GOING FISHING? DON'T FORGET YOUR COSTA DEL MAR SUNGLASSES

Got a great captain and crew, top of the line tackle and a ultra-customized fishing machine. Ready to go fishing, right? Not without a pair of high performance sunglasses.

"If you want to catch fish," says Dave Bulthuis, vice president of sales for Ormond Beach, Florida-headquartered Costa Del Mar, "you need to have the right equipment."

Over the past year, Costa Del Mar has introduced several new sunglass frames that are perfect for offshore fishermen. What makes these new frames such a good fit - literally - is the co-injection process in their construction. Nylon and rubber are fused together in a way that offers comfort, from the rubber around the ear to the way the glasses grip the forehead and face, to strength compliments of the nylon. The Corbina and Zane frame styles are examples of this. "The frames are also larger or what we call a deeper eye for more coverage of the eyes and face," says Bulthuis. "We've received many requests for this."

Costa Del Mar has also introduced a new extra large fit frame called the Fisch. "It's for large noggins or full figured heads," says Bulthuis. "The frames are designed with our signature venting system, a deeper eye and co-injection process as well."

One of the hallmarks of Costa Del Mar sunglasses is its cutting-edge multi-patented 580 lens technology. No gimmick, this technology can actually help you catch fish!

"This lens removes all yellow light the human eye can detect to offer great clarity and color saturation," says Bulthuis. "Yellow light is like noise for the eyes. It's the principal component in glare. By taking this out, other colors like reds, blues, greens and violets show up in higher definition."

What this means is that if you're up in the tower looking down on the sea, it's easier to see billfish coming up in the bait spreads. In other words, Costa Del Mar's 580 lens technology can really enhance the fishing experience.

What's also new is that the company has launched 13 new sunglass styles, including several new styles for women, this year.

"Women are becoming more active in sports fishing," says Bulthuis. "They're also realizing that in addition to stylish frames, they need good eye protection too."

Costa Del Mar offers 100% polarization with built in UV protection. The UV protection is uniquely built into the lens so it won't degrade, wear off, wipe off, or peel off over time.

Bulthuis isn't just a sunglass salesman, he's an avid sports fisherman and definitely knows what he's talking about. "I fish in a number of offshore tournaments each year, primarily in the southeast, but have fished down in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands as well. We put our new products to the test, and also have several professional captains on our staff that evaluates products."

One topic that's as close to Bulthuis and his fellow Costa Del Mar professionals' heart as sunglasses is billfish conservation. "We're committed as a company to sustainable sport fishing for recreational fishermen," he says. The Billfish Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association, International Game Fishing Association, World Billfish Series and the USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament are some of the conservation-oriented organizations and events the company supports.

Finally, if you don't see what you like on-line or in your favorite Costa Del Mar-carrying retailer, the company can customize. "Any frame, any color lens," says Bulthuis. "We have an in-house lab in Daytona Beach where we cut our lenses - prescription or non-prescription, plastic or glass - and can build a pair of sunglasses to order."

For more information, visit Costa Del Mar's website: go there

The ABMT is proud to have Costa Del Mar as a major sponsor of our tournaments. 0409