Dry gloves equalization

[MechDiver]

Uncle Pug, Don't your hands get cold? If I have my hands down or in front of me they eventually get kinda cold so I add a little air from my suit by lifting my arm up to warm 'em a bit. Are you using the yellow gloves or some other trick.

I do the same as Pug and use wool liners with no discomfort.

MD

 

[CALI68]

I do the same as Pug and use wool liners with no discomfort.

MD

MD, Do you use the yellow one's that come with the Gloves or some other kind?

 

[Uncle Pug]

Nope... don't get cold hands in 47F~54F water. I use blue rubber gloves lined with some yellow fuzzy stuff. I bought the replacements at Seattle Marine Supply... they are identical to the ones that come with Diving Concepts dryglove rings.. but cost a lot less. Even cheaper are the unlined ones. That is what I will replace these with when the time comes and wear a separate liner glove underneath. That is a much better way to go in case of a flood too... you can replace your liners and be good to go for the next dive.

BTW: the color of the glove has nothing to do with keeping you warm. But using blue or yellow gloves is excellent for hand signals. Black is very bad in that regard!

 

[lamont]

actually to be a little more accurate -- what i've noticed is that right after i put my drygloves on there's invariably a little air pocket around the rings. if i'm going shallow i crack it and get the air out -- if i'm going deep i leave it in.

 

[MechDiver]

MD, Do you use the yellow one's that come with the Gloves or some other kind?

There are many different styles of drygloves. Mine are actually concrete finishers gloves that I have in Si-Tech rings. The wool inserts are Army surplus. I also have some Polartec inserts that work well. I've been below 200fsw with no tubes and without my hands getting cold. That was in 44F water. My hands are cool at depth, but never get cold. As Pug said, I've also tried the tubes and find them more trouble than they're worth.

We all have different levels of comfort though. What works for ya

MD

 

[Boogie711]

....and this would make them the lowest point more or less with horizontal trim thus very compressed. .

Um... NO.

What we're saying is that they're NOT "very compressed."

They're only 'slightly' more compressed than anything else. It's just a slightly odd feeling until you get used to it. You're just not used to feeling something squeeze around your hand - that's all. It's totally normal and fine.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Glitch,

I'm with Pug, Mike, and Lamont. Equalizing your drygloves is highly over-rated.

First, its un-necessary. As Lamont said, when you put the gloves on there is enough air in them that they are semi-'inflated' at the surface. Let them squeeze as you descend. As someone noted above, it adds to dexterity.

Second, it can be dangerous.

I use OSSystems rings and some fairly robust black rubber gloves that MechDiver scammed up somewhere. They're cheap and work well. I wear a pair of thin wool gloves (inserts) under the rubber gloves. As I descend, the gloves squeeze in but not uncomfortably so. If you're uncomfortable, get slightly thicker inserts.

Like the others, I tried the rigid (hollow) plastic coffee stirrers, tiny straws, and other items underneath my latex seals. They are a PITA, and they don't work consistently (for me). Besides, two considerations:

First, too much gas trapped in your gloves makes it impossible to use your hands. You can ascend faster than the gas can transfer from your gloves back to your suit. If you do, you can't use your hands to arrest your ascent - a potentially disasterous situation.

Second, if you're using a tiny hollow tube, and you cut your gloves on a wreck or a sharp rock, seawater can enter your drysuit through the tube, soaking your undergarment. If you have 40-60 minutes of deco to do in real cold water, you can be hypothermic by the time you've made all your stops.

Bottom line is that equalizing your drygloves is completely un-necessary to keep your hands warm enough, and if you try to do it you can put yourself in line for situations that are truly dangerous.

So, don't worry about doing it.

Doc

 

[OE2X]

I go along with Pug, Mech, Doc and Lamont. I don't bother either. I will wear a pair liners on cold days. I can wash these so that they don't develop the Blue Glove odor. The gloves I use are thinner which makes them easier to use.

 

[Glitch]

Well then, problem solved I'll just have to live with a little squeeze I suppose. It's just a weird feeling at first but I suppose you get used to it. But remember if my hands fall of during the next dive due to poor blood circulation and freezing I'm coming after you guys :boxing_sm

 

[lamont]

like i've been saying -- a little bubble to start with and i don't get enough squeeze to cause coldness or pain issues.

of course i don't tech dive and don't go below 100 fsw...