Question for tropical divers: Gloves or no gloves

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Because of stings and other things in tropical (or any) waters, I think the majority would disagree and vote in favour of gloves.

So don't touch and leave it alone and you won't have that problem.

 

[SeaHorse81]

There is really no point wearing gloves in tropical waters.

How about sea lice? After a week of liveaboard diving without gloves, my hands (my only exposed skin) will be covered with blisters and sores that are so itchy I want to rip my own skin off. Gloves almost eliminate this problem. Most people aren't as prone to this as I am but trust me, for those of us who are, gloves are a must in tropical waters. And that's even if there isn't some crusty old downline to contend with.

 

[Damselfish]

Yes, someone doesn't don't have to actively touch anything to get stung. If someone has a particular problem with that I'd say it falls under "medical excuse." You might consider taking a picture of your hands if you ever get hit again and keep it on your phone in case you ever need to talk someone into allowing you to wear gloves.

I don't seem to get stung on the hands often, it's usually the neck when surfacing at night. No matter how careful I am about using all the tricks to avoid it. I bring a lycra hood to wear at night if it sounds like it might be a problem, fortunately no one will ban those!

 

[Oz Chris]

Most of the dive sites in SE Asia do not allow gloves. That is not to say that everyone abides by it and I still see some ppl with gloves during my dives.

There is really no point wearing gloves in tropical waters.

I’m in the middle of 2 weeks of diving in the Philippines in 27-32C water, and in accordance with marine park rules I haven’t been wearing gloves.

However, I can see a few reasons to wear them - not the least being descents/ascents on old anchor/mooring lines. Both my buddy and I have ended up with things stuck in our fingers, even when you try and keep your touch on the line to a minimum.

Mind you, this has encouraged me to do free ascents/descents in currents (against the wishes of the DM) and practise staying with the group in the process. So maybe that’s an argument for not wearing gloves

 

[Centrals]

The idea of wearing gloves means touching is STUPID and probably conjured by non-diver.

 

[GreggS]

So don't touch and leave it alone and you won't have that problem.

Not touching doesn't guarantee anything. I was diving a wreck off the NC coast a couple of years ago and there were thousands of small 1" jellys in the water. I was wearing gloves and as much as I tried to avoid the jellys, I still managed to get stung on one of the only exposed skin areas I had...my upper lip.

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

The idea of wearing gloves means touching is STUPID and probably conjured by non-diver.

You got me. My cover is blown. I am a non-diver.

 

[CT-Rich]

Personally, I skip the gloves in summer in Rhode Island (and the hood for that matter) unless I am expecting a exit/entry over rocks. On holiday, I’ll respect the house rules. Unfortunately, it is usually the guy that thinks the rules don’t apply to him that the rules were written for.

Just think of every instant expert you’ve ever met on a dive boat, if you think that’s not you and you should be exempted, you are him.

 

[Hoag]

I can't find the website to reference it right now, but I was looking into a trip to Cat Island Bahamas to dive with Oceanic White Tips. One of the dive ops I was looking at required gloves. Specifically, they required black gloves and a full (not shorty) wetsuit. They did not want bare hands to potentially be mistaken for a fish by the sharks. Gloves apparently are an easy remedy to this issue, so they are required.

 

[Fastmarc]

I just recently started wearing a full lycra under my shortie wetsuit specifically because where I mostly dive now has more of those tiny jellies that sting at safety stop depth. Got tired of the itchy rash on my legs and arms all week long following a dive.