Bare Dry Gloves with Cuff Rings? What's the secret?

[Taxgeek]

Question for people who have these:

http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/product_details.aspx?pid=088945&dept_id=160

I just got them for my Bare Trilam HD Tech Dry. With the installed cuff rings.

My question to those of you who have them: I find the rings on the blue smurf gloves incredibly difficult to press into the installed rings on the cuffs. They're just really tight, and require alot of pressure to seat, which is quite difficult to manage with one hand inside the suit.

Also, when it's time to get the things off, I'm spinning the knobby collar, which is supposed to push the two rings apart. Problem is, it's not. I can't get enough leverage on it to turn it hard enough.

I read the directions a few times and think I'm going things right (including making sure the knobby collar is in the correct position when I attach the gloves). Is there a trick to this? Is there any lubricant I can put on it to make the plastic slide against itself better? I mean, I'm physically not strong enough to get these cuffs off. I had to use a butter knife to pry the dang thing apart and get the glove off when I tried it the other night in my living room.

Any hints or help would be much appreciated! Thanks.
Taxgeek/Susan

 

[texdiveguy]

Susan.... wish you all the luck in finding a solution...your issue is just one of the reasons I don't like ds dry gloves.....i'll stick to 7mil neo's myself!

 

[crpntr133]

I sold mine before really trying them much but this might help.
A) Don't put them all the way into the suit ring. Just enough to seal is all you need.
B) This should cure your other problem of getting them apart.
C) You might try using silicone but I wouldn't. Just enough to make the rings or plastic glossy, which is very little. If you do then be sure and keep it clean. Dirt and hair are attracted easily to silicone.

 

[MurkyRockDiver]

I sold mine before really trying them much but this might help.
A) Don't put them all the way into the suit ring. Just enough to seal is all you need.
B) This should cure your other problem of getting them apart.
C) You might try using silicone but I wouldn't. Just enough to make the rings or plastic glossy, which is very little. If you do then be sure and keep it clean. Dirt and hair are attracted easily to silicone.

A) No, if you do not seat them all the way in they will leak.
B) No see above
C) It says not to use silicone on the Bare O-ring right in the instructions, I use zipper wax but not the one that comes with the gloves. Get a more "wet" zipper wax or even bee wax.

With all this I still find I need help getting them on and off but it is worth it in our temp's up here.

 

[crpntr133]

I know several people that have done what I said and it works..no leaks. Your experience may be different.
I never did understand fully shoving the rings together. There is no more seal, the o-ring didn't get wider and the rings didn't get smaller. So it makes no sense to shove it all the way on. The only thing that is sealing it is the o-ring no matter how far in it is.
Mine didn't come with any lube but I would use the zipper wax or other before the silicone, never thought of it though. Most will say that silicone makes it harder to replace seals. Probably why Bare now sends wax.

 

[texdiveguy]

Most will say that silicone makes it harder to replace seals. Probably why Bare now sends wax.

Many of us dive with O2 clean gear and stay clear of silicone regardless of were it is applied on gear and that includes suits,,,I don't recommend that pre-mafc. wet/dry suit spray to make it easier to don the suits if you use O2 clean gear...it is silicone based and flies everywhere when sprayed....just home brew a bit of water and baby shampoo, works the same and cheaper!

 

[bogrady]

The secret - look left, look right - locate buddy.

They take a lot of pressure to get them on and off and having your buddy attach/unattach them really helps. For the attach - have your buddy put the glove ring against their palms and wrap their fingers around the dry suit wrist collar piece and just compress them on. If they're in straight, they should slide right in. For the unattach I'm very concerned about the stress that the unlock ring puts on the latex wrist seal when it twists - I usually have my buddy hold the drysuit ring while I turn the nut to get the glove to pop off.

 

[dave4868]

Question for people who have these:

http://www.bare-wetsuits.com/product_details.aspx?pid=088945&dept_id=160

I just got them for my Bare Trilam HD Tech Dry. With the installed cuff rings.

My question to those of you who have them: I find the rings on the blue smurf gloves incredibly difficult to press into the installed rings on the cuffs. They're just really tight, and require alot of pressure to seat, which is quite difficult to manage with one hand inside the suit.

Also, when it's time to get the things off, I'm spinning the knobby collar, which is supposed to push the two rings apart. Problem is, it's not. I can't get enough leverage on it to turn it hard enough.

I read the directions a few times and think I'm going things right (including making sure the knobby collar is in the correct position when I attach the gloves). Is there a trick to this? Is there any lubricant I can put on it to make the plastic slide against itself better? I mean, I'm physically not strong enough to get these cuffs off. I had to use a butter knife to pry the dang thing apart and get the glove off when I tried it the other night in my living room.

Any hints or help would be much appreciated! Thanks.
Taxgeek/Susan

I couldn't get your link above to work, but if your gloves are like the Bare gloves below, they are probably made by SI TECH. I use the SI TECH system without difficulty following their instructions to lubricate the o-ring area, if needed, only with saliva (or water) prior to docking the glove ring to the docking ring. I've found they can be difficult to dock if not lubricated, so I always slobber on them! When wet from a dive, undocking is fairly easy with just moderate force turning the extraction ring.

When docking, it helps to press the rings only part way together, move to a spot a third around the ring, press, move, press, etc, to avoid getting it kitty corner. Usually takes only three presses.

Question: was this a brand-new dryglove set? If not, and if the original owner had replaced the o-rings with something softer or slightly thicker, they will be difficult both to dock and undock whether lubricated or not.

My SI TECH dry glove rings require only saliva in the area of the o-ring, nothing on the screw ring threads, and they dock and un-dock quite easily.

SI TECH discourages the use of any other lubricants on this system.

Dave C

 

[sunapeebob]

I am a new participant in this forum, but would agree as above. I have found that there is a break in period. As suggested by one other the best way to don them is have your buddy clamp between the heel of their hands and fingers over the rings on the dry suit. Make sure there is no excess material that may block a smooth seal. Also, as we discovered at the end of a dive in early December, avoid sand getting near these. We were not able to remove my son's dry gloves until I had washed off the large threaded collar. Fortunately I was diving with 5 mm neo gloves and could remove them easily. Good luck.

 

[Taxgeek]

Wow, thanks everybody!

So first, I'll try slobber and a buddy. ;-) And pressing on 1/3 of the way around the ring each time.

Then if that doesn't work out, maybe silicone, but with awareness of the fact that it's not good for the system.

To answer Dave's question, I *believe* it was a new dryglove set, but judging by the suit itself (wrist seals already cut to first line when it arrived brand new), it's hard to say. It was *supposed* to be new.

Thanks esp to Bogrady, and to the others as well, it's soooo good to know that they're just a little stiff, and I'm not the only one who finds them a little hard to do all by myself. I'll definitely give it another try with the buddy and see how it goes! I can't WAIT to be warm - absolutely froze last weekend in my wetsuit. And it was 57! That's pretty warm for here!