Glove advice

[tjohnson]

I'm looking for recommendations on dive gloves. There are a ton on the market, and local stores all recommend the gloves they carry. None that I've tried on are very comfortable, but I'll take uncomfortable over cold. Any advice? I'm diving Belizé in July, Hawaii later...mostly 70° - 75° water.

 

[xSandman3]

I dove both Cozumel and Belize two weeks ago. The dive operators at both sites would not allow anyone to dive with gloves because they didn't want us to touch anything. The water was 81 degrees at 70', so they weren't missed at all.

 

[Damselfish]

There's no need for gloves in either of those places, so enjoy not needing them. You'll see few if any divers with gloves and many tropical areas won't even allow them.
Belize is going to be much warmer than 70-75 in July.

That said, I try on gloves sometimes, if I ever found comfortable ones I might get them in case I had a need to hang onto a coral encrusted line in a current or something like that. I recently tried these on at REI, they're kayaking gloves actually and probably wouldn't take serious abuse, but they were comfortable - http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2406&deptid=944

 

[String]

Last dive i did abroad with no gloves i ended up getting cuts and scrapes from the boat ladder.

 

[deadend]

For warm water go to Home Depot and get some of those knit gloves with the blue latex coating. They rule at 3.00 a pair. Wal-Mart has them even cheaper.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

As others have said, don't bother taking gloves to Belize ... they won't allow you to wear them.

I was in Belize in July and the water temp was 84-degrees F. I was in Maui in October and the water temp was 82-degrees F. No need for gloves in either place.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[tjohnson]

Who, thanks everyone for the advice. I've already got some of those gloves from Lowes (Home Depot...same same). Never thought about using them on a dive.

 

[Henryville]

Might be overkill for you, but I love my Akona 5mm Armortex gloves with Kevlar. I have dove them from Japan to Hawaii to the Keys to the Northeast and have always been comfortable in them (except the time I used them in 38 degree water - not recommended.)

http://www.akona.com and look for ArmorTex

They have saved my hands from zebra mussels, barnacles and other sharp stuff many times. Like others have said, however, there will be some locations and marine sanctuaries where the authorities remove the temptation to touch by forbidding them.

 

[String]

I use my 5mm neoprene & kevlar northern diver gloves everywhere i go from 28c abroad to 5c water here.

Its handy when catching marine life with claws or ferreting around on/inside wrecks.


Oh, and in 5c water gloves are 100% essential for warmth!

 

[ChrisA]

I'm looking for recommendations on dive gloves. There are a ton on the market, and local stores all recommend the gloves they carry. None that I've tried on are very comfortable, but I'll take uncomfortable over cold. Any advice? I'm diving Belizé in July, Hawaii later...mostly 70° - 75° water.

In 70 - 75 water you don;t need thick gloves, don't worry about it to much.

Here the water is low 50's at depth right now, I do two or three dives a week at 51F to 55F
temps and sometimes I'll use my thin tropical gloves. Yes hands and fingers get cold
but it is tolerable if the primary reason for the dive is photography. If I don't take the
camera or I know the photo conditions will be marginal I use m 5mm gloves and stay
warm.

You don't loos much heat throug the hands in a full wetsuit you will stay warm even with thin goves. If you think you might get cold it is more effectiveto put on a hood then gloves

I'd recommd buying a set of thin "tropical" gloves, these will have maybe just simulated leather on the fingers, then buy a pair of 3mm neoprene gloves. Take them both. Try the thin ones and if it's cold switch gloves for ther next dive. Also if you are just doing one dive off the beach use the thin ones, but if diving all day off a boat dress warmmer