DC dry glove system

[ACR]

Hi All, I'm looking for reviews on Diving Concepts Dry Gloves and wrist ring system. How easy are they to install, any damage to the wrist seals? are they warm and comfy? do they improve your chances with the ladies?

I have latex wrist seals on my DUI drysuit.

Thanks!

 

[do it easy]

My old DC suit had DC glove rings installed straight to the sleeve- no latex! I had no inner wrist seal. I like those rings- easy to don/doff, and I became proficient at changing the gloves without tools. The PVC glove also repairs easily with PVC glue, which is widely available in the scuba diving aisle of your local hardware store (right next to the plumbing section). I like the DC glove system, even without an inner seal. I holed a glove once and it was no big deal- my arm was wet and little chilly, but not sodden nor frozen. Obviously, wearing appropriate underwear is important.

I just bought a CLX450 with heavy duty zip seals- I was able to install the glove rings with a little sweat and special high tannin lubricant I think the regular seals would be much easier to install. I didn't like the DC glove ring/zipseal combination since it takes up a lot of real estate on my forearm and I would have to shorten the sleeves to get the DC glove rings where I like them. If I had my choice, I would glue the suit rings straight to my CLX450. My second choice would be zipgloves, but I don't like the replacement costs. I haven't had a chance to dive the CLX yet. I'm too scared to dive without a p-valve.

I don't know how well latex seals hold up on suit rings. I've seen and installed the Bare dryglove system and I can't figure out how anything stays together- the instructions claim that the whole thing relies on friction, but it seems as if all the forces would act together to blow the gloves right off

Lastly, yes, chicks dig the smurf gloves!

 

[ghostrunner007]

I have this system on my Whites drysuit (polarflex) and Had no problems with at all. Easy to put on and take off even with ice diving, and yes the women love the blue smurf look

 

[Camerone]

\I just bought a CLX450 with heavy duty zip seals- I was able to install the glove rings with a little sweat and special high tannin lubricant I think the regular seals would be much easier to install. I didn't like the DC glove ring/zipseal combination since it takes up a lot of real estate on my forearm and I would have to shorten the sleeves to get the DC glove rings where I like them.

I have the exact same suit (as a signature series special edition) and use DC rings on it, with the heavy duty seals. DUI measured the suit, and when I had it made, I told them to shorten the arms properly so that the rings would be in the right place. The factory rep didn't listen to a word I said, of course, and the suit wound up going back to DUI, who had to remake it from scratch... and now I'm happy with the combination, and the customer service from the factory. Lesson learned: don't use the local rep.

The stock arm length does kind of suck if you're going to use the rings AND latex wrist seals...tends to put the ring around the thumb-index finger web, more or less, although with a good amount of seal inside the ring, you can slide it further up your arm and it ought to stay put.

I never could fit the rings into the arm from the inside on the CLX450, and get them all the way into the seal. I did a lot of swearing and put them on from the outside, which is possible, with lots of sweat, patience, and beer. The Andy's DS2 arms have no problem slipping the rings through and working them on the seals, which is a lot easier.

I love the combination - been using it on my previous suit for years. The smurf gloves are barely $3.50/pair to replace, and take less than five minutes to change out once you know what you're doing. I prefer the wrist seals inside, because the gloves are prone to puncture; I get around 9 months out of a pair before I get pinholes.

My previous suit (Andy's) got around two and a half years out of latex wrist seals before I had to put new ones on, with the rings on the seals full time (never took them off... it's the stretching that seems to kill the seals.) I put around 100 dives a year or so on that suit...or roughly 200 hours of bottom time. I don't know how the DUI seals will hold up with the rings, but I have no cause to think they'll be any different.

 

[do it easy]

I have the signature series as well, but I didn't ask for the sleeves to be shortened...

I called Mark Owens at Superior Diving Repair and he said it would be possible to attach the DC rings directly to the CLX suit. Before I get too crazy and start altering the suit, I'm going to try a few dives with the zipgloves so I have a fair comparison to the DC rings.