Costa Del Mar
Encyclopedia
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of high-end polarized sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...

 for use in sports such as fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...

, and surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

. It was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Costa Del Mar products are sold via the Costa Del Mar Online Store, other online dealers, or stores located worldwide.

History

Costa Del Mar was founded in 1983, the same year that a NOAA nature sanctuary asked the company for a donation of polarized sunglasses. The first style of sunglasses released by Costa Del Mar was called "Catalina," which is no longer in production. The first lens developed by Costa Del Mar was The Costa 400 in CR-39
CR-39
CR-39, or allyl diglycol carbonate , is a plastic polymer commonly used in the manufacture of eyeglass lenses. The abbreviation stands for “Columbia Resin #39,” because it was the 39th formula of a thermosetting plastic developed by the Columbia Resins project in 1940.The first commercial use of...

 material. In 1986, Costa Del Mar created The Costa 400 in a glass lens.

The company provided sunglasses to Jacques Cousteau and the Cousteau Society, and lenses for the team-issue frames of the F-16C Eastern Demo Team. Additionally, Costa Del Mar launched its premium lens, The Costa 580 in August 2000. On April 22, 2003, A. T. Cross bought Costa Del Mar Sunglasses.

Today, the list of pro guides and outdoor personalities that use Costa Del Mar sunglasses includes Jose Wejebe, Cindy Garrison
Cindy Garrison
Cindy Garrison is an outdoors guide and host of the ESPN Outdoors program, Get Wild! With Cindy Garrison.Garrison grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area mostly in Marin County, California. She also spent her summers at her parent's ranch in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Her parents, both of whom hunt...

, and Blair Wiggins.

Technology

Costa Del Mar provides 52 styles and 8 lens options of polarized eyewear
Eyewear
Eyewear can refer to:*Glasses *Sunglasses*Contact lenses*Eye protection**Goggles...

, and 18 frame colors.

The lenses are manufactured in three different materials: CR-39
CR-39
CR-39, or allyl diglycol carbonate , is a plastic polymer commonly used in the manufacture of eyeglass lenses. The abbreviation stands for “Columbia Resin #39,” because it was the 39th formula of a thermosetting plastic developed by the Columbia Resins project in 1940.The first commercial use of...

, Glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...

, and Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...

. Each of these lenses offer different attributes mainly focused on durability, optical clarity, and scratch resistance. Every lens made by Costa Del Mar is 100% Polarized and offers 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection.

Costa Del Mar offers two quality lenses. The Costa 400 is offered in all three lens materials, and it eliminates glare at the 400 nanometer mark. This allows for clearer vision and reduces strain on eyes.

The Costa 580 is Costa Del Mar's premium lens collection. This lens eliminates glare at the 580 nanometer mark. Specifically, it significantly reduces the amount of yellow light that penetrates the lens; yellow light is the hardest light for the eye to process. This nearly completely eliminates glare, allowing enhanced color saturation and definition.

Some of the frame styles also offer C-Mates, a bifocal lens. It is offered in +1.75 and +2.5 magnification.

Costa Del Mar sunglasses can also be made with prescription lenses.

All of Costa Del Mar's sunglasses are produced in either Japan, Italy, France, Mauritius, or Taiwan, while its headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...

. Older models were produced in the United States.

Sponsorships and endorsements

Costa Del Mar sponsors over forty fishing tournaments, both on- and offshore, every year. It is the official sunglass sponsor of organizations such as Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. Often contracted as "TU," the organization began in 1959 in Michigan...

, International Game Fish Association
International Game Fish Association
The International Game Fish Association is the leading authority on angling pursuits and the keeper of the most current World Record fishing catches by fish categories. Fishermen who are sport fishers are careful to follow their stringent rules for fair play and line requirements in order to...

, Coastal Conservation Association
Coastal Conservation Association
The Coastal Conservation Association is a grassroots, non-profit, social movement organization of salt water anglers from 17 coastal states spanning the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts. The CCA is primarily concerned with the restoration and conservation of coastal marine resources...

, and The Billfish Foundation.

Costa Del Mar also sponsors fishing guides in 18 States of the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. It sponsors fishing pros in events such as The B.A.S.S. Tour and The World Billfish Championship.

Corky Carroll became an endorser for Costa Del Mar. Professional fishermen who endorse Costa Del Mar include Bass pros Jason Quinn, Kevin Short, and Todd Faircloth.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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