Diving Concepts Neoprene Drygloves in!

[Soggy]

So I came home last night and had a present form the mailman...my Diving Concepts Neoprene dry gloves. The kit contains the neoprene gloves, the snap on kit w/ o-rings, and a set of fleece undergloves. COVCI also supplied some surgical tubing for equalization.

I haven't tried them yet, but within two hours they were attached and I was walking around my house in my drysuit. My roommates and girlfriend were looking at me funny. It seems like finger dexterity will be somewhat limited by the gloves, but it will certainly be better than using those three-fingered mitts. I think they'll be nice and toasty warm.

They were somewhat challenging to attach to the suit. It looks like a good secure system, though.

The instructions that come with it have decent pictures, but I still put one on incorrectly before figuring it out. It is obvious how they should basically go on, but small pictures and poor descriptions make it a bit confusing. One word of warning...don't try to remove the glove itself from the glove-connector ring. I did that at first when I was just playing around and quickly worked up a sweat reattaching it as the o-rings the come with them are very very strong.

In the process of attaching the gloves, I discovered an obvious hole in my suit. I would recommend turning shell suits inside out every once and a while. I was amazed at how much more obvious the leak was. What do people use for sealing small holes? I have a shell suit...it's a SCUBAPro Hyperthane Pro....the material is different from most other drysuits I've seen.

I'll post a report once I've gone diving with them.

 

[Mike Maas]

How long does it take, and how difficult is it, to remove and put back on a glove(out of the water, of course)?
How thick is the neoprene and how durable does it look?
How much dexterity do you have compared to a 5mm wet glove?

I have also heard you can use concrete handling gloves on these ring systems, that cost like $1.50 a pair.

 

[Soggy]

Mike Maas once bubbled...
How long does it take, and how difficult is it, to remove and put back on a glove(out of the water, of course)?

At first it appears difficult, but it's not. By bracing the glove up against your body the right way, it is very easy to put on and remove. I'd say I could put both on in less than a minute. I put the whole suit on just for that purpose...so I knew what I was doing before I had to use it.

It took me about 90 mins to get the ring system attached to the suit. However, I was also making dinner and entertaining my girlfriend at the time. I put the first one on incorrectly and had to change it, which was challenging. I found that the cap to a Bic pen worked wonders when trying to remove the ring from the fragile latex seal. The most difficult part of the installation is turning the drysuit arm inside out with the ring system attached.

How thick is the neoprene and how durable does it look?

It is 2mm crushed/compressed neoprene. It appears very durable.

How much dexterity do you have compared to a 5mm wet glove?

Because of the inner glove, finger dexterity isn't so great. I'd say 5mm wet gloves provide more dexterity. If you were able to use a thinner inner glove, it would be about the same.

I have also heard you can use concrete handling gloves on these ring systems, that cost like $1.50 a pair.

I think you could use pretty much any waterproof glove. The ring I removed "by accident" that connects the glove to one end of the ring system could be used for pretty much anything. Uncle Pug mentioned that you could use dishwashing gloves if you wanted.

 

[ericfine50]

Aarron,

Thanks for the write up. I received the DC catalog last night and saw a picture of the neoprene glove. Looked good, but you need the dexterity. would like to try a pair to see the difference.

Eric

 

[JeffAustin]

For extra dexterity, try them without the liners. I did two dives on Saturday with mine without the liners. Water was 9 deg.C. I was comfortable.

 

[DanL]

Just attached the DC neoprenes to my DUI TLS350. Tried following the DC directions and hints from posts for the attachment method that maintains the seal at the wrist. But the circumference of the sleeve at the wrist is just too small to pull the seemingly oversized ring back thru the point where the neoprene and trilam join - that last difficult step others have described. The trilam just does not stretch.
The suit is size medium. Have others had this problem on a medium TLS350?
Anyway, I tried something else that seems to work:
(Pretty much the std instructions with a slight modification)
Talc the wrist area of the sleeve and turn the sleeve inside out.
Push the ring, from the shoulder end, down the sleeve to the wrist (the 3 grooved "sleeve" side of the ring goes in first).
Work the ring as far down the sleeve as possible, keeping it concentric in the sleeve.
The ring gets very tight in the trilam before it even gets to the latex wrist seal.
Keep working the ring down as far and tight as possible, keeping it "square" in alignment with the edge of wrist opening.
The ring will not go down to the latex seal. The trilam is just too tight. There will still be trilam, not latex, over the ring (but about 1/4" of the latex seal on the inside will be over the front edge of the ring).
Put on the o-ring per normal instructions. It will be over trilam, not latex.
Turn the sleeve back out. Comes out easy because the ring is not past the smallest trilam diameter at the wrist.
Now put on the second o-ring. It will also be over trilam, not latex.
Done.
Now the sleeve is a couple inches shorter (OK for my short arms) because the ring isn't all the way down to the latex seal.
Does it leak? you ask. The o-rings dont look like they seal well on the trilam, especially on the arm bottom seam. So....
I tested the inflated suit in water for air leakage at wrists - none at all.
This is the only way I could install on this suit, and it is actually pretty easy. Anybody have better luck with the "real" DC method on this suit?
Will keep you posted on dive performance.

Another Q: My gloves came with a "loose" neoprene skirt at the wrist. There is a neoprene inner layer that attaches to the glove ring and that provides the seal, but the skirt is just pulled up over the ring and is not secure. Has a tendency to slip forward off the ring. Is this normal?

 

[TJO]

Thanks guys. I just got my pair yesterday and hope to try them out this weekend. Looks great! And I look forward to feel warm and comfy...

 

[Jonathan]

you wimp - you don't need them here!! Where's the rest of your NEWT suite!