Gloves for Cold Water Quarry Diving

[rob.mwpropane]

So I've done a ton of looking, search, reading. I always come here before I make any buy because ....well I don't really want to buy twice. I think I'm settled on 5mm, and I think I've settled on Aqua Lung Thermocline Zip;

Aqua Lung Thermocline Zip 5mm Gloves

No affliliation w/Leisure Pro, just where I found them.

Pros:
It seems like my gloves are always the last thing I put on and always a pain with everything else that's going on. I think it would be nice to be able to don and doff easily with the zippers on the side. It's nice it has velcro to keep them zipped.

Cons:
Price. It's really about $20 more than I wanted to spend on gloves, but I keep thinking about how much better my springs are on the fins and how easy that makes life. They're worth they're wait in gold. I was thinking gloves with a zipper might be the same concept.

I'd love to hear peoples opinions, the site listed above only had a few reviews. You guys always steer me in the right direction, and always have something to say that I hadn't thought of, so lay it on me!

 

[Erik Forsberg]

If you dive wet, I think any 5mm will do. I dove wet down to 47f last year in 5mm.
It's just neoprene so if it fits nice to your hands, that's the glove to buy.

If you dive dry, which I whole heartily recommend, any nitrile glove with runner's liner, and a ring system will make you not even feel slightly cold.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Sorry, should of specified. So far I dive wet (would love to go dry when the money / opportunity presents itself).

In April we went to Dutch, dove 7mm 1 piece w/5mm gloves. Water was 42F below the thermocline. Lasted 45 minutes. It was cold, but I had fun.

So I guess your saying get cheapest 5mm gloves?

 

[rhwestfall]

cold hands suck...

to date, my favorite has been: Waterproof 5mm G1 Kevlar 5 Finger Glove

Fourth Element "Spiderman" are another one, but are just a PITA to get on/off....

 

[Erik Forsberg]

Sorry, should of specified. So far I dive wet (would love to go dry when the money / opportunity presents itself).

In April we went to Dutch, dove 7mm 1 piece w/5mm gloves. Water was 42F below the thermocline. Lasted 45 minutes. It was cold, but I had fun.

So I guess your saying get cheapest 5mm gloves?

I used scubapros 5mm normal five fingers entire season last year and the fall before that; never had an issue of felt any difference between those and any other I tried. My 2c is that it's a toss up regarding warmth and just go for the one that fits you the best and has better features.

As an adendum, if you are going to be diving these temperatures much, I would argue that the best possible investment you can do is in a drysuit. It turns cold dives to temperate dives + you dont feel yet, cold and yucky for dive #2

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I used scubapros 5mm normal five fingers entire season last year and the fall before that; never had an issue of felt any difference between those and any other I tried. My 2c is that it's a toss up regarding warmth and just go for the one that fits you the best and has better features.

As an adendum, if you are going to be diving these temperatures much, I would argue that the best possible investment you can do is in a drysuit. It turns cold dives to temperate dives + you dont feel yet, cold and yucky for dive #2

WOW that's expensive, they look nice though!

I used scubapros 5mm normal five fingers entire season last year and the fall before that; never had an issue of felt any difference between those and any other I tried. My 2c is that it's a toss up regarding warmth and just go for the one that fits you the best and has better features.

As an adendum, if you are going to be diving these temperatures much, I would argue that the best possible investment you can do is in a drysuit. It turns cold dives to temperate dives + you dont feel yet, cold and yucky for dive #2

The plan is to get there. I almost took the drysuit course last year, but it didn't make much sense not having the money to buy one, and they're pretty expensive to rent.

The cold definitely cuts dive time in half easy. We skipped dive #2 in 42F all together.

 

[boat sju]

I must be really hard on gloves - mine are all patched with aquaseal - so I'm not willing to spend that much on them. Not a fan of zippers and velcro on gloves either, because I think those features end up being more inconvenient than they're worth. I'd recommend the Scubapro Everflex, which I really like. My Pinnacle Merino lined aren't as comfortable, they're tight in the fingers.

 

[Marie13]

XS Scuba Dry Five 5mm glove. I know a number of people who swear by these gloves, down into the 40s.

Dry Five 5mm Glove

 

[Marie13]

Personally, what I've worn all these 3mm gloves this season so far, even down to 43F in Lake Michigan, are these Fourth Element 3mm gloves. I can deal with slightly chilly fingers if I have dexterity for bolt snaps and my camera controls (my feet get cold before any other body part). They're pricey at $60, though.

3mm Glove

I hate the 5mm Waterproof gloves as they are way too bulky and the zippers never stayed up on me.

 

[gcarter]

XS Scuba Dry Five 5mm glove. I know a number of people who swear by these gloves, down into the 40s.

Dry Five 5mm Glove

I have a pair of those and never use them - pain to don/doff.

I generally use these Aqua Lung 5mm Aleutian Kevlar Dive Gloves

Over 200 dives on the first pair, down to 37F, just replaced this spring as they were losing warmth due to compression. They still looked hardly worn despite the many encounters with zebra mussels.