Dry Suit Gloves?

[jduncan]

Looking for a better/warmer solution than we have now (5mm wet) for dry suit diving. The ring system looks nice but would likely get in the way of lobstering, and would take a beating doing the same.

How are the Nordic Blue gloves that use a wrist seal? Anyone have experience with them? Any other ideas?

j

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I dislike dry glove rings for roughly the same reasons. They get in the way on commercial work and get beat up pretty badly reaching into confined spaces. I also dislike them for technical diving as it makes it harder to reach between deco bottles and reduces the lenght available on my forearm for a slate and bottom timer.

What I discovered is that the my hands stay just as warm in 5mm wet gloves provided:

1. that their seams are intact (no water flow through the glove itself),
2. that the gloves have a strap to secure the cuff (again to reduce water flow in and out of the glove) and
3. that I wear warmer undergarments

It does not matter how warm your gloves are, if your core temp falls, your body restricts circulation to the extremities in an effort to keep your vital organs warm and delay the onset of hypothermia.

So...if you can reduce water flow and beef up your core insulation, your hands will stay toasty warm. This has held true for me during working dives with several hours spent in 50 degree water, technical dives well over an hour long in 40 degree water, and on ice dives in the 30-45 minute range in 33-35 degree water.

 

[jduncan]

Interesting. Well, maybe I will give it another shot with the wet gloves.

 

[Tamas]

Another option I heard works as well is the InstaDry gloves from Henderson, all of their seams are glued to limit water movement and seepage - thus limiting heat loss

 

[Solitude Diver]

Interesting. Well, maybe I will give it another shot with the wet gloves.

If you can’t get the 5mm gloves to work, maybe you can borrow someone’s dry gloves and try them out?

My wife had a problem during her OW classes, in which her hands got so cold (in 5mm neo) that her fingers turned blue and wouldn’t function properly anymore. (Our water is about 45-55 depending on time of year, depth, etc.) We bought her (zip) dry gloves (DUI) and it helped tremendously. She can now dive for extended times. It was definitely worth the switch for her.

The only downfall is the zip gloves stay on the suit. Not good for surface intervals in rain, etc. Santa brought her the ring type now so she can remove the gloves when not in water, and still leave suit on. I think you’ll like them.

Although it is true that some commercial, tech, and wreck divers prefer neoprene wet gloves (that’s what I use too, but my hands don’t get cold due to built in insulation ) there are plenty that use dry gloves for all of the above as well, so I would think they would work for your program too. Try some out. Maybe you can talk your LDS into renting you a test pair and taking the fee off the price if you like and decide to buy some?

 

[matt_unique]

I'm surprised to read DA's post. I upgraded to Diving Concepts neo dry gloves last winter (with the rings at the wrist) and I would never look back. My hands are dramatically warmer and I have never found the wrist rings to pose any problems. I had good 7mm wetgloves that extended over my drysuit wrist seals to my forearm. These gloves had a velco cinch strap to keep snug to prevent water flow.

I too lobster but even with wetgloves I never reach into a hole. I use a tickle stick to coax them out for a better look (to get a better sense of whether they are keepers) and for a better opportunity to grab them. I have not found any problems manipulating my gear or reaching deco bottles for deco dives.

When the water temp goes below 40 degrees I use heating pads in my gloves and boots for extra comfort.

--Matt

 

[jduncan]

Where we lobster on the outer Cape, it's a little different. Instead of rocks and holes we have toilet bowls and 5 gallon buckets. We don't use tickle sticks.

I'm still not ruling out the DC gloves. And I am curious to know if the Nordic Blue gloves work without the rings. They sell the ones with just a seal, and I'm interested in any feedback on those.

 

[ghostdiver1957]

Looking for a better/warmer solution than we have now (5mm wet) for dry suit diving. The ring system looks nice but would likely get in the way of lobstering, and would take a beating doing the same.

How are the Nordic Blue gloves that use a wrist seal? Anyone have experience with them? Any other ideas?

j

Henderson makes a great dry glove for use with any drysuit... about $35

 

[PacketSniffer]

Why don't you guys make up a set of DIY rings/gloves like I did? Then, you could experiment with the perfect outer glove? Or you could do a combo of the dry gloves with the Henderson Insta-Dry gloves on the outside. It might be the perfect setup.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=1447586#post1447586


Richard

 

[pt40fathoms]

Once you switch to dry gloves, you'll never go back to wet.

I have found that with practice, dexterity and tactile feel can be learned and so far have never had an issue with my BARE Dry gloves with the SI Tech rings. I use them in technical diving and can easily complete a valve drill or pull out small items out of my thigh pockets. You do need to be cautious about sharp objects, as you would with any dry glove. If you are planning to use a hammer and chisel to remove a port hole from a wreck, I would suggest wet gloves with sealed seams to reduce water flow. Otherwise dry is the way to go for unmatched warmth.