Bomber Floating Eye Wear

There is a fair number of sunglasses available from Bomber’s website (here) starting at $16.95, but our sunglass of choice for WATER TESTS was the Bomber Stink Bomb model (at the higher price end of $34.95). As soon as we got our hands on the Bomber “Stink Bomb” model (courtesy of Aloha Boardshop) , a matte black frame pair of sunglasses sporting polarized smoke tinted lenses, we immediately knew that these were not your ordinary pair of glasses. Stink Bombs greet you with a daring bold look and oversized frame, designed to keep your eyes protected as much as possible from the sun’s rays.

We’re not easily impressed with superficial good looks or mere aesthetics when it comes to surf wear, but the very flexible frame does fit most face sizes … allowing for comfortable all day use. The  light, wrap around design provides good wind protection. Additionally, the sunglasses claim to block out 100% of harmful UVA and UVB rays while providing the wearer with a clear view via polarized lenses – although it is fair to note that these features have become a standard for most higher end sportswear sunglasses.

THE FRAMEWORK TEST: What immediately stands out about Bomber Floating glasses is the inclusion of patented foam rubber linings along the arms and spectacle corners (foam shown in light cream and dark brown on our test model). Unlike other “buoyant” glasses – which use hollow frames or inserts for float-ability - the foam linings on the Bombers also double as dampening bumpers, useful for reducing friction contact for the wearer … less chafing and skin irritation!

The Stink Bomb frames are very flexible, allowing for an unbelievable range of movement when taking the glasses off, or putting them on. The snug but comfy fit prevents the glasses from blowing off while surfing (or windsurfing) … while the same flexibility also allows for a better fit for the wearer, which extends the wearability of the glasses, a definite plus when going from land to water, and back to land again!

BETTER HALLWAY VISION? The polarized lenses on the Stink Bombs are quite effective in reducing glare and blinding light sources, allowing for better vision whether you are walking down the street or surfing the pounding waves of the North Shore. Much like other polarized sunglasses, there is always a “give and take” when using them – the lenses provides a clear image BUT also reduces some of the wearer’s ability to read subtleties on the water surface, so reading waves from a distance or from differing angles may take some getting used to.

WATER TESTS: The bottom line is that Stink Bombs do float in water, thanks to the foam inserts! During our first paddle out, we gingerly tossed the glasses into the water just to see how well the buoyancy claims held up … and in a matter of seconds the glasses floated up to the surface without any problems. Admittedly, we did this in shallow enough waters so that we could retrieve them just in case they didn’t float … but our worries turned out to be (thankfully) unfounded!

With much confidence in the floatation ability of the Stink Bombs, we paddled out into the head high surf for surf testing.

The wrap around design of the glasses coupled with the snug fit held up well during moderate duck diving on the shortboard, while the longboard tests found that the glasses stayed put while busting through waves, even with the most frothy of white wash. The lenses did not suffer from fogging up like most sunglasses we have typically worn out to surf, and with the aid of some diving lens solution the water beaded off the lenses quite nicely.

We opted to test the glasses without the use of brightly colored tethering devices like croakies, in order to get the full effect of wearing Stink Bombs naturally … and found that the stylish colors of the sunglasses made it difficult to find in the open ocean. Once the glasses drop in moving water, just barely below the surface of the ocean, the glasses were difficult to make out due to the dark color of the frames. Additionally, when we tested the glasses in moving surf, the force of the churning waters mixed with the white wash that directly follows the surf made the Stink Bombs difficult to retrieve immediately.

Out testers found that the glasses took an average of five seconds to float back up to the surface … which would normally be an acceptable time frame. While surfing however, once the glasses fell into the moving water, the constant churning of the water held the glasses down much longer than it took us to easily retrieve them. The glasses did float back to surface as the manufacturers claim, but the glasses were almost always twenty to thirty feet away from where our testers initially (and purposely) fell off their surfboards. And remember how difficult the glasses were to find in the open ocean due to the dark (and yet stylish) coloring? Our advice is to use some form of tethering string or device in order to save you the hassle of lengthy retrievals! Yes, the glasses do float back to the surface, but having to retrieve them from 20 to 30 feet away every so often can dampen your surf session … think of them as a leash for your glasses!

iJS SURF NOTE: During our subsequent test, we found that wearing sunglass leashes made for a more enjoyable surf session … and the foam inserts on the stems bounced back easily after having been underneath the croakies for several hours and a few long session!

THE VERDICT: Stink Bombs by Bomber are exactly what they claim to be … stylish, comfortable, and floaty! There is no doubt that they are a great deal (starting at price of 16.95) for nice looking glasses that provide UVA and UVB protection, polarized lenses, AND the additional bonus of floating in water.

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Hand-made in Hawaii, the Pickle is advertised as an environmentally friendly wax remover that uses 100% recycled ingredients. Using the specially formulated contents of the little green bag and some good old fashioned elbow grease, some simple rubbing gets your surfboard clean and free of old wax … ready for reapplication or the occasional repair.

The Pickle does not preclude wax scraping – you still have to scrape the excess wax off your stick, which is why the Pickle comes with its very on wax comb. After most of the wax is removed, it is the Pickle’s job to get your stick back to the smooth, shiny, and clean glassed surface. We liked being able to take all the wax off the surfboard for damage inspection, spotting spider cracks and small nicks that would have otherwise gone undetected as it stayed camouflaged by old wax.

The best aspect of the Pickle is that it uses to liquids or chemicals to clean your board, a definite plus for reducing the mess and the fuss. That being said, it is still best and recommended that you Pickle your board outside where there is plenty of fresh air available … as the Pickle does produce some chunky powder-like residue as it cleans your board. Recycled ingredients or not, you still should seep up the powdery-wax residue that is the result of a clean surf stick.

For our test with the Pickle we used an often used, never completely cleaned or unwaxed since it left the store 9’2″longboard. Set on some old saw horses outside (where we received some unwanted attention from office mates) we went to work on using the comb included with the Pickle kit. We immediately saw how difficult this task was going to be with the flex comb included, and we struggled to get the wax off this nose-to-tail,rail-to-tail wax-covered board. A quick run to the hardware store for a plastic scraper (for 90 cents!) and we were off and running, getting most of the chunked-on wax off the board in only 2 Jack Johnson songs in the iPod.

Holding the pickle in your hand is much like holding a silk nylon stocking filled with sawdust … pliable and almost like a green sea cucumber doubling as a hackey sack. It will take a lot of rubbing and some pressure to get the remaining wax off any board, and our board was no exception!

A constant turning of the Pickle was a definite must, allowing the contents of the bag to do its job as the wax rubs and mixes with the contents and scrapes it off the surfboard surface. If you are sensitive to dust and/or powder residue, make sure that you wear a breath mask or some form of nasal/mouth covering to prevent inhalation of the wax/powder mixture!

The Verdict: The pickle does what it claims to do, which is provide a clean and wax free surfboard, of course always with a lot of help from your own muscles and some good prep work.

Surfers can take some time and wax their board ahead of time instead of begging for wax at the beach (see Matuna’s Wax article) , get a decent wax job from a clean board, and even help maintain the environment by using a “green” product.

Vertra Sun Resistant Foundation

This sunblock comes in a foundation stick that is easily applied to the skin. Colours include Kona Gold, Tinted and Translucent; I prefer the Translucent. Simply remove the cover, slide across the skin and then rub to blend in. It goes on white but blends into your skin when rubbed in. When I get in the water it does not bleed into my eyes or mouth like some other sunblocks do. In fact, I can still feel it on my skin when I get out of the water. It is very water resistant and requires soap to remove it completely. If I leave it on my skin all day without washing it off with soap I will break out slightly.

I put it to the test one day. I usually surf in the early morning hours to avoid crowds, the sun, and to start my day off right. One day, we decided to surf out in Ewa Beach at Haubush at 2pm. The hot afternoon sun beat down on me from above and reflected off of the blue ocean and my white board straight up to my face. Prior to paddling out I put the Vertra Sun Resistant Foundation on my face. Admittedly I put more on than I normally do for a morning session. After 2 hours in the water, I paddled in. I was not burnt, not even red or pink from the sun. I washed off the sunblock with soap and my face was the same colour it was before I paddled out. From that point on I was a believer in Vertra!

Vertra Elemental Resistance was created in 2004 and their primary goal is to raise awareness about skincare by creating a product that possessed quality, innovation and style. To aide in accomplishing this goal Vertra turned to the Skincare Foundation who has the highest criteria for sun and skincare products. Vertra also has the endorsement of the Skincare Foundation and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association.

If you would like to try Vertra it can be purchased online through their website or at many local surf shops throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Vertra is not cheap like some of the other brands available at your local Longs, however if you are seriously concerned about your skin, it is worth every penny! As someone who has not always taken care of their skin, I can only say, I wish I had found this earlier! If any of you use this product let us know what you think too!