DYE Precision

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DYE INVISION PREVIEW
by Bill Mills
March 2001

Options, Options, Options, that's what players are getting when it comes to goggle systems designed for paintball.  DYE Precision (Dave Youngblood Enterprises) is a solid name in paintball apparel, barrels, packs and accessories.  DYE is now expanding into eye and face protection with the Invision goggle system.

During the 2001 NPPL Los Angeles Open, DYE sponsored teams were offered a sneak preview and a chance to provide feedback on the new goggle scheduled for release later this year. 

Invision is based around a molded polycarbonate lens that is curved both vertically and horizontally for excellent optical qualities.  While vertically curved lenses are not new to the sport, a dual pane thermal inner lense that fits the curve is.  DYE Invision is the first goggle to combine these two features.  The Invision is planned to be offered in both a single and thermal version.

The goggle design places the lens extremely close to the face.  In addition to the the clarity and wide field of vision both vertically and horizontally accorded by the lens shape, the reduced area on the goggle sides and ceiling reduces reflections of light through vent holes when used without a visor. 

"The Invision goggle is really designed from the pro approach to an eye protection product line," said DYE owner Dave Youngblood in a PigTV interview.  "It's designed with pro thinking in mind, professional paintball playing in mind."

The mask is produced in a co-molding process.  Translucent vent pieces are molded into the main body of the mask.  Both the mask, and lenses are being developed in a wide variety of colors, from bright to earth tone, and include options like gradient tinted lenses which offer more glare reduction at the top, and better optical transmission at the bottom, much like tinted automobile windshields.

The overall mask shape fits very close to the face, reducing target area for players who are tight to the edge of a bunker, or reducing the risk of snagging on underbrush for crawlers.  The mask material is rigid enough to provide protection, but flexible enough to mold to the face for a comfortable fit.

"We wanted to design a goggle system that would have all of the peripheral vision, vertically and horizontally, that a pro paintball player would want, but yet we didn't want it to be cumbersome," said Youngblood.  "We wanted it to be really low profile, something that didn't feel like you were wearing a goggle when you were wearing it."  The drive for low profile came from players using other goggle systems complaining that they did not like the bulk traditionally associated with high visibility.

The Invision mask is still undergoing final design refinement and independent lab certification to ensure that it meets the ASTM standards for paintball use before release on the market, which is expected in late spring of 2001.
 

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