If you’re a surfer like me, you likely spend hours in the ocean, summer or winter, exposing your eyes to hard sun glare and salty water during long sessions. We surfers are at high risk of early cataract and nastier eye problems due to our prolonged exposure to sunlight.
I was just diagnosed with a pterygium (surfer’s eye) in my right eye. That’s a raised, fleshy, triangular-shaped growth that starts in the corner of your eye. Long-term exposure to UV light is the main cause. Doc said I might need minor surgery in the near future. Yikes.
I surf, kitesurf, and SUP surf. I’ve had many unsuccessful attempts at using surf sunglasses. They all ended with me losing the shades in the water or tossing them because they were so uncomfortable and ruined my sessions.
I kept searching and ended up trying the LIP Typhoon surf sunglasses. I decided to invest in a pair and I can honestly say these sunglasses changed my surfing life. Though somewhat pricey, they’re simply the best surf glasses I’ve worn in the water.
The Typhoon really stick to my head in the waves. The loss-proof retainer system makes them impossible to lose. The Zeiss lenses and panoramic frame give me the clearest vision I’ve had with watershades. The anti-splash coating is the most effective I’ve seen.
So yeah, the Typhoon are by far my top choice for surfing. Read on for my experience with these watershades.
I’ve tried a lot of different surf shades, all of which ended up lost or forever forgotten.
- They quickly got scratched from dry salt and sand, and I had to replace them as often as twice per season
- They filled up with water every time I wiped out, duck dived, or got hit by a wave
- The lenses eventually started to fog or get droplets all over them. You really have to keep the lenses spotless to avoid this.
- Low-quality film coating resulted in salt spots which ended up hindering my vision
- The frame quickly busted or rusted at the pins
- The straps weren’t strong enough to keep the glasses on me through wipeouts/big sets
The surf glasses I’ve owned were not the absolute cheapest ($30 – $70) yet they were so uncomfortable I ended up leaving them at home (those I didn’t lose).
Also tried using some cheap glasses that I tweaked – attached leashes to them, sprayed all sorts of coating on the lenses etc. That didn’t work well for me and I went back to surfing and SUPing with no eye protection.
So what to look for in surf sunglasses?
These are the main things we need when choosing surf shades:
UV protection
As surfers, the constant UV radiation combined with water glare will over time damage our eyes. Surfer’s eye and early cataracts (like me) are the mildest of our problems, we face risks of much more serious retinal issues e.g. macular degeneration.
Quality lenses with category 3 or 4 UV protection protect your eyes and help reduce the risk.
Impact protection
Good surf glasses should withstand strong impact – including getting hit by a board – without cracking or shattering. Polycarbonate frames absorb impact and are ten times stronger than plastic or glass shades.
Anti splash
Surf sunglasses should remain clear in the water, so you need hydrophobic lenses coated on both sides. The coating should also reduce residues from the salt.
Anti fog
The best surf sunglasses have decent airflow to reduce fog, and drain holes in the frame to let the water out – avoid trapped water under your eyes like with my past shades.
Stick to your face
This is key: you want surf sunglasses that stick to your head well to begin with, including when duck diving and getting wiped out. You also want a bulletproof leash and retainer system that keeps the glasses on you if they get ripped off your face.
Vision range & clarity
When surfing, you need a wide vision and peripheral range, kind of like ski goggles or semi-rimless lenses. You must be able to clearly read everything happening around you in and around the wave.
Lens treatment
Non-glare treatment is important as it creates much better contrast and reduces ghost image impressions. Polarization also improves eye protection, but the tradeooff is that it can make it harder to read the surface when the sun is directly overhead (works best for low sun).
Why the Typhoon are now my Holy Grail
After years of surfing and kiting without eye protection, I decided to give it another shot with the the LIP Typhoon and forked out the hefty price for it – price ranges from $170 to $240 depending on the variant.
To this day I have NOT regretted my purchase, here is why in a nutshell:
- These glasses give me a really broad vision and peripheral range when I’m on my surfboard or SUP. I can see everything happening around me without any hindrance – often feels like I’m not wearing glasses. The Zeiss (Germany) lenses deserve their high-quality vision reputation.
- The frame has a wrapping curve shape that wraps around your face. It’s highly-flexible and lightweight making it extremely comfortable. The wide nose section also fits my face well.
- Due to their curved shape, the Typhoons naturally stay on and barely move even in moderate wipeouts in the surf. The wide arm tips tucked behind my ears also help keep them in place when a wave hits me
- The clip-on leash and retainer silicon necklace are super reliable and keep my sunglasses attached to me even when a bigger wave rips the glasses off my face or when I crash in the water headfirst.
- The Zeiss lens coating makes them water-repellent, oil-repellent, and scratch-resistant. They don’t crust up from the salt during a surf session, and stay mostly clear even after drying – I can keep them on while on the beach.
- The vent system on these glasses is great, it keeps the fogging minimal and reduces heat. The holes in the frame also let the water drain out really well. Never had surf sunglasses that handlde fogging this well.
Note : I still get a bit of fog on my glasses during a surf session. After digging a little, I found this is a natural consequence of the heat from my body and hot breath interacting with the humid conditions and cold water – the best possible combination for getting fog!
Still way better than I’ve experienced with other surf glasses though. - I’ve had them for months now and they’re still good as new. The frame is made from an extremely durable TR-90, a Swiss polymer that can resist anything you can throw at it.
- Even though the Typhoon lenses are polarized, I haven’t experienced any significant depth issues in the surf. This may be because I rarely surf when the sun is directly overhead. When I do, the water surface is usually choppy, which reduces the verticality of sunlight and the associated distortion effects of polarization.
The only caveat is, you have to take great care of the LIP Typhoons. These glasses are meant for water use and shouldn’t be used for everyday life.
You have to keep them very clean and rinse them after each surf session.
I avoid putting my fingers on the lenses as much as possible, and I store them away in their case before I leave the beach to avoid any scratching.
All in all, The LIP Typhoon watershades are high-quality sunglasses for surfing but are not for everyone. They’re specially designed for water use and must be handled with care and stowed away after a session.
In return, they give you unmatched clarity of vision and superb comfort for surfing, SUPing, and kitesurfing.
Check out the Typhoons here on LIP’s website.
The LiP Surge: the affordable cousin
The LIP Surge is a more affordable version of the Typhoon, with the same features but without the Zeiss lenses. Like the Typhoon, these glasses are meant for water use only. They are priced at $100 to $170 depending on variant.
The Surge basically has the same features as the Typhoon – same advanced frame material and curved shape, same leash and silicon necklace system, same fog vents and water/oil/scratch-resistant coatings.
The only difference is, the Surge doesn’t come with Zeiss lenses or Zeiss treatment! The Surge lenses are polarized as well, but not “Zeiss polarized”.
You can feel a notable difference in the clarity of vision between the two surf sunglasses. The Typhoon will also typically give you more mileage (if you treat them well) due to the well-known durability of the Zeiss lenses.
If you’re not ready to fork out the $200+ for the Typhoon though, the Surge may just be your next best choice for surf sunglasses. I would certainly have picked them up had I not invested in my beloved Typhoons.
Prescription sunglasses for surfing?
If you wear prescription glasses, LiP’s has RX packages with either the Typhoon or the Surge frame, complete with the loss proof leash retention system, fitted with NXT single vision or progressive lenses.
Like for the watershades, the prescription lenses come with hydrophobic, oleophobic, and anti-reflection coatings.
You choose the frame (Typhoon or Surge) and frame color, you select your lens type (single vision fixed tint vs varifocal/progressive), and you provide the prescription details. You then wait 3 weeks for the glasses to get prepared.
The prices for the prescription Typhoon and Surge are very similar – $530 and $520. You can also add paid options such as polarized, mirror, and anti-fog coatings.
See the Typhoon Rx or Surge Rx package.
Wrapping up (no pun intended)
If you’re a hardcore surfer and your sessions involve lots of sun and harmful UV rays, you’d better get yourself a pair of surf sunglasses before your eyes get wrecked (like mine)!
For decent size wave surfing, I find the LiP Typhoons watershades work best and give you nice frame comfort, broad and clear vision, and a reliable leash system. LiP’s shades all come with a 3-year warranty which is great.
If you’re on a budget and don’t mind forgoing the high-quality Zeiss lenses, the Surge is a good compromise as you still get the premium frames, fog-reducing lenses, and bullet-proof attachment system.