Dry gloves any better than wet?

[wetvet]

Hi all,

Just wanted to get some input from some experienced cold water divers. Just did my first 2 dives with my new USIA drysuit. First dive was very wet, and pretty cold ( water was 38F), and my hands got wet inside my drygloves. They are the kind with drysuit latex seals, not rings. Second dive was completely dry (pays to take a little longer getting the seals flatut: . My buddy and I were discussing the benefits of the dry gloves versus 7mm wet gloves, so we did a little experiment. We switched left gloves, and dove one wet and one dry. I couldn't feel too much of a difference, and he claimed his wet hand was warmer. Am I doing something wrong? (my dry hand was dry) Or is the benefit of dry gloves actually a placebo? Curious, because I have a friend who has really sensitive fingers due to history of frostbite, and he is wanting the best thermal protection for his fingers possible. Thanks for any input.

 

[ERP]

IME in 50 degree water is that dry gloves are considerably warmer.

However I've only used drygloves with a ring system, and some method for venting suit air in and out of the gloves (tubes or liners under the seals). Could it be that the squeeze on your drygloves was reducing the thermal protection of whatever insulator was under the gloves?

FWIW the primary reason I swapped to dry gloves wasn't warmth (although that was a nice added benefit) it was that my wrists are narrow and my seals always leaked.

 

[sheck33]

for me switching to drygloves was heaven. I used to get my hands so cold i couldnt move them anymore. I do use the ringsystem and have a way to circulate air from my suit to my gloves. No more wetgloves for me unless i am in the tropics

 

[wetvet]

Thanks for the replies.....I wonder if the airflow is the key. I'd hate to invest further in these things by getting the ring system, and then have it no better, but dont know what else to do, other than try to return the gloves. Does anyone know any tricks for gloves like these? ..... Im a little afraid of just putting straws between the suit and gloves because of the agony I felt when the gloves leaked on the first dive.....

Wetvet

 

[runvus4]

I use lined drygloves (diving concepts system) without putting in any piping to equalize the gloves. They are to me much warmer than wetsuit gloves.

 

[Bob3]

I'd hate to invest further in these things by getting the ring system...

You can continue to use the gloves you have if you get a ring system that allows the use of several types of gloves, but you'll probably have to trim a fair amount off the glove cuff.
For warmth I always found a 1/4" 3-finger "semi-dry" mitt to be the best, keeping my hands toasty for 4 hours in 28ºf water.

 

[RichLockyer]

wetvet once bubbled...
I'm a little afraid of just putting straws between the suit and gloves because of the agony I felt when the gloves leaked on the first dive.....

You don't have to use straws... A couple of friends have cut a wool sock to fit over the palm with a separate cut for the thumb. The sock extends down through the wrist seal itself.

It allows air to migrate to and from the glove, but if the glove does leak, it takes a long time for an appreciable amount of water to make it through the sock. If you use straws and the glove leaks, you'll find yourself ripping the glove off to pull the straw out, leaving your hand extremely cold.

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

Dry gloves make a huge difference and yes the surgical tubing or similar items is the best way to go. Wool gloves or even the elastic straps that are in the wrists of most undergarments can lead to big problems. In the event that your glove is punctured, you can remove the glove and pull out the tubing thus sealing the suit. If you are wearing wool gloves then depending on how you have them set up you may not be able to remove them, or the time needed to remove them may have already been long enough to flood your suit. Here in Finland that would and could easily be fatal.

Good air flow is paramount in effectively using a dry glove system.

The ring system is the best way to go. Don't glue anything to your suit, it will do more harm than good. The most common brand here in Europe is Si-Tec but I don't know the availability in the States, however there are a lot of these ring systems that are good and basically the same.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

You need air in the glove or with the squeeze that occurs a dry glove is not very warm in very cold water.

I use surgical tubing to ventilate the glove as it is more comfortable than other types of tubing I have used. I agree using the wool cuff of the glove or a wool sock is a bad idea as it is very hard to remove to seal the wrist if you get a serious leak in the glove.

A tube can be removed very easily often without removing the glove if you leave the tube long enough to grab through the suit behind the ring and ensure it only protudes a 1/4 inch past the wrist seal into the glove. (this assumes a trilaminate or shell suit - it would not work with a neoprene suit.

I know a couple divers who have removed the seal entirely inside the cuff and that is, in my opinion, really stupid as it leaves you at risk of catastrophic suit flooding if the dry glove pops off the ring. It also allows too much air into the glove and they tend to balloon very quickly when your arm is overhead.