Gear Review: Costa Jose PRO

WHAT IS IT?

Costa Jose PRO

WHAT SETS IT APART?

Costa’s best-selling Jose frame is rebuilt with six upgrades from its PRO Series to create the ultimate eyewear for anglers. 

  • Eyewire drains help keep sweat and water from pooling inside the frame.
  • Sweat management channels move moisture away from the eyes.
  • Improved Hydrolite grip on nose and earpieces keep frames locked in place, especially when wet.
  • Fully-adjustable and ventilated nose pads offer a customizable fit and reduce fogging.
  • Metal keeper slots prevent frames from going overboard.
  • Hooding and side shields prevent light from leaking in.

The frames have Costa’s polarized color-enhancing premium 580 Glass lens technology that absorb 100% of UV light for next-level clarity. You can see the difference especially in shallow-water angling scenarios with the glare-cutting lens technology. A C-Wall coating provides extra scratch-resistance with a barrier that repels water, oil and sweat for easier cleaning. Frames: Midnight Blue or Matte Black. Available with Rx lenses. 

HOW DO I USE IT?

Costa didn’t build in five lens colors just for choosing the coolest style for your Costa JOSE frames. Rather, each color is for a specific light and fishing situation, as a testimony to Costa’s commitment to provide the best light-control solution so you can see habitat and fish with greater clarity, while reducing eye fatigue and damage from harmful UV light.  

  • Blue Mirror Polarized Glass: Very bright sun; offshore fishing
  • Copper Silver Mirror Polarized Glass: Variable light; sight fishing
  • Gray Polarized Glass: Very bright sun; offshore fishing
  • Green Mirror Polarized Glass: Variable light; sight fishing
  • Sunrise Silver Mirror Polarized Glass: Low light; sunrise/sunset fishing

Costa’s frames are designed to fit specific face sizes, yet another standout feature and benefit. You get the perfect fit from the frame that enhances the six PRO features listed above. Find out how the Jose PRO frames fit you in the size and fit guide located in the link below. 

HOW MUCH?

$264-$284

MORE INFORMATION: 

Costadelmar.com

ANGLER’S INSIGHT:

The Jose PRO is named in honor of Jose Wejebe, one of the first to join Costa’s pro staff, who broke barriers in the angling community. Wejebe advanced light tackle angling, and he used his award-winning TV shows to advocate resource conservation and promote angling worldwide to all. 

What’s most impressive to me about the Jose PRO frames are how the six technical features are designed to work together to offset the nuances of wearing sunglasses in a boat. As anglers, we are all familiar with how sun glare, sweat, water splash and sticky air can fog lenses, hamper vision and keep frames from staying in place while fighting fish and running in the chop. 

What’s most noticeable to me is the beefed up Hydrolite in the nose and ear pieces. The enhanced Hydrolite in the nose piece is fully adjustable, and I tried it out, to fine tune fit based on the conditions. I’m biased about Hydrolite, as my everyday prescription glasses with Hydrolite are the Costa Ocean Ridge 410, so I feel the advantages of that technology all day. 

And take a look at the extended Hydrolite in the ear piece. Think sweat rolling down the sides of your face, and how that can make ordinary frames slippery (and possibly fall off). 

I switched out other sunglasses just to test the effectiveness of the hooding and side shields. Sure enough, the Jose PRO forms a goggle-like (but comfortable) seal around the face that keeps light out for remarkably glare-free, crystal-clear vision. 

Finally, think of the Jose PRO as an investment that you’ll wear for years to come. Professional saltwater captains who helped designed them asked for, and received, metal keeper slots in the ear pieces for a Costa Loop Retainer. It’s also handy when wearing them on shore. Your favorite pair of sunglasses will be hanging around the neck, always ready to wear for the ultimate Costa Jose PRO-formance.