 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone offer any advice. One of the few things I don't like about being in the mountains is skiing in flat/ low light. ( ok perspective required, I still love it, but would like to see better) 
Not having much experience, could anyone advise on what goggles to use and, do they really make any difference.
Is is worth paying the astronomical prices for some I see in the shops or is the benefit limited and is there value to be had lower down the cost scale.
Any advice appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mick8417,
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One of the few things I don't like about being in the mountains is skiing in flat/ low light
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Me too, and it's only in that sort of light that I wear goggles at all. I've got some new goggles now (which I can't yet comment on) because my previous were so scratched from multiple face plants, but they were brilliant in flat light - Oakley Persimmon. They were expensive, but lasted for some years.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm definitely in the having to "see to ski" camp, but I know others who charge through what I consider to be near impossible visual conditions without any apparent care. I know that some of these have the skill to react to whatever they feel under their skis, whether they can see it not. But others genuinely seem to able to see more than I can.
I also know someone who stopped skiing after having laser eye surgery, as they reported they had lost enough contrast to make them lose their enjoyment of skiing at speed.
I favour Oakley Hi-Yellow lenses for low light / whiteout / snow etc. But they really are a one trick pony type of lens, being far to bright if the conditions improve. I know that Smith sensor lenses also have many followers.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| PowderAdict wrote: |
| .. I also know someone who stopped skiing after having laser eye surgery, as they reported they had lost enough contrast to make them lose their enjoyment of skiing at speed.... |
I think they may have had the cheap stuff done. I had the most expensive I could find (I only have the two eyes...) and I have no issue there. I can ride in poor viz but it depends a lot on what you're riding and where: a white-out is a white out, but mostly I'd be in the trees there, or if it's really bad then perhaps I'd not be out at all - there are other days.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@philwig, I can't comment on the cost, but she was a lifetime skier. She is however retired, so maybe other age related effects were causing an impact as well.
I agree with the inside of a ping pong ball white out, where you have to drag a ski pole to work out if you are still moving.
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Interesting, I turn 50 next April and have noticed that whilst vision generally deteriorates it is in 😜particular, low light vision that goes.
Oh the joys of getting older! Better than the alternative though 😏
I had thought of Laser treatment as well. Maybe they can do a flat light modification on one eye😜
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A friend skis very well and is registered blind. He has an olympic medal for downhill.
Rule 5 is all I can say.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Rule 5 ?
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@Mick8417, click this like - the rules
Its like the snowhead bible
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
A friend skis very well and is registered blind. He has an olympic medal for downhill.
Rule 5 is all I can say. |
I've got a tufty club badge which trumps that.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@under a new name, We are already following Rule 12, by being out in the first place, is that any mitigation, or does Rule 5 override everything else 
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@Mick8417, I agree, low light makes poor vision worse. Nothing to do with age, but I am pretty short-sighted, and it's much worse in low light. Driving at dusk is very difficult even with glasses on.
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You know it makes sense.
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TOH and I, @Mick8417, use Smith IO goggle, which we find most excellent. In crap light the Blue Sensor works at least as well or better than anything else either of us has used.
And we have used a lot.
Although having said that I have a pair of Bolles with a gold lens that might actually be better in really crap light.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Oops, just realised my Oakley were Hi Yellow too, not Persimmon.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| PowderAdict wrote: |
| @philwig, I can't comment on the cost, but she was a lifetime skier. She is however retired, so maybe other age related effects were causing an impact as well.. .. |
Sorry - I think that sounded harsher than I wanted it to. I meant: that's not a necessary consequence of corrective surgery, from my experience, but it's not a procedure without risk.
I haven't noticed age doing much to my low light vision, although I used contact lens for 30 years prior to this and spent a lot of time in caves so perhaps I'm used to poor light.
On the OP: in my humble opinion you need goggles for low light / poor conditions, although they tend to help in all conditions if you ride fast or in the cold. The problem used to be that what you need for bright days and low-vis days were different, but now you can get good photochromics (which I use), or goggles with two lenses, both of which fix that and save carrying the other pair with you all the time. Usually some flavour of orange/ yellow seems to work best, but I don't think the precise version matters that much. You can read transmission values and stuff, but you don't need anything hugely fancy, they all work.
In a true white-out the best you can do is to use tricks to get about - so stay in the trees, where it's better and the trees themselves give you a visual reference. Other aids are piste markers and even other people. But no one can see in a true white out: it's a white out. When it's not that bad, I still don't like riding in poor visibility: it's more of a survival game than fun, I can't let it rip because my technique for that relies too much on vision: I need to see what's coming.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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sometimes the flat light is so bad nothing really helps...
but I can recommend the Smith Red Sensor lens - happily used it for sunny days through to night skiing under floodlights. Like most modern goggles the lens can always be swapped out if you have especially sensitive eyes on a blue sky sunny day on a glacier... but it worked well for me with good contrast without grossly distorting colours as some lens colours can do.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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What @philwig, said.
The IOs have easily switched lenses. I have blue sensors for poor light and something darker for sunny days. The Mrs has what they call "blackout" for sunny days but I havent felt that necessary yet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I found I was skiing a lot with my goggles up on my helmet, so I bought a totally clear lens. It is a bit of a pain to change lenses though. Now I have a new pair of goggles, I plan to have the other pair in my rucksack and swap when needed
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I got a paid of Slokker goggles in italy last year. They work great for those conditions and if the sun suddenly pops out they automatically darken down. Saves me changing lenses even though i fancie the oakley airbrakes as i like the idea of changing lenses, feels like a cool gadget.
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I have struggled for years to find goggles which give me visibility of the snow underfoot/ski/board. Many different pairs/colours bought, carried and worn. Last year I finally splashed out on a pair of Oakley Prism (I think) ones. Cost a pretty penny but worth it - wow, they are fantastic in flat light. Even fit my small face, too.
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I've always been of the opinion that while a good yellow lens may help a bit, all it does is turn a day with truly terrible viz into one with moderately terrible viz.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Acacia wrote: |
I hate flat light. I use Oakley HI Yellow. Not cheap, but good.
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+1
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| Acacia wrote: |
I hate flat light. I use Oakley HI Yellow. Not cheap, but good.
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+1
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've got POC cornea goggles. Blue for normal use and yellow for low light. Really cant fault them
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| philwig wrote: |
| PowderAdict wrote: |
| .. I also know someone who stopped skiing after having laser eye surgery, as they reported they had lost enough contrast to make them lose their enjoyment of skiing at speed.... |
I think they may have had the cheap stuff done. I had the most expensive I could find (I only have the two eyes...) and I have no issue there. I can ride in poor viz but it depends a lot on what you're riding and where: a white-out is a white out, but mostly I'd be in the trees there, or if it's really bad then perhaps I'd not be out at all - there are other days. |
Agreed, was zapped 10 years ago and no problems, as to goggles I just use yellow lenses, either some that came in the Decathlon bargain Head Horizon Race pack last year of a pair of cheap no brand ones I picked up somewhere in the mountains.
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Just to get back to the OP's original question - I think it depends on what you want out of your goggles. You can get loads of "S1" goggles of various types and densities of yellow, orange, pink or light grey tints, and to varying degrees (according to the light, conditions and your personal preference/eyes) they will help with actually being able to see forwards in low light, low vis, cloud etc.
I can't get on with yellow or orange at all, and favour light pinky or light bluey grey - but most (at least cheaper end) low light goggles do seem to be orange/yellow tints. My Oakleys are also a mild pinky tint.
For seeing the actual conditons and detail underfoot and around (i.e. the snow detail), however, I think that you really need polarising lenses: and they will be more expensive. To my mind they're worth it, whatever colour you find that you like.
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You know it makes sense.
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Definitely useful to have the goggles during poor visibility. I bought mine at the ski resort (we were in Flaine that year) and found it an enormous difference, as did the missus and daughter - before anyone says it, yes, we had a pair each  . Didn't find prices overly expensive compared to the speciality shops that we have here. Mine was a Bolle (sorry can't recall the model). They are still in the loft awaiting to be packed into suitcases for a trip to Tignes in January (although I'm hoping for sunshine)!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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In North America at least you can usually find bins full of "last seasons" goggles for half price or less. They're a fashion item.
You can pay a lot in the UK, most other places seem cheaper and they tend to have more choice.
Worth astronomical prices? No, in my view. If you want this year's model and a specific brand which is heavily marketed or in vogue then you will pay extra for that.
I wouldn't personally buy "no brand" goggles, because I suspect you may not get basic stuff (like double-glazed optically reasonable lenses), but there are a lot of brands (from Anon to Zeal...) and they're pretty much all the same, branding and gizmos aside. I have no idea what goggles other people I ride with use.. I've never had a pair which don't work, can't say I've noticed much difference in brands. I have no loyalty there. They're probably all made in the same factory.
If I was poor I'd buy a pair with clip-in lenses so I can use the one pair in bright and dim light. If you're richer then one pair of photochromics cost more but are less hassle. You can buy them with fans in but I've had those (they're given to me..) and I never used the fan.
Once you get 'em, just be careful about how you wipe them and when - read da manual.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone tried the Oakley Prizms? I'm hearing good things about them but don't know anyone personally who has tried them yet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For Goggles I would choose the Oakley Perisommon or a bit cheaper Dragon do a blue lense which is pretty good in low light.
But neither of these lenses are the cool look of mirror type lenses.
For Sunglasses if you can find a pair of Japanese made "Sun Clouds" they are a pink lenses and give very good definition. I think they went out of business a few years ago.
What are pretty good is a pair of Serengeti sunglasses equipped with "Sedona" lenses.
but dont get carried away ... flat light is flat light, perhaps in the future we could have some radar goggles.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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For Goggles I would choose the Oakley Perisommon or a bit cheaper Dragon do a blue lense which is pretty good in low light.
But neither of these lenses are the cool look of mirror type lenses.
For Sunglasses if you can find a pair of Japanese made "Sun Clouds" they are a pink lenses and give very good definition. I think they went out of business a few years ago.
What are pretty good is a pair of Serengeti sunglasses equipped with "Sedona" lenses.
but dont get carried away ... flat light is flat light, perhaps in the future we could have some radar goggles.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@MayaL, I had 4 weeks using Prizms last season. I'm not sure they are the game changer that Oakley marketing claimed, but I definitely thought they found more contrast than the previous lens range, and each lens covers a wider range of conditions. However, the Rose Prizm is not as good as the non-Prizm Hi-Yellow, in snow / fog / really flat light.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| MayaL wrote: |
| Has anyone tried the Oakley Prizms? I'm hearing good things about them but don't know anyone personally who has tried them yet. |
As I posted earlier I bought a pair last year and found them to be a huge improvement over any which I'd bought in UK and European shops for what I thought was sensible prices. Don't normally like spending on flash named brands, but in this case it really was worth it just to have the contrast and definition. Can't compare them with other makes or higher-cost/quality stuff as it's the only pair wich I've ever had, but to me (recreational skier/boarder) they're a real help.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The best pair I've had are the hi yellow from Oakley. However, for really low light skiing i.e. night skiing I use clear lenses which are damn cheap.
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I tried a new pair of Rose Prizm lenses today in flat light when snowing and was pleased with the contrast etc. I like the way certain colours really pop out and the contrast of the snow contours is useful.
When taking them off at lunchtime the whole world looked so dull and grey compared to when wearing the goggles
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