Review: Costa Double Haul Sunglasses

Earlier this year, Costa unveiled a new addition to their lineup with their 'Double Haul' sunglasses. As any serious fly fisherman knows, Costa has long been one of the go-to names in fishing for technical eyewear. As a bit of a sunglasses junkie and also considering that I share a name with the manufacturer, I was hopeful that I’d fall in love with pair of Double Haul 580G sunglasses that arrived a few months ago. I wasn't disappointed.

Costa's Double Haul offer top-notch polarization, impressive coverage, venting and more.

Upon initial inspection, I was impressed by the look of the Double Hauls, immediately impressed at the coverage offered by the frames and lenses and was stoked to get them out on the water. Given that I'm used to wearing a cord with my glasses I was a bit skeptical about the ability of the Double Hauls to stay in place without one, but having read our own review of the Costa Fantail from our Best Fishing Sunglasses of 2011 Feature, decided to give this pair a shot sans leash. As it turns out, they didn't budge throughout numerous full days on the water and never even so much slide down the bridge of your nose. They feature a Hydrolyte material on the nosepiece and frame that gets tackier when wet and keeps the glasses from sliding down. Like many Costas, the Double Hauls also feature an integrated hinge system which also allows the glasses to stay put on top of your head or hat for those times when you want them off.

The Double Hauls offer a full wrap around frame and lens, protecting your eyes from light and errant flies at all angles. Despite the relatively large size and impressive coverage, the frames are a lot lighter than you’d expect. Even after a full day on the water Costa's “Forget-Their-On” claim is rightfully apparent. The Double Hauls patent-pending venting system also allows for maximum coverage while keeping the lenses from fogging in hot and humid conditions.

The 580G lenses in silver mirror are crystal clear and make everything appear sharper, reduce glare dramatically in bright sun and on those cloudy overcast days contrast is enhanced; the perfect lens for freshwater sight fishing when light conditions are variable (the 580G silver mirror lens didn't fare quite as well in very low light as some low-light specific lenses we've tested, but they more than held their own for an all-around versatile lens). Most importantly, they cut through water glare like nobody’s business, blocking 100% of UV and reducing both yellow and blue on the spectrum to improve clarity and color both above and below the waters surface.

What really struck me most was how much you really do forget your wearing sunglasses when you’ve got on a pair that’s this good. Over all Costa’ done it again with the Double Hauls, adding another pair of sunglasses that’s hit the mark in both functionality and form.