One of the things that I will never leave the dock without is a good pair of fishing sunglasses. A good pair of polarized sunglasses can make or break your day on the water. Besides just protecting your eyes from damaging UV rays on the water, they cut through the glare on the surface of the water and let you see what’s going on in the water. Last year at ICAST 2023 Costa unveiled the new King Tide 6 and King Tide 8 sunglasses. These new flagship model sunglasses were said to be the culmination of 40 years of fishing sunglasses innovation and the most advanced frames to date for Costa. The King Tides were part of the ICAST New Product Showcase and then promptly voted as the “Best of Category for Eyewear”. And while that is a great award to receive, let’s see if the King Tide 6 can live up to that. I have had this pair for the past nine months now using them every time I went fishing. So let’s get into it.
“The moment we’ve been waiting for all summer is finally here,” said John Sanchez, Vice President of Global Product Strategy for Costa Sunglasses. “This frame has been five years in the making and is the product of every lesson we’ve learned in our 40 year history on the water. The success of our initial launch was more than we could have imagined, as well as the level of psych from pros, partners and the media – it’s all been a wild ride, ending in the global release. This frame, and how well it’s been received, is why we love what we do. We are a proud Costa community, united by the water and by a thirst to explore everything it has to offer.”
Costa Sunglasses Coverage on AllOutdoor
- Medium Wrap Design
- Removable Side Shields for on and off-water use
- Shark-inspired venting achieves a near-impossible zero-fog effect
- Top-of-the-line sweat management and drains keep your view dry and unobstructed
- Non-skid hooding means they stay in place on any surface wet or dry
- Frame Fit – Wide
- Frame Color – Black Pearl
- Lenses – 580 Glass Blue Mirror, Copper Silver Mirror, Grey, Green Mirror, and Sunrise Silver Mirror
- Lens Curve – Base 6
- Size – XL (58-17)
- Comes with a Case and Eyewear Retainer
What Comes in the Box – Costa Sunglasses King Tide 6
Costa made sure you weren’t left wanting more as soon as you opened the box for the King Tide 6 sunglasses. You are greeted by a protective case that is pretty large for eyewear standards. The well-branded case is pretty rugged and solid, so you don’t have to worry about your nice new sunglasses getting damaged when you’re traveling. Once you unzip the case you can see you are getting a bit more than just the sunglasses. In addition to the sunglasses, you get a Costa C-Line Loop Retainer, cleaning cloth, and decals. Additionally, the layout of the inside of the case is well thought out, have spots cut out for everything. This includes two spots for placing the removable side shields, a large spot for the sunglasses, and another for accessories. This can help you keep organized so you don’t have to worry about misplacing anything.
Fit – Costa Sunglasses King Tide 6
For the fit of the King Tide 6 Costa has put a good bit of thought into the design. The first big thing is that the two models have different bases, Base 6 and Base 8, the 6 being a medium wrap and the 8 a full wrap. This makes finding a fitting frame easier. The King Tide 6 is a great frame for Asians. I’ve struggled with a lot of sportier frames resting on my cheeks instead of on the bridge of the nose, letting in more light, spray, and wind. The nose pads of these sunglasses are also adjustable, letting you fit them perfectly to your face. Lastly, the little bit of give the arms have past 90 degrees with the rubberized overmolding makes it so the frame sits snuggly and securely to your face without too much pressure on your temples.
On the Water Performance – Costa Sunglasses King Tide 6
The King Tides have gone beyond my expectations on the water in the past few months. First off they are a good bit lighter than you would expect, even with the side shields installed. Costa has made some advancements with its 580G lens technology to make the lenses lighter than ever. Next was just how well they kept the sun out even with a wider Base 6 frame. Normally I would expect to sacrifice a bit of sun protection with a wider frame, but with the side shields installed this was not the case. The shields made sure to keep light from being able to get in and cause glare and reflections on the inner side of the lenses. Normally I would expect some fogging to occur with my fishing sunglasses, especially when I would be wearing a fishing neck gaiter. But the shark-inspired vents do their job incredibly well. Even on the hottest days out there on the pier, I had no issue with the King Tide 6s fogging up on me. Being able to vent away moisture that well, I thought there might be some issue with wind, but that was not the case. Even when making long runs offshore the wind and spray intrusion into the glasses was super manageable. The only thing that was exactly as I expected was the 580G lenses, they have the unparalleled clarity that I have come to expect from Costa. I went with the Green Mirror Copper-based lens, a tried and true lens color option that is great for sight fishing in shallower water. These performed awesomely in a variety of light conditions and water conditions.
Final Thoughts – Costa Sunglasses King Tide 6
After wearing these sunglasses almost exclusively for fishing for the past 9 months, I going to have to say it. These might be the best pair of fishing sunglasses I have ever worn. I know this seems like I’m overly extolling the virtues of these sunglasses, but these have genuinely excelled in every water and weather condition I have faced while fishing. All the new innovative features and materials really make for a top-of-the-line pair of fishing sunglasses. These have been incredibly comfortable to wear, they are light and don’t squeeze your head. The fitment of these sunglasses is second to none. Being Korean, a lot of the standard-fit polarized fishing sunglasses were just not it for me. They just didn’t work well with my face shape and left me wanting more. With the King Tide 6, I have found my perfect fit. They sit just right on my face, making for a great time on the water.
I do need to address the elephant in the room, the price. With an MSRP of $361, that is a tough pill to swallow. I get that many people would consider that too much for a pair of sunglasses. But if you are a serious angler who spends a lot of days on the water the value is there. I can honestly see myself wearing these for many years to come.
