www.PirateLifestyle.com Quickie for the all NEW Pirate Lifestyle TV Show. Why do pirates wear eye patches? Please visit http and thank you for suggesting this topic. Why do you think pirates wear eye patches? I bet you think it is because they lost an eye, maybe due to a cutlass during battle. Nope. Interestingly, they wear eye patches to improve their vision. What am I talking about? Well, I’m sure you are aware of day vision and night vision. You have probably heard of rods and cones, and how the eye adapts from bright light during the day to dimmer light in the evening. The problem is the human eye adjusts to low light conditions very slowly. It takes 20 to 30 minutes for the eye to adjust to night vision. Interestingly, it only takes a few seconds to lose night vision. Luckily night vision is independent in each eye. With bright light shining in one eye, the other eye will retain is night vision if protected from light. Back to pirates and eye patches. On the deck of the vessel out on the ocean it was very bright with the sun shining and reflecting off the ocean water. Inside a vessel it was very dark, due to little or no light. So they wore a patch on one eye outside, and when they went below they switched the patch to the other eye. How can you use this pirate eye patch information? When driving at night, maybe on a dark road, when a car approaches you, close one eye to protect your night vision.
16. February 2011 at 4:35 pm
@TexasHighDef Ahoy Texas, a humble pirate thank you for suggesting the topic.
16. February 2011 at 4:37 pm
@stinger3108 I’m glad I learned you something! LOL
16. February 2011 at 4:38 pm
@kodakZX1 Thank you. Keep the air moving around. We do use a dehumidifier whenever possible.
16. February 2011 at 4:50 pm
and when skulking about at night planting high explosives on enemy ships…just before tetching off the boom boom they would switch the patch to the other eye har har!
(beware the night driving tip…depth perception goes to hell when switching from two eyes to one…;-)
Mtn Jim
16. February 2011 at 5:10 pm
@MrYakrider Aye Jim. To be clear, I am suggesting momentarily closing one eye. NOT driving with one eye closed. Airplane pilots use this technique when night flying and they need to light up the cockpit. Definitely be safe!
16. February 2011 at 6:25 pm
Wow, thanks.. I learned something new. I thought it was also to improve their accuracy with pistols other than losing an eye.
16. February 2011 at 6:40 pm
its good 2 learn because knowledge is power
16. February 2011 at 6:54 pm
@Yago174 Aye, knowledge is the currency of the future!
16. February 2011 at 6:57 pm
@CeaseTheLife I’m sure there could be more than one reason. The “inside-boat-vision” is the most known reason.
16. February 2011 at 7:23 pm
Learn something new everyday. Thats interesting.
16. February 2011 at 9:47 pm
good video sir! were there ever any real female pirates?
16. February 2011 at 9:58 pm
@Mrcodgerneighborhood Aye! There were real female pirates. Google “Cheng I Sao” and read about one of the most successful pirates of all time.
16. February 2011 at 10:30 pm
New information for me to learn
Have a nice day ^_^
17. February 2011 at 1:28 am
That was awsome! I love knowing little things that most people don’t think about. Like the origins of “giving the middle finger”. Look it up, it’s pretty funny.
17. February 2011 at 2:08 am
True enough, Captain! :p
17. February 2011 at 3:06 am
who knew?
17. February 2011 at 10:30 am
i have been told that wearing sunglasses at night helps / you can also use snow blind gogles during the day and take them off at nite
17. February 2011 at 2:27 pm
@ernest302 I have never heard of the sunglasses or snow goggles. Thanks!
17. February 2011 at 2:28 pm
@trtoy63 I will look it up. Thanks!!
17. February 2011 at 2:53 pm
Mythbusters did a whole pirate show, and it was hilarious.
17. February 2011 at 3:07 pm
@entmage I love Mythbusters! What a great show. But I missed that one. Arrrrr.
21. February 2011 at 6:16 pm
arrr now all landlubbers will know of the awesome powers of pirates!