Ok, let me throw out one disclaimer right off. I’ve never been a pacesetter in clothing. I just don’t care. But as I get older, I’m slowly changing. Why not be more presentable and also, I somewhat had to, due to all of the seminars & speaking engagements that I do. Plus, my wife is constantly trying to upgrade me. So, with that said why wear a $5.00 pair of sunglasses that you got in a filling station as you were leaving town on vacation? Why not pay a little more and be cool? I’ve recently tested two pairs of Hobie sunglasses. The Hobie Snook with grey lens and the Hobie El Matador with sea-green lens. Let’s cover both of these today.
HOBIE SNOOK SUNGLASSES
Let’s start with the Hobie Snook sunglasses. They’re offered in five different lens colors. Myself, I like the Sea Green flavor. The Snook has polarized lenses so they are great for fishing but are sporty as well and will be cool to wear around town.
I don’t have down pat all of the proper sunglass terminology so don’t quote me on this next comment. I’m not saying they are total wrap-around glasses but do somewhat. So, when out fishing they will only let in a minimal amount of sun on the sides.
They are super comfortable and the second that I slipped them on, I loved them. I always know when something is cool. My wife or daughter soon lay ownership of the item. I am out of state at the moment but fly home in a couple of days. I predict that I will lose visitation rights within the first five seconds of them laying eyes upon them. I’m not a prophet but this is just a rock-solid prediction. And you get all of this coolness for an MSRP of only $79.99.
HOBIE EL MATADOR
Both are nice sunglasses but the El Matadors have the upper hand from a fisherman’s perspective. So, if you’re a fisherman, then you need to check out the Hobie El Matador. Not only are they cool looking but they had some cool engineering put into them. They have what Hobie calls Integrated Sliding Side Shields. If you’re a hardcore fisherman, then you know that invariably no matter which way that you’re fishing it seems that you are always staring directly into the sun’s reflection on the water surface doesn’t it? I’m serious. Well, no problem. The El Matador have side shields that as you fold up the glasses the side shields slide out of the way. What a great idea.
The only light that they let in is a small amount on the top which is no big deal because I’m always wearing a cap while fishing (Or actually I’m always wearing a cap unless I’m in bed or taking a bath). Plus, the second I slipped them on they were comfortable.
They are the most practical fisherman’s sunglasses that I have ever seen. I love them. They’re comfortable plus, they have a cool factor about them. Most sunglasses with side shields look like a pair of clunky welder glasses, don’t they? The Hobie El Matadors are cool. No siree, you’ll be able to sweep the girls off of their feet with these sunglasses. And the MSRP is only $109.99.
Both options come with a nice zip-up carrying case. And as is usual we will close with the specs.
EL MATADOR SLIDING PERIPHERAL SIDE SHIELDS STYLE FEATURES:
- Integrated Sliding Side Shields
- HYDROCLEAN™ 360° Polarized Lenses
- 100% UV A, B, C Protection
- 8 Base Polycarbonate Lenses
- TR-90 Frame
- Durable Integrated Hinges
- Co-Molded Megol Rubber
- L Fit 61-15-130
- RX Friendly
- SUMMARY – Experience ultimate protection like you’ve never seen. Retracting side shields slide into place to improve sightlines and block harmful UV rays. Co-molded rubber pads the arms & nose for extra comfort and zero slippage. Whatever the adventure, El Matador has you covered.
SNOOK STYLE FEATURES:
- Hydro 360° Polarized Lenses
- 100% UV A, B, C Protection
- 8 Base Polycarbonate Lenses
- TR-90 Frame
- Durable Integrated Hinges
- Co-Molded Megol Rubber
- M Fit 60-17-132
- RX Friendly
- SUMMARY – With a streamlined full-wrap fit, Snook was inspired by the famous game fish of the same name that populates the Gulf Coast. Snook features Hobie® Hydro 360° dual-coated polarized lenses and provides all-day comfort through co-molded megol rubber temple tips and nose pads.
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
