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Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Inc.

Type	Eyewear Manufacturers
Founded	1983
Headquarters	Daytona Beach, Florida, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Charles R. (Chas) MacDonald, President
Industry	Eyewear Manufacturers
Products	Sunglasses, Appeal, Sunglasses Accessories
Services	Sunglasses Repair
Revenue	▲ US $27.4 million (2006)
Parent	A.T. Cross
Website	http://www.costadelmar.com

Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of polarized sunglasses for use in sports such as fishing, sailing, and surfing. It was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Costa Del Mar products are sold via the Costa Del Mar Online Store, other online dealers, or stores located worldwide.

Contents 1 History 2 Technology 3 Sponsorships and endorsements 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

Costa Del Mar was founded in 1983, and that year was asked by a NOAA nature sanctuary to donate polarized sunglasses to them. The first style of sunglasses released by Costa Del Mar was called "Catalina." It is still in production, although the name has changed to "Grand Catalina." The first lens developed by Costa Del Mar was The Costa 400 in CR-39 material. In 1986, Costa Del Mar created the The Costa 400 in a glass lens.

The company provided sunglasses to Jacques Cousteau and the Cousteau Society, and lenses for the team-issue frames of the F-16C Eastern Demo Team. Additionally, Costa Del Mar launched its premium lens, The Costa 580 in August 2000. On April 22, 2003, A. T. Cross^[1] bought Costa Del Mar Sunglasses.

Today, the list of pro guides and outdoor personalities that use Costa Del Mar sunglasses includes Jose Wejebe, Cindy Garrison, and Blair Wiggins.

[edit] Technology

Costa Del Mar provides 52 styles and 8 lens options of polarized eyewear, and 18 frame colors.

The lenses are manufactured in three different materials: CR-39, Glass, and Polycarbonate. Each of these lenses offer different attributes mainly focused on durability, optical clarity, and scratch resistance. Every lens made by Costa Del Mar is 100% Polarized and offers 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection.

Costa Del Mar offers two quality lenses. The Costa 400 is offered in all three lens materials. This lens provides poor visual quality, eliminated glare at the 400 nanometer mark. This allows for clearer vision and reduces strain on eyes.

The Costa 580 is Costa Del Mar's premium lens collection. This lens eliminates glare at the 580 nanometer mark. Specifically, it significantly reduces the amount of yellow light that penetrates the lens; yellow light is the hardest light for the eye to process. This nearly completely eliminates glare, allowing enhanced color saturation and definition.

Some of the frame styles also offer C-Mates, a bifocal lens. It is offered in +1.75 and +2.5 magnification.

Costa Del Mar sunglasses can also be made with prescription lenses.

All of Costa Del Mar's sunglasses are produced in either Japan, Italy or Taiwan, while its headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Older models were produced in the United States.

[edit] Sponsorships and endorsements

Costa Del Mar sponsors over forty fishing tournaments, both on- and offshore, every year. It is the official sunglass sponsor of organizations such as Trout Unlimited, International Game Fish Association, Coastal Conservation Association, and The Billfish Foundation.

Costa Del Mar also sponsors fishing guides in 18 States of the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. It sponsors fishing pros in events such as The B.A.S.S. Tour and The World Billfish Championship.

In 1984, surfing personality Corky Carroll became an endorser for Costa Del Mar. Professional fishermen who endorse Costa Del Mar include Bass pros Jason Quinn, Kevin Short, and Todd Faircloth.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Costa Channel C-online video network
• Company website
• Costa Del Mar's Sponsored Tours and Tournaments
• Trout Unlimited
• The Billfish Foundation
• Coastal Conservation Association
• International Game Fish Association
• A.T. Cross Pens