For Extreme Lifestyles Selecting Goggles for Skiing and Snowboarding
At high altitudes, it is especially critical that your eyewear
protect you from ultraviolet radiation, of which up to 85%
can be reflected off snow. This means you need sunglasses
or goggles in both sunny and overcast conditions. Snow blindness
is a sunburn on the surface of the eye and the most common
skiing injury that optometrists treat.
Skiing without goggles,
regardless of weather conditions, increases exposure to UV
rays, which puts people at risk of cataracts and macular degeneration,
the number one cause of blindness in seniors.
People don't usually think about the potential for eye injuries
but they can happen. If you take a bad fall while wearing
inappropriate eyewear, the lenses can break and cut your eyes;
if you aren't wearing any eyewear at all, a low branch can
do serious damage to your eyes.
Goggles
If you prefer to wear a goggle, use the same lens color guidelines.
Make sure the goggle is well ventilated to prevent fogging.
Goggles should fit properly and comfortably and should be
tinted in accordance to weather conditions, for additional
safety.
A good all purpose tint is gray, with or without a
mirror. For hazy conditions choose cinnamon, or amber. And
for foggy days a vermilion or yellow tint helps to enhance
what you see. Goggles with interchangeable lenses are good
options for people who want to be well prepared.
Frames: We
recommend a plastic frame since these hold up much better
in the cold. Metal frames become brittle in the cold and may
break. Wraps are very popular since they protect your eyes
from wind and snow, which is especially important for contact
lens wearers. They also help block out incidental light from
the sides, helping to minimize glare.
Lenses
Most importantly, the sunglasses/goggles should offer 100%
UV protection. Since glare increases on surfaces such as snow
and regular sun lenses do not provide adequate absorption
of glare, you may want to consider polarized lenses which
absorb 98% of the glare so you don't need to squint.
Please
Note: Polarized lenses absorb so much glare that you may not
be able to distinguish patches of ice from regular snow. You
also may want to consider a photochromatic lens, which will
lighten or darken according to the amount of light, getting
darker in bright sunlight, and lighter in an overcast sky.
Polycarbonate lenses are highly recommended because of their
impact resistance. Polycarbonate is also more fog resist than
any other lens. Plastic provides adequate protection but can
still shatter. Avoid glass lenses if at all possible. When
skiing in bright sunlight, you should wear a sun lens. A brown
or amber lens will provide the best contrast against a white
background and works well for lower light conditions (i.e.
when the sun goes behind the clouds).
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