Wind Protection: This is where the compromise is made. The Lagoon shades are everyday frames and not really intended for sport wear. They will suit, and actually wind protection up to about thirty to forty miles per hour in a bass boat is respectable, but if you typically cruise at 50, 60, or 70 miles per hour while out on the water, these shades are not going to work. You’ll likely be wearing the PolarizedPlus 2 lenses as contacts at those speeds.

Comfort: While the boat is stopped or out on the dock and in the street for every day wear, the lagoon shades are very comfortable to wear. The glass lenses are thin and relatively light.  Maui Jim advertises them as 20% thinner than standard lenses.

The anti-corrosive hinges are made to bend past 180 degrees so if you have a larger noggin (like me), they will be snug on your face. The nose piece is the type integrated into the frame (fixed saddle style) with a non-slip silicone padding however, so if you need extra nose support, the Lagoons will probably slide down your face.

Top of the head, stow away position? Not really happening with the Lagoons. The same feature on the hinges that make them snug on your face, prevent them from being snug enough to stay on top of your head should you be in the habit of doing so. Case in point? I had them up there on a trip to the Amazon during the Fall of 2011.

The conditions were overcast, so I had my Lagoon shades in stow away position on top of my head for easy flip on flip off installation. It was the very last day, the very last fish, before heading back to the boat to pack our things. I leaned over the side of the boat to release a fish when “plop”, my shades slid off the top of my head and into the Amazon river! Despite my efforts to retrieve them, all I could do is watch as they slowly sank to the bottom just beyond the reach of my fingertips.

Marzo, our guide, stick a pole in the water and told me not to worry. He’d come back to the spot to try and retrieve my shades. I was pretty certain I was headed home to shop for another pair, but later that evening, he indeed came back with my shades on top of his head!

Availability: Both the Nunui and Mauna Loa shades mentioned previously in this article have since been discontinued by Maui Jim, but the Lagoon shades are a current model. They are actually made in Italy and sell for an MSRP of $219. I purchased mine at Sunglass Hut in the afore mentioned mall.

Conclusion: You know how products from some manufacturers just suit you better than others? How many of you are Shimano or Daiwa only consumers? You're that way because the products from that manufacturer just fit the way you fish and they just sit in your hands better. Maui Jim's product is that way with me.

Every time I put a new pair on it's like travelling to Hawaii. Never mind the fact that usually when I'm buying a pair, that's exactly where I am! Style of frames aside, the most important aspects for me in a pair of quality shades are the clarity and color of the lenses. Maui Jim strikes the right accord with their bronzed colored glass lenses. Pair that with solidly built frames with some style and you have the makings of an Editor's Choice Award. Mahalo nui loa Maui Jim, a hui kaua.