Question for tropical divers: Gloves or no gloves

[KathyV]

Definitely look into getting a Jon Line, Kathy - got mine from Divers Supply - it wasn't expensive.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[JohnnyC]

I always have them, mooring lines only. However, if I were legally prohibited, I'd shove a rag in my pocket and use it if it were the only option.

Underwater bitey, stingy, ouchy things are no joke. A little precaution is worth it.

 

[vincent54]

Well, with respect to Cayman, it's not a "rule", it's the law. Whether we think a particular law is stupid or not (in my opinion) doesn't give us the right to just ignore it. But I see enough divers out there who seem to "know better" that I'm not surprised that some will willfully break the law.

I would agree with you that a lot of damage is done by all of those things (and it should absolutely be a priority to encourage everyone to be aware of that and improve), but it is accidental - reaching out and touching coral or fish or whatever is a deliberate act.

Dive enough along the iron ore and you will agree the law is ridiculous and stupid. It will protect nothing and only give the appearance Cayman cares. They will dredge the hell out of the shoreline and let the cruise ships tear up the reef but for god sake don’t wear gloves. Btw, I have seen plenty of Divemasters and tourists rummage with their barehands in the Cayman reefs. I think most divers are conscientious about no Touching, gloves or not.
The law is useless.

 

[Snoweman]

I like gloves for exactly that reason, if there is current and I want to use the mooring line to assist my safety stop. Since gloves are rarely allowed, I am now in the habit of stretching down the sleeve of my seaskin or rash guard to cover my hand. It usually works okay.

Great idea. I haven't been in any other dives with currents and not being a "drift dive". If I have to hang onto another mooring line, I will do the same thing.

 

[Damselfish]

I've also done the sleeve thing. The arms are especially long on the sharkskin jacket I usually wear now, and I thought about shortening them, then I realized they were the perfect built-in almost-gloves.

 

[shoredivr]

As well as the avoidance of getting cut or stung, gloves protect the backs of my hands from sunburn.

 

[Kimela]

I prefer to wear gloves and have 'sneaked' them into the water in a pocket. Once, when diving in the Keys, I grabbed a couple hands full of fire coral on a line that had been in the water for a while. I try not to touch anything that is living - and assume that every thing is living but I just don't know it! If I have to grab something for safety - strong current and getting separated from the dive group - I will aim for something that looks dead.

Maybe PADI needs to come up with a certification for "glove approved" divers!

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I don't dive without gloves. I use altas fit gloves for warm water, just for the rubberized palm and fingers. For thermal protection, I wear scuba diving/dry gloves.

 

[TMHeimer]

Dive enough along the iron ore and you will agree the law is ridiculous and stupid. It will protect nothing and only give the appearance Cayman cares. They will dredge the hell out of the shoreline and let the cruise ships tear up the reef but for god sake don’t wear gloves. Btw, I have seen plenty of Divemasters and tourists rummage with their barehands in the Cayman reefs. I think most divers are conscientious about no Touching, gloves or not.
The law is useless.

For sure. Another case of worrying about the little stuff while the big stuff causes the oceans and whole world to go to pot.

 

[Alucard]

I am curious as to which cruise ships they have "allowed" to tear up the reef in the Cayman Islands. Normally there are some pretty hefty fines levied to ships that run aground on the reef.

Billionaire Conservationist's Yacht Damages Coral Reef was a private yacht, and there was apparently a hefty settlement fee handed over.

Then there were quite a few incidents of cargo ships damaging the reefs, of which this was the latest: Cargo ship crushes George Town reef - Cayman News Service - those resulted in reparations being paid to clean up the mess and help other conservation efforts.

Sorry, but pointing at cruise ship folks to try to devalue a Cayman law that is intended to help preserve the reef from clueless divers is a nasty case of "Whataboutism", in my opinion. (Whataboutism - Wikipedia)

We should also be doing our part - like refusing drinking straws in our drinks: 5 Reasons to ditch that plastic straw
Using reusable shopping bags: The Plastic Trap
Using reef-friendly sunscreen: Coral-killing chemical still appears in many sunscreen formulas

and the list goes on. It's too easy and convenient to point at the big cruise ships and blame them for it all, meaning it takes us off the hook from doing things to help, even in a small way.

I have picked up a lot of plastic on my various dives and really wish I didn't even see it.