Dryglove failure?

[CompuDude]

Hundreds of dives. Never, ever a mid-dive failure.

I have had three times where I closed the fluffy yellow inner glove in the ring. I ditched those, and it hasn't happened since.

I've punctured two mid-dive - so not a failure. More seepage.

Dry Gloves rule.

I was diving with someone this weekend. She had a custom DUI suit, top-of-the line DUI undies, etc. Her rig it top notch - BP/W, etc. She makes an excellent living, she's smart, funny, engaged... and she dives wet hands.

I was poking her about it. Telling her to embrace the technology. I demanded when she get home she get a push button phone, and get dry gloves.

Ken, which drygloves do you have again? Zip Gloves or one of the ring systems?

 

[Rainer]

I believe Ken uses the DC system.

 

[tedwhiteva]

I'm 2 for 2 in not sealing my si-tech gloves right and flooding my hand (different hand each time). Can you guys share "what's needed" to prevent leaks? I swear I've checked them and rechecked them before hitting the water, but I still flood them.

Thanks,
Greg.

I had issues when I started using them, ALL related to the O ring rolling out of the grove because I didn't put the ring on squarely when doning. My rule now is thatas I push on one edge, if it goes all the way on I start over, because that angled offset is what has pulled the O ring out of the grove as the other side is pushed on.

But it sure was nice to be able to take the ring system off this weekend (1 minute)as I prepare to go south for tech diving this weekend to allow wet gloves for wreck diving in warmer water.

 

[paulwlee]

im contemplating removing my latex seals because they are a PITA...

How are they PITA? I've tried it both ways and don't see much of a difference except having to stick the tubes in. Maybe keeping track of the tubes can be an issue, but I keep them in the gloves (and a couple of spares in the toolbox just in case) and it has never been a problem for me.

 

[np251]

Maybe not so much a PITA as a worry that im going to overstretch them and have the ring break through... The DC rings are big and there is already a lot of stretch in the seal- donning/doffing adds to the stretch and im worried ill end up ripping one out

Cheers for all the replies people, great info

 

[Mo2vation]

Compu: I'm a DC homer.

On the 350, they're installed in the ZipSeals. In the CF200, they're rigged traditional style, as the seals are glued in.


---
Ken

 

[weiland]

Thanks for the replies Ted & Rainer - I'll try your suggestions. It would be nice to use what I paid for. Also, I'd hate to run into Ken on one of the local boats and have him call me a dork...

 

[dave4868]

Hi all

How many of the dryglove users out there have EVER had one fail? No one ive spoken to has, and im contemplating removing my latex seals because they are a PITA...

So, if i remove my seals, how much of a statistical chance do i have of completely flooding my suit and dying? I use the big honking DC blue gloves, and dont ever touch anything under the water and i dont do wrecks so im not a magnet for razor sharp steel shards.

additionally, my seals have always been leaky anyway- the whole deep tendon thing- so ill probably still flood my suit with them on, only a little slower...

Cheers

Major flooding of the entire suit is very unlikely. You'd have to really work at it to get the leak from a glove puncture or tear to flood the rest of the suit... Martin Short's synchronized swimming maneuvers come to mind.

And certainly, intact latex seals will prevent or reduce the flooding of the suit from a glove failure.

Why do you find latex seals such a pain, if I might ask?

Regarding SI TECH drygloves, I love mine, but they appear to require a little more user care to avoid small leaks from o-ring problems, at least compared to Diving Concepts and others.

After having about 3 leaks in the first dozen dives, I've had no leaks with my SI TECH drygloves for about 200 dives after that.

For me, it was simply a matter of keeping the glove liner cuff out of the sealing area and lubing the o-ring real well with saliva. It also helps to occasionally do a few seconds' worth of cleaning of the o-ring and groove before a dive trip.

Rainer's suggestions sound excellent.

Suggestions based on what I've done that's helped:

(1) Tape down any extra glove material so that it can't catch in the seal.

(2) Light lube on the o-ring (yes, I know it says not to).

(3) Wax the plastic rings.

(4) Spin the rings fully open before you start putting the gloves on.

(5) Be VERY careful to keep the glove and wrist rings aligned (squarely) as you push the two together. Go slowly. If you have any doubt about the o-ring coming out of its groove, start again.

Some people have mentioned the SI TECH o-ring rolling out of position when the rings are slid together.

With the number of people having this difficulty, I wonder if SI TECH had some softer o-rings for a while.

I know that the industrial o-rings I purchased as spares were definitely softer than my SI TECH originals. The softer ones were more prone to getting pinched and rolling out of position.

Still, I think this can be solved by lubing well with saliva... almost to the point of looking like an anteater in a drysuit!

Dave C

 

[grazie42]

Things that can make the si-techs flood (in no particular order):
-Creases in the smurfglove on the "outside" (where it enters the glove-ring)
-Glove-liner between the cuff and glove-ring.
-Extruded/lost o-ring
-Wrong size on the rings
-Un-tight seal between cuff and latex seal

I´ve also had gloves and cuffs come loose while putting them on, resulting in major PITA, particularly if it´s the last glove coming of after you´ve gotten the first one on...

I also have the Viking Ro-Lock-system which works much better but I can´t put that on my Cordura-suit because the suit is to tight to get the cuff-ring thru...

 

[Skookumchuck]

Yesterday I set up my Si tech gloves at home and left them on the suit then at the dive site slipped my hand through the latex seal with the yellow gloves on. Worked great, although I don't know how dry I'd stay if I tore a glove with the yellow ones under the seal.