Cold Alaskan diving - need help picking gloves

[scubasully]

Hi, I'm going for an AAUS cert up in Alaska, and it's going to be my first drysuit dive as well. The OW dives are in March, but the water will still be in the 30s, we're told.

I'm one of those people whose toes and fingers go numb after 10 minutes of chatting in the parking lot in the winter, so I'm concerned about being miserable for the week of diving. The LDS recommended some 5mm 5 finger gloves to me, but I think I need more protection.

I can't afford to invest in expensive dry gloves for one week of drysuit diving - I don't see myself doing more drysuit diving - so I've pretty much decided to go with the mitt-style lobster gloves in 7mm as I'm told that's the next warmest thing - better than 5 finger. But what's the best brand? I've seen Crux, Henderson, Blue Reef, and Deep Sea online. Any favorites?

I'm looking at Waterproof Crux 3 Finger 7MM Drymitten with Zipper

Has anyone tried these?

Can anyone tell me the pros/cons of zipper gloves vs stretchy gloves vs velcro close?

Can anyone tell me the pros/cons of kevlar and titanium materials?

It's all a little much for me. I don't have much time to decide, either.
Thanks for your help!

 

[dave4868]

My fingers are just as prone to getting cold as yours! :depressed:

I agree that the 5mm 5-finger gloves aren't likely to be warm enough for you in sub-40F degree water. For me, they'd probably be adequate no lower than 50F degrees for a typical 50-minute dive, even if shallow and active.

Before I got drygloves, I got my best warmth from 7mm 3-finger gauntlet mitts with cinch straps at the wrists.

I also wore some homemade 7mm wrist bands under those mitts to improve the insulation over the wrist arteries and to further improve the seal at the wrist. I used them over the latex wrist seals of my drysuit and under the mitts.

Pre-warming and filling the mitts with warm water just before the dive helped a lot, too.

For me, that combination was adequate down to water temps of mid-30's for the first half-hour or so, then marginal for the next half hour, meaning grip and dexterity deteriorated to the point where it was difficult to remove an inflator hose or even press the inflator button. For water in the low 40's, they were good for most of an hour.

I don't know anything about the mitts you've linked, but a good wrist seal that isn't excessively constricting will be the key, I think.

That's why an adjustable cinch strap is nice, especially when used in conjunction with the added neoprene wrist band.

I can't speak to the newer materials, but Henderson Gold Core 7mm mitts have a soft, smooth inside surface that I've heard is very warm. Although they don't have a cinch strap, I believe they seal well at the wrist.

http://www.diveprodivegear.com/m8_view_item.html?m8:item=54410SALE

Trying them on may be the only way to know if they might be too tight, though. Constriction leads to cold extremities very quickly.

Good luck!

Dave C

 

[F106A]

...the water will still be in the 30s....

LDS recommended some 5mm 5 finger gloves to me, but I think I need more protection.

I can't afford to invest in expensive dry gloves ...I've - decided to go with the mitt-style lobster gloves in 7mm. I've seen Crux, Henderson, Blue Reef, and Deep Sea.

I'm looking at Waterproof Crux 3 Finger 7MM Drymitten with Zipper
Has anyone tried these?

Can anyone tell me the pros/cons of zipper gloves vs stretchy gloves vs velcro close?
Can anyone tell me the pros/cons of kevlar and titanium materials?

dave4868 pretty much has it pegged.
(30 degrees; that'll turn yer grapes into raisins!)
Mitts or three finger mitts/gauntlets are the only way to go. 6.5 or 7MM - NOT 5 and NOT fingered gloves.
Don't know about Crux but I have several pairs of 6.5/7MM Bare & Henderson mitts, three finger mitts and gloves; dry, Gold Core, etc. I've noticed some zippers can unzip when stressed/stretched over wrist seals. (My seals are neoprene and therefore pretty thick.) I prefer Velcro to zippers. I see LP has Bare & Henderson Gold Core 3-fingered mitts for $26 and $42 respectively. One of those would be my choice. YMMV.

 

[Mr.X]

I was diving Alaska in March. The temperature as you stated was in the 30's. The big question I have is the level of dexterity you want. The 7MM lobster gloves are warm, but forget about anything other than doing some simple mechanical tasks. When I was diving in March I used a combination of 5 MM gloves and dry gloves with rotating drysuits. The dry gloves gave the best dexterity & warmth, but at the same time dislodged, twice which left me with unprotected hands for durations of upwards of 30 minutes. Yes, I couldn't take a break as I was working.

The aftermath of these types of dives were seen weeks later when the skin sloughed off my hands in various degrees. This provided some level of amusement for some, and embarassment on my end as business handshakes left others with the impression that I had a communicable disease.

If I were to give you some advice it would be:

1. Reliable dry gloves are worth the $ if dexterity is involved and you are diving day in and day out. If not, a pair of 7mm, or 5mm which allowed for the maximum dexterity. Of course, dexterity with the thicker gloves in IMO is an oxymoron.

2. Buy a pair or two because getting some gloves up there can be a pain and pricey...especially if you're in a remote location. That being said fisherman's gloves (Blue & Ochre colored) are somewhat easy to get a hold of and can be used to replace Smurf dry gloves.

3. Have a beautiful girl hand you a warm beverage after each dive. Short of that - settle for a bearded guy who has the foresight to toss a Hot Pocket sandwich, or greasy Bronto burger into the microwave for you.

X

 

[Scubacoastie]

I have dove in AK 39 deg water a few times and I wear Sea Soft 5mm 5 fingered gloves. The longest I have been down is about a half an hour and my hands never got cold plus I love having the dex to do fine motor tasks. But I have good circulation to my hands so you may need thicker. See if a dive shop has some you can borrow and see how you like them

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I put drygloves on my suit for around $60 and now use them in all water temps but I change the undergloves when its warmer.

I use the OS system rings and got $2.99 gloves from home depot that only needed a bit of trimming to work perfectly. The best part is my gloves are black, no smurf gloves for this guy ;-) the under gloves also came from home depot, they are fleece lined jersey style gloves for about $1 a pair. I experimented with about a dozen kinds of under gloves and they have been the warmest and also the cheapest.

if your gonna drop $40 on wet gloves just go dry.

 

[scubasully]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm getting ready to place an order. How tight do I want these? Is it like 5 fingered gloves, where I don't want them too tight b/c my fingers will get cold, or is there more room inherently in the mitts? Obviously they need to be small enough that there's a seal...

 

[dave4868]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm getting ready to place an order. How tight do I want these? Is it like 5 fingered gloves, where I don't want them too tight b/c my fingers will get cold, or is there more room inherently in the mitts? Obviously they need to be small enough that there's a seal...

Just like you said.

There can be enough room in some mitts to actually fold one's outer three fingers into a fist inside the mitt. The wrist seal should minimize water moving in and out of the mitt.

It might help for you to post the brand you're considering, your hand size and wrist diameter and ask for sizing advice.

Someone might have first hand experience with that brand.

Dave C

 

[Mr.X]

Here's a question- who's teaching the AAUS cert. class and where? While shore diving is certainly possible... why in March? Snow, wind, snotty weather are still in effect at that time of the year. Honestly, why not conduct the class somewhere a tad more hospitable? The conditions on the sea were often 3-8 ft, horizontal snow and the water a balmy 34-35F.

X

 

[ArcticDiver]

Glove selection is a pretty personal thing. Some folks like one thing and others something else.

I've dived using 5mm Five Fingered Gloves, Mittens and Dry Gloves. All have their advantages and disadvantages. For me mittens looked good and were recommended but I just couldn't have the manual dexterity I wanted. Dry Gloves work out OK except that sometimes there is an equalization problem if you isolate them from the suit's gas bubble.

I did my initial dry suit work in March in COLD water and didn't have any problem for the dives I did. If it were me and I figured I'd never use them again for diving I'd buy a couple pair of 5mm neoprene gloves and change them out between dives. If I were prone to cold hands I'd get a pair of lycra skin tight gloves to wear under them.

No big dollar outlay and you end up with useful gloves for something else.


By the way if you are in the Seward/Whittier area the water temp could very well be closer +/- to +30F than anywhere else. Air temp could be very close to the same. That second or third dive can get to be a bit chilly.