many people are now wearing sunglasses throughout the year. Faced with repeated warnings about the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, the focus has turned from fashion to protection. According to Hubert Watlington, owner of Sail On, the change which has taken place in Bermuda is part of a worldwide trend. "What's happening worldwide is that the ozone layer is being depleted and people are beginning to realise that it's very wise to wear sunglasses to defend against cataracts and various other eye problems. Some people do wear them for fashion, but even fashion sunglasses give good protection.'' That message was also expressed by Paul Galastian, an optometrist at New York City's Ophthalmic Consultants. "If ultraviolet rays hit the eyes a lot, it increases the chance of cataracts and retinal damage,'' the doctor explained.

"We're seeing more and more cataracts, and not wearing sunglasses is one of the main causes.'' Repeated and prolonged exposure to the sun can also cause pterygium, he added, an ailment where the white of the eye develops a callus.

"It's more common in people nearer to the Equator, but even up North we're seeing more of it because of ozone depletion.'' Sunglasses today, can be fitted with prescriptions. And unlike those of yesteryear, it's possible to see even the finest of detail while wearing them with new styles claiming to make one's vision even clearer. "Each brand touts a different type of technology, lens colour or frame style, but they are all trying to accomplish the same things;'' said Dr. Galastian, "less glare, more depth perception and less distortion.'' Such features are especially important in Bermuda as they are especially helpful to our many sailors, fishermen and boat operators. "If you're looking for protection against glare -- especially if you're a boat operator, a sailor, or a fisherman, you might want to choose a polarised lens,'' said Mr. Watlington. "They will cut through glare on the water and allow you to see the reefs, they'll allow you to see the fish you're catching and to see other boats on the water. "At Sail On, we have a new wrap-around design which literally wraps around the eye, giving complete protection against UVA and UVB rays of the sun; the two rays which are damaging to the eye. Infra-red rays are really just heat rays so they aren't doing the damage that ultra-violet rays are doing. And most of the glasses that we carry will have full protection.'' With sunglasses designed with fashion, pure protection and even for sportsmen, Mr. Watlington suggests one keep two things in mind when buying: that they fit well -- the frames are not too loose, too tight, or short at the ears and that the lens is big enough to protect your eyes; and that you take along a friend to help you choose ones that suit you. Outside of that, he said, his store offers sunglasses which can give the wearer every necessary protection. "We have specialty glasses, such as photochromatic ones which lighten with the dark and darken with the light. They're very good, say if you're driving in the evening, or if you're in any situation where you're going from bright to dark light such as leaving the street to enter a bank, for example. They also look nice and work well with the eye. "There are also polycarbonate lenses which are very good for sports as well as for general use. The polycarbonate lens doesn't shatter. So say you got smacked in the face with a ball, the glass would remain intact. There are some tradeoffs however, they will scratch a little more easily than glass lenses but they are lighter to wear and therefore more comfortable. They're also less expensive, but the optics are not quite as good in some cases as with glass lenses.'' With most of today's manufacturers making good sunglasses, Mr. Watlington said that excellent optic and UV protection can be bought as inexpensively as $60.

"Specialty and photochromatic glasses however cost over $100. Those made by Serengetti and Nikon, for example. Those are on the high end of the scale, and run around $250 to $300. Both these companies are making really interesting glasses; those which are photochromatic and polarised and which cut out all glare and also coat the inside of the glass with a vibrum -- a rubber coating which is extremely scratch resistant. "Maui Jims are the newest polarised glasses we have and maybe the most interesting only because they have a patented lens. It offers triple density which allows anti-glare coating above and below the lens which permits more visible light to enter through the centre. They're also polarised to cut all glare and the inside is coated to stop all back glare -- reflection from the sun into the back of the lens.'' And for the sports enthusiasts, he said, Sail On has a lot of new and extremely good designs from Adidas while Rollerblade has produced ones which come with a hard case you can strap around your waist at a cost of only $69.

Sail On, which incorporates Sunglass Alley, is located in the Old Cellar on Front Street.