any way to avoid "dive hands"?

[Snoweman]

I have no idea how I got this. I did 12 dives over four days. I think my hands we like this in Key West, but I remember hanging in to a buoy rope during that visit.

 

[M DeM]

Gloves. They won't solve all your problems, in particular since you are not touching corals (good on you). But they definitely come in handy for pulling on decent lines, climbing ladders on the dive boat, etc. I have good buoyancy and never touch coral, but I always wear gloves for the climb back on the boat.

That's interesting... Now that I think about it, I bet all the scratches, etc come from being on the boat...... Thanks for the tip! I haven't been wearing them because I find it hard to use my camera with them, but maybe I'll find a very thin pair of gloves or just put them on at the very end of the dive...

 

[M DeM]

I have no idea how I got this. I did 12 dives over four days. I think my hands we like this in Key West, but I remember hanging in to a buoy rope during that visit.

I used to get that on my feet before I wore socks!

 

[M DeM]

I learned this on a liveaboard. Man that was a painful week! Now I always wear socks.

As for hands, salt water leaches out the natural oils in your hands over time. It's similar to what soap does in getting 'dish pan hands'. Those oils make your skin soft, supple and stop cracking. I would suggest Tropical Seas Biodegradable Hand Cream before and after each dive. Make sure to use it before you start your vacation so that your hands acclimate to it. I know the chemist who devised it, and he loves the ocean as much as we do. It's inexpensive and safe for the reef.

Thanks! I'll look for it

 

[M DeM]

Wash with fresh water & dry thoroughly between dives.
.

This is interesting because it really started getting bad when we started doing two-tank dives -- and I wouldn't dry off or rinse anything during the surface interval. Hmmmmmm..........

 

[M DeM]

Some dive locations don’t allow gloves (keeps you from pawing the reef).

just a thought... you may be grabbing/touching more than you realize. Sea water is isotonic to blood, so if you grab a barnacle encrusted rope, you might scrape yourself up without even feeling it. I shredded my hands on my first OW dive when I forgot gloves. I didn’t know it until I was back on the boat.

That's also interesting. It's usually someone else who points out that my hands are bleeding!

 

[Snoweman]

I used to get that on my feet before I wore socks!

With, or without, booties?

 

[Couv]

Get those blisters goin'?

Certainly not. Protective callus is what I have in mind-I won't even charge for the therapy.

 

[M DeM]

With, or without, booties?

just bare feet inside the fin.

 

[RyanT]

I haven't been wearing them because I find it hard to use my camera with them, but maybe I'll find a very thin pair of gloves or just put them on at the very end of the dive...

For your camera, I'm guessing the tip of your index finger and thumb are the most critical parts. I cut the tip out of the thumb of my gloves. This gives me the feeling I need for clipping/unclipping stage bottles, reels, etc. while still providing protection for the majority of my hands. Something similar might work for you as well.