Which lens color is best for freshwater & which frame style are you using?  Do mirrored lens help or make a difference for fishing?

How much better are they for fishing versus Maui Jims, Oakleys, Smith Optics, & Solar Bats?

Maui Jims are the only other one you listed that can compete when it comes to lenses quality.  And I think ray ban is next in line.

Mirrored lenses just reduce the light passing to your eye more then standard tint. It further darkens what you see.  I don't find them necessary for fresh water.  If i was on the ocean for 8 hours at a time then yes I would probably get the mirrored lenses.

Although there are color charts for which colored lens is best for witch situation I prefer the standard grey.  It distorts the colors of what you see the least.

http://www.costadelmar.com/ourJourney/technology.cfm

Glass lenses are more scratch resistant than plastic.  Unless you have the habit of stepping on glasses you will always scratch them long before you break them.

I have the Fathom Sunglasses black frame with grey glass wave 580 lenses.  Best glasses I have ever owned.  Just not the most stylish.  Very comfortable.  Slightly heavier then plastic lenses.

I have the Fathom model with vermillion lenses.  I freakin' love these things to death.

Anything made by Luxottica should have really good polarized lenses. They happen to be one of the biggest producers of sunglasses in the world. Just a few of their brands are Arnette, Revo, RayBan, etc. Personally I have two pairs of Arnettes, and I like their polarized lenses much better than my Oakleys. I had the Oakleys for about a week before returning them, whereas I haven't returned either pair of Arnettes. That was before Luxottica bought Oakley though, so they might be better now.

When it comes to glasses for fishing, I say just go with a decent pair of polarized glasses that fits you well and that you can wear comfortably while fishing.

Oh, and I returned the Oakleys because I didn't think they were worth the price, not because I thought they were bad.

I like Oakley, Ive noticed that different tints work better on different waters.

I have the Fluids (interchangeable) and every single lens they make for them.  If I had to pick ONE lens (strictly for fishing and driving) it would be the Vermillion.  It's the best all around for low light as well as bright light.  I do however like the Sunrise and Amber slightly more for sight fishing.

I also had a pair of Turbines with the Blue Mirrored lens and it was a bit too dark for my taste in low light conditions.  The best for bright conditions though IMO.

I have the Fathoms in blue mirror and i agree with KU, they are great for really bright days but tend to be too dark for overcast, early AM or evening times.  I have tried the Vermillion lenses and they will definitely be my next choice.  I am going to get som interchangeable ones this summer.

By the way, the customer service at Costa is second to none.  they have a 7 day turn around time from when the get the glasses to when they send the back to you, which is nice, you don't have to wait weeks to get your favorite shades back.

I have the tropic stars and agree with ku, the vermillion are a sweet all around lense as are their amber ones.

my first pair broke inside their case, in my jacket breast pocket after only 3 days of use. I had only owned them for 3 weeks and didn't mistreat them at all. they still charged me $50 for frames. i thought that was BS.

so i think that customer service and frame waulity are in question, but they are hands down the best lenses I have ever looked through.

I have the filaments with the amber lens. I really love the the frameless model. They are so light weight it seems like you're not wearing anything. I have had to return two pair due to stress fractures in the lens but that's the price you pay for not having frames around the lens. Both times they were replaced no question asked. Awesome shades.

my first pair broke inside their case, in my jacket breast pocket after only 3 days of use. I had only owned them for 3 weeks and didn't mistreat them at all. they still charged me $50 for frames. i thought that was BS.

that sounds like BS to me too.  its a LIfe Time Warrenty.

http://www.costadelmar.com/aidStation/careRepair.cfm