Carson 3D waterproof binoculars

Author: josh

Category: Equipment, rigging & preparation

Created on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 19:20

Written by Josh

Not all that long ago I uninstalled my Lowrance HDS5 sounder from my kayak as it simply stopped working and sent it back to Lowrance under warranty, who soon after sent a brand new replacement. Once returned I really wasn't terribly keen on re installing it, mainly because my kayak is busy enough as it is and I've been taking every opportunity to reduce weight and clutter. The other reason I wasn't so enthused about putting it back in is that truth be known, I never did get a whole lot of use out of it. Unlike a lot of fishos, I'm not quite as interested in whats lurking down the bottom and am in fact usually more interested in whats going on near the surface - especially if I'm chasing pelagic species, which is most often the case. 

Signs of fish activity comes in several ways; shimmering on the surface is often an indication of a school of bait fish. Fish boil ups are even more obvious and excitable birds flying overhead - especially if dive-bombing - another sure sign. There are days where these signs are few and far between but that is often due to the fact that you're just not close enough to see it. To get around this I have been using magnified optics to scan further than the naked eye can see and this has led me to fish on many occasions. 

I've tried several binoculars in the past as well as a pretty cute monocular, though neither have been ideal. The Plastimo waterproof binocs I was using last year turned out to not be all that waterproof, not to mention a tad bulky, and the much smaller Carson monocular turned out to be slightly under-powered at times. With another kayak fishing expedition to Fraser island just a few weeks away, now seemed like a good time to equip myself with a better solution. 

Obviously, one of the main characteristic requisites for open water kayak fishing is to be waterproof. Another is quality - poor optics are exactly that, and would end up in landfill in no time at all. Optimal low-light performance can be mandatory at times, so a reasonable lens width would be required (say, 42mm). And the magnification would have to be enough so that I could clearly see further than naked eyes could manage, without being so high that it would be difficult to keep them steady enough to make anything out. I've figured that an 8x magnification would suit best for my needs. 7 isn't quite cutting it, and 10 can be a little too shaky, especially in choppy water. 

After looking around and putting in the research to find a good 'performance-per-dollar' contender I arrived at the Carson 3D Waterproof range. Low and behold, they have a model that matched my requisites exactly: the TD 842. 8 x 42 specified, rubber coated and waterproof without being too big and bulky, these should be pretty much perfect. The retail for around the $400 mark, so not cheap, but nor expensive (by binocular standards). These are going to get a hell of a lot of use over the coming summer, particularly at Fraser Island as I scan the seas looking for signs of the elusive longtail. I'll write up a full review upon my return.