OK, this review is gonna be a little mean. No, not in that way, but I mean, mean to you, the reader. Why? Because the Sea-Doo Floating Sunglasses aren’t available yet. I say “yet” because these are expected to be made available on November 6th along with the entire 2020 riding gear collection on sea-doo.com and Sea-Doo dealers. So as much as you may want a pair of these (and trust me, you do), you can’t – well, at least, not yet. And that’s just mean, I mean.
So how did I get my hands on these, then? You ask. Well, shortly before departing from the 2020 Sea-Doo press introduction event in Austin, Texas last month, I was handed a pair of their brand-new Sea-Doo brand Floating Sunglasses. We weren’t even given a chance to try ’em out while we test rode the new 2020 GTIs and GTR 230’s for two days. It was kind of a tease, really.
Thankfully, that was a month ago and I’ve gotten plenty of time to try ’em out on the water since then. As many of The Watercraft Journal’s readers will note, I’m a pretty tough stickler on what makes a good pair of sunglasses for riding a PWC. First, flat frames are a no-go, as they can be easily whipped off of your face with a slight turn of your head. (Ask me how I know.)
Next, they gotta float but without requiring big ol’ slabs of buoyant Hydro-Turf being glued to their sides. Nobody wants that, and anyone who tells you different is lying. And finally, they’ve got to be polarized and UV resistant. Those last two are pretty much no-brainers, but you’d be surprised how much needs to be spelled out these days. Any added features are extra bonuses, but you gotta hit these four requirements.
Smartly, Sea-Doo knows a thing or two about what personal watercraft enthusiasts like, and these floating sunglasses hit all the marks right in the dead center. These frames are perfectly contoured to match your face (without feeling claustrophobic) and rest lightly on your ears and bridge of your nose. The soft and rubberized perch for the nose runs all the way up to the brow, which is very nice too.
The reflective polarized lenses are big, wide and don’t have big ol’ blind spots either. Made with the same superior materials and build quality as our trusty Windrider Floating Sunglasses, the Sea-Doo shades are slightly less narrow, and are tethered together at the arms by an adjustable neoprene lanyard to ensure that they stay on your face, even while peering over your shoulder as you keep the throttle down.
Our pair came in black-and-gray with silver argent lenses, which suited my tastes just fine. We were told other colors may be soon-coming. They also come in a very nice, breathable mesh bag. Since these have yet to be released to the public, there’s no listed price to give you or even an official part number. So really, all I can give you is my very happy recommendation and a strong suggestion to keep your eyes peeled for their release on November 6th along with the rest of the 2020 riding gear collection.
