MEredith714 0 #1 July 10, 2012 Morning all, I wonder if anyone can help.... I've recently purchased a pair of Oakley Scalpel sunglasses and wondered if these would be suitable for Skydiving? I bought them with the intention of wearing them for most sports I do as they are close fitting, rubber grip sides and polarised lenses. I have checked and they are ANSI Z87.1 safety standard so are deemed safe for sport and 'smash/impact resistant'. Has anybody used these glasses - or ones like them - for Skydiving? How did you get on? Cheers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #2 July 10, 2012 Plenty of people jump with sunglasses. Some people don't get on with them. Some people have to make sure they are careful about the fit. Some may find that they're not suitable for some body orientations but are ok for others. The shape of your face is unique to you so only you will know if this particular set of glasses works for you. That said - you'll want to put this question to your instructor first. Usually they will want to be able to have eye contact with you and that's not going to be possible with any kind of smoked lense - be it goggles or sunglasses. Once you're licensed it's more or less up to you and if they work at keeping the wind out, great. You'll probably want a second option for sunset loads or coached jumps where again your coach will want eye contact. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MEredith714 0 #3 July 10, 2012 Yeah I was careful when I chose these to make sure they were a close fit to my face both top and bottom around my eyes. After looking around a little more on DZ I saw a few people saying the same thing about eye contact with the instructor before qualifying which is understandable... What would you recommend I look for in a pair of goggles? I chose the Oakleys due to their fit, polarised lenses and been impact resistant etc.... is that a similar list of criteria for the goggles? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #4 July 10, 2012 QuoteWhat would you recommend I look for in a pair of goggles? I chose the Oakleys due to their fit, polarised lenses and been impact resistant etc.... is that a similar list of criteria for the goggles? An advantage of googles is that they are soft. Even if you have impact resistant lenses in sunglasses, they still have hard frames and lenses, and in the case of a collision, those would not be an asset. A pair of soft goggles with an elastic strap will not shatter or break and stab you in the eye during the middle of a skydive. Keep in mind that whatever happens in the middle of a jump, you still HAVE to finish the jump. Also, polarized lenses don't play well with digital altimeters. That may not be a problem now, but in the future if you go to a digital altimeter, polarized leses are a no-no. You may be able to see the altimeter at times, but in certain lighting and certain angles, the display will vanish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #5 July 10, 2012 QuoteYeah I was careful when I chose these to make sure they were a close fit to my face both top and bottom around my eyes. After looking around a little more on DZ I saw a few people saying the same thing about eye contact with the instructor before qualifying which is understandable... What would you recommend I look for in a pair of goggles? I chose the Oakleys due to their fit, polarised lenses and been impact resistant etc.... is that a similar list of criteria for the goggles? Cheap. I wear a full-face now, but when I wore an open-face (for my first 400 or so jumps) I found that price and quality were not necessarily related. Flex-Zs or Sky Eyes or something similar work well and last as long as more expensive ones. I was a fan of amber goggles for daytime - I could still make eye contact but they made it a little less squinty in the sun. I'd recommend having at least one pair of totally clear lenses as well for sunset loads (or other low-light days) or night jumps."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,106 #6 July 10, 2012 Quote What would you recommend I look for in a pair of goggles? I chose the Oakleys due to their fit, polarised lenses and been impact resistant etc.... is that a similar list of criteria for the goggles? I recommend you go cheap. I can't seem to hang on to anything on or near a DZ over $25.00 for more than about 8 minutes. Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #7 July 10, 2012 Quote Quote What would you recommend I look for in a pair of goggles? I chose the Oakleys due to their fit, polarised lenses and been impact resistant etc.... is that a similar list of criteria for the goggles? I recommend you go cheap. I can't seem to hang on to anything on or near a DZ over $25.00 for more than about 8 minutes. What do YOU use? Your head has to be even bigger than mine and I can't seem to find a decent pair of goggles other than Kroops that don't have me cross-eyed trying to look through the center of the lens. Then again, my eyes are a lot closer to my ears than my nose. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #8 July 10, 2012 Quote Your head has to be even bigger than mine and I can't seem to find a decent pair of goggles other than Kroops that don't have me cross-eyed trying to look through the center of the lens. Then again, my eyes are a lot closer to my ears than my nose. Kroops! Thanks, that's the other brand name I was trying to remember that I really like. I find they are more durable (and comfortable) than Flex-Zs. And they work well on my Freakishly Large Head. It's been a few years since I've worn my open-face regularly, though."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,106 #9 July 10, 2012 Hey Guys... yup. Kroops.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hokierower 0 #10 July 11, 2012 I wear a $22 pair of Edge construction safety glasses with my open face and a set of croakies. They're polarized and fit my face better than anything else I've ever tried on. Best thing is, if I lose them, they're only $22. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,106 #11 July 11, 2012 Sounds kinda "hokie" to me. Thou shalt include hyperlink with new product information. Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hokierower 0 #12 July 11, 2012 Quote Sounds kinda "hokie" to me. Thou shalt include hyperlink with new product information. http://edge-eyewear.com/united-states/#/GLASSES/DAKURA-POLARIZED I have the black frames with the copper lenses. They seem to do the best job for both low light and bright light. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,106 #13 July 11, 2012 Had some difficulty with their site to see pricing and ordering so I just Google'd it The protection received from Edge Safety Glasses is unparalleled in comparably priced eyewear. All Edge Safety Glasses are tested and certified by an independent lab to exceed ANSI Z87.1-2003 standards AND meet U.S. Military eyewear ballistic impact resistance requirements per MIL-PRF-31013 clause 3.5.1.1 and MIL-V-43511 clause 3.5.10. Plus Edge's high quality polycarbonate lenses are hardcoated for optimal scratch-resistance, provide razor-sharp optical clarity and 99.9% protection from harmful UVA/UVB/UVC rays. PRICE: Wow - the pricing is awesome. FOR OTHERS: A lot of choices, styles, colors... http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/edgeeyewear.html?gclid=CNKW9rLQkrECFSUbQgodIzEvdA SEARCH FUNCTION: Edge Safety Glasses (see Reply) Thanks, Hokie...Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waveoff5500 0 #14 July 12, 2012 i used to jump safety glasses that were tinted then i bought a pair of batwing oakleys and have been jumping those for the past couple weeks. i have polarized lenses and have so far not had a problem with vanishing altimeter screens but apparently oakley has developed a new polarized lens coating that helps with this? (i use a neptune 2) and they are impact resistant. i know some people prefer to switch to goggles before exiting, but ive gotten used to jumping with them. they are pretty form fitting and i havent encountered an orientation where they are uncomfortable yet. (i primarily freefly, but ive filmed tandems, done tracking dives, regular belly jumps etc with them. hope this helps! oh and make sure to tape some elastic to each side of the glasses so they stay on your head during deployment."its just a normal day at the dropzone until its not" 1653 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites