Our Story

Ocean Eyes didn’t start in a boardroom—it started on the beach, decades ago.

I’ve always been someone who liked building and creating things. Back in the day, I shaped surfboards, designed kayaks, and spent as much time as possible surfing, fishing, and living the outdoor lifestyle that inspired everything we do today.

Back in the late 1960s through the early ’90s, I owned and operated Resin Craft in Jupiter, Florida, one of the first surf shops in the area. Like many shops at the time, we always had racks of polarized sunglasses in the store. Over the years, new brands came along—each one more expensive than the last—but I never really saw a difference in quality that justified the rising prices.That stuck with me.

In 1996, while helping our family grow the Ocean Potion sun care business alongside my brother and family, my wife Karen and I saw an opportunity. People needed sunglasses that truly matched the lifestyle—something dependable, well-made, and built for life in the sun without the premium price. So we decided to create our own.

That’s how Ocean Eyes began.

As the brand grew, we invested in our own molds and began building our own line. With the help of my brother, I traveled overseas to personally build relationships with our manufacturers—partnerships that are still a cornerstone of who we are today.

Over the years, our partner Keith Sutcliffe has become an important part of the company. His family has been in the optical business in our hometown since the 1950s, and his deep understanding of lenses, fit, and optical craftsmanship has helped elevate what we’re able to offer while staying true to what the brand was built on.

Even as we’ve grown, we’ve stayed true to our roots—hands-on, thoughtful, and focused on doing things the right way. We’re a small company by choice. We’re not chasing the feel of a big corporation. We believe in keeping things personal, honest, and real.

Because to us, low-key is the only key.