Glove promo is over/post reviews here

[Clammy]

I know you have been watching Marian and I dive!

I will try them this weekend if they arrive today. And Yes, I almost never dive without the video camera and am interested if they will hinder the operation. However, there are times when a slight hand flick aids in keeping the camera still and on subject (without resorting to grabbing something), so maybe these will help me, maybe not - I'll let you know.

All this other nonsense about if you use your hands you must not be a good diver business is silly and cracks me up.

Pua ha ha, I guess the someone part works for you! I dunno why I put someone rather than something... although... I'm going to be diving in Bermuda this weekend on a trip with my g/f so maybe THAT'S why! I"ll definitely be trying the gloves out when we snorkel and swim.

I don't think it's nonsense that if you MUST use your hands, you may possibly be a bad diver. You should be able to do all the maneuvers with your fins (on your feet) without using your hands in the event that you are holding something (or someone)! Such as a reel, camera, camcorder, your SO, a buddy, bottle, etc etc. If you are unable to, then the skill hasn't been developed. If you want to use your hands, I don't have a problem with it as long as you are able to do with your feet as well. And if you can, then you don't really need to use your hands! If you can't, then I think it should be a point to work on. That's my opinion and style though. Always practice practice practice and get better!

I've seen you in the water and I don't think you have to use your hands even if you do. I've seen you dive with that monster camera rig as well as and I know you can do whatever with your fins.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I don't think it's nonsense that if you MUST use your hands, you may possibly be a bad diver. You should be able to do all the maneuvers with your fins (on your feet)

This I respectfully disagree with. I am sure now everybody will join in and say how THEY teach their students everything, but I was NOT TAUGHT the 5 kicks. As I recall the instructor mentioned them however I do not think this is part of your basic OW certification. Therefore, is every new diver a bad diver? I know the quick answer for everybody is yes, but that is a superiority complex showing up. A new diver skulls while they continue to learn after certification. They watch and learn from other divers. Hopefully they learn to dive without their hands however I have been in situations once in a while where I used my hands and I DO NOT consider myself a bad diver.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

Here's the thing....

Does wearing finned gloves MAKE you use your hands? NO.

If I choose to wear finned gloves and don't swim with my hands does that make me a bad diver? NO.

If I'm wearing finned gloves and need to make a minor position adjustment, can I use a small effort with my hans and make that adjustment without being a bad diver? I think so.

I don't hear anyone here saying that every diver should wear darkfin gloves on every dive, that would be rediculous.

What I do see is several people saying that no diver sould ever wear darkfin gloves on any dive which is just as rediculous.

Maybe they will catch-on and maybe not, only time will tell.

If they're not for you then hooray, thanks for your insight, now simply move along.

 

[frankc420]

...

If they're not for you then hooray, thanks for your insight, now simply move along.

I don't understand, why should anyone 'move along'? Should we voice our opinion, good or bad, then not post again? That's what your last sentence implies. Maybe I'm reading it wrong?

 

[Randy43068]

Gladly, but when someone says I'm an arrogant idiot because I don't agree, and takes sideways snipes for expressing a legitimate opinion then most of us, me included, are going to have a few things to say about that. I didn't take the context of this thread to the toilet, Mister DarkFin did.

Here's the thing....

Does wearing finned gloves MAKE you use your hands? NO.

If I choose to wear finned gloves and don't swim with my hands does that make me a bad diver? NO.

If I'm wearing finned gloves and need to make a minor position adjustment, can I use a small effort with my hans and make that adjustment without being a bad diver? I think so.

I don't hear anyone here saying that every diver should wear darkfin gloves on every dive, that would be rediculous.

What I do see is several people saying that no diver sould ever wear darkfin gloves on any dive which is just as rediculous.

Maybe they will catch-on and maybe not, only time will tell.

If they're not for you then hooray, thanks for your insight, now simply move along.

 

[Teamcasa]

Gladly, but when someone says I'm an arrogant idiot because I don't agree, and takes sideways snipes for expressing a legitimate opinion then most of us, me included, are going to have a few things to say about that. I didn't take the context of this thread to the toilet, Mister DarkFin did.

...Anyone with a reasonable mind can look at something and know it's not a good idea. I'm not against a good idea, but sometimes, and this is one of those times, life experience and common sense gives one a hint that something just isn't a good tool for the situation.

So, in your mind, if anyone looks at them thinking they may be something they would like to try then they are of an unreasonable mind?

How is that thinking any different than your above quote?

 

[Clammy]

This I respectfully disagree with. I am sure now everybody will join in and say how THEY teach their students everything, but I was NOT TAUGHT the 5 kicks. As I recall the instructor mentioned them however I do not think this is part of your basic OW certification. Therefore, is every new diver a bad diver? I know the quick answer for everybody is yes, but that is a superiority complex showing up. A new diver skulls while they continue to learn after certification. They watch and learn from other divers. Hopefully they learn to dive without their hands however I have been in situations once in a while where I used my hands and I DO NOT consider myself a bad diver.

I agree with you, I said POSSIBLY a bad diver. My point was more along the lines that we should learn to do it with our feet. A new open water diver doesn't know how to, but they should continue to learn and practice. I only recently started back finning properly and would have to use my hands before. I SUCK at it but I still practice using only my feet while on occasion using my hands if I'm feeling particularly lazy.

Gloves or not, I just think that the feet should be primary.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

Gloves or not, I just think that the feet should be primary.

I agree but it doesn't mean that there aren't times when I could more effectively make a minor adjustment with a slight hand motion than moving a large foot fin. It's just another tool which means another option. The fact that the gloves don't impede my ability to do anything with my hands but do give me an additional option it nice.

I think most accept the BC/BPW as a piece of essential dive gear. It can be (and too often is) misused, over inflated because of overweighted divers, used as an elevator etc. Does this mean the BC is a bad piece of equipment? I don't think so, it just means some divers either don't understand how to use it or simply don't care.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

I don't understand, why should anyone 'move along'? Should we voice our opinion, good or bad, then not post again? That's what your last sentence implies. Maybe I'm reading it wrong?

Gladly, but when someone says I'm an arrogant idiot because I don't agree, and takes sideways snipes for expressing a legitimate opinion then most of us, me included, are going to have a few things to say about that. I didn't take the context of this thread to the toilet, Mister DarkFin did.

You guys came into the thread late and are just the latest to join an on-going dogpile.

Posters who are closed-minded to the idea should move along. Read the thread thereare a few who are here just to be a$$es and knock a product without listening to feedback from those who have actually used it.

Roy has left all of the negative comments standing in this thread instead of having then removed.

Have your say, sure... Repeat the same thing over and over and over, why?

 

[DebbyDiver]

It seems like they would make sense, fish have a tail for locomotion and pectoral fins for precision maneuvers. I've been in a position where I had to use my hands.

On a guided dive when the divemaster is pointing something out everyone is crowded around for a look. When you finish looking you can't be moving your fins around with out kicking someone in the head. Hand finning works to back out and away. I think it would be a great product for people who do a lot of guided dives, where there is a crowd around some unsuspecting toad fish.

Dennis makes a very interesting point. I tried the gloves today for the second time, on two dives of a 3-tank trip.

I am a diver who never uses her arms except for holding a camera, catching a lobster, doing a safety stop on a line in a very heavy current, or getting back on the dive boat. My usual hand position if not carrying camera or ticklestick/net is behind my back under my tank. I've dived like this for decades, it makes me streamlined and I can swim like a bat out of hell u/w (ask for references from buddies who can't keep up!!!)

Today I tried them and yes...as Dennis says they help with MICRO movements. "Precision maneuvers." I could still dive as well as I do today if my arms were removed (OW OW OW) but I was able to make awesome micro movements with these gloves.

I think everyone is assuming that Darkfin SCUBA diving users are swimming with them, but I actually found they hindered my swimming (like I said, I am a bat out of hell u/w with my hands under my tank and no, you can't keep up!) but for micro movements they were awesome. I did three drift dives today with a group, using Darkfins for the first two and my lobstering gloves for the third.

I was able to catch the only lobster I saw today with ease with the Darkfins, and the gloves gave me plenty of protection from lobster spines. I was able to manipulate tickle stick and net, then measuring device, then bag him with no trouble.

But back to micro movements. A few times the other divers were clustered around something really cool and when I went to make my small fin movements for maneuvering, I could feel that someone was behind me right on my fins, maybe their face. I had my Darkfin gloved hands down around my stomach area, very close to my waist, and I was able to make TINY movements to get myself away from the divers who were near my fins. I stirred up no sand or silt and frightened no fish life. It was astoundingly easy. YES I have backed away from divers for decades without using these gloves and without kicking them in the face, BUT the gloves made it easier.

For the third dive, I was back to my lobstering gloves and yes, I can maneuver instinctively in the water without my hands (30 years of experience) but I missed being able to make those TINY hand movements with the Darkfin gloves. It takes the tiniest easy flick of the wrist to move. Effortless. With the gloved hand right at my belly button.

I'm going out on a friend's private boat tomorrow and I'm going to try them again. I usually solo dive from her boat and I'll see what solo diving applications they may have. In particular, I want to see how they may help if I have trouble catching a lobster that swims away quickly.

If anyone here has TRIED the gloves and hates them, I applaud them for their honesty. For those who have NOT tried the gloves and continue to nay-say, I ask once again...why on earth do you continue to post in here?