CheddarChick
Contributor
Merry Christmas Roy and good luck with your great product!!!!!
Glove promo is over/post reviews here
- Thread starter Roy McKinney
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formula1mb@aol.com
Contributor
I just found this thread, little new to scubaboard but WOW, it's amazing to see how narrow minded some of the old timers are who think they know everything. Personally, I don't have these yet and haven't tried them but so far I'm very intrigued and interested-----plus I am just a gadget loving engineer 
Seriously though, instead of putting it down and knocking something new, how about being constructive and try to think of new and useful ways to use something? Look at cell phones, 10 years ago, people only made calls and the occasional text, now some people live their whole life on them......just goes to show, sometimes the usefulness of a product or it's potential can't be fully realized immediately and you're very naive to immediately dismiss something without good reason.
Thinking about these, would I use them as my primary propulsion or even in combination on a regular basis? probably not, but having that extra burst of speed now and than is never a bad thing.
However, the main benefit I could see is from a safety point of view. Now many of you who think you're a navy seal and the greatest diver of all time thinks these are b***t and ridiculous. But what if you look at the fins and potential failures? Is it possible that a strap breaks while diving and you lose a fin? Yes. Is it possible that in a difficult dive or for whatever reason a fin falls off and you lose it? Of course. Now if you had these, at least you would have some sort of back up and can still move somewhat efficiently, not as good mind you but whether underwater or on the surface you could at least make progress.
The thing I'd be most interested though is for beach diving. Probably a lot of the great 'dive masters' here only do boat dives, do a nice leisurely jump off the back of the boat and never worry about waves, surf, or rocky entries. However most of my dives are beach dives here in California and a lot of times, the conditions are less than perfect. When I do a surf entry, I have two options:
1) Put your fins on before you enter, walk backwards doing the duck walk and when you're deep enough get on your back and start kicking. This is what is normally taught but not my favorite way. It's very slow, takes a lot longer to get through the surf, and awkward if and when you get knocked down by a big wave. Personally I want to get through the surf ASAP and not ideal from that perspective.
2) You walk in without the fins and put them on when you're deep enough to start swimming. This works well most of the time but has its problems too. In big surf, a lot of times you get knocked down and without the fins on already, you end up floundering around, unable to move without fins and struggling to get back up or put on your fins while the surf is crashing on you.
Looking at option #2, I could see a huge benefit with these gloves. That way, I can walk in without fins, move through the surf zone much faster and worst case scenario if I do get knocked down, I can use the gloves temporarily to get the hell out of the surf and into deeper water. From there, I can finally put on my fins comfortably and continue on. Not to mention rocky entries where you're literally crawling over boulders when you have no way to go in with the fins already on and these could be very helpful.
Final scenario is for an emergency, lets say you're climbing up the ladder to the dive boat and are handling off your fins, a huge swell comes along and you get knocked down in the water. You have no fins and start drifting away. If you have these, well at least you can move and hopefully get back unless you have some real wicked current.
Like I said, I haven't used these but very curious and interested and see them more as a safety back up, almost a pony for your fins. Now for all the guys in their ivory towers, is it really a bad thing to have extra propulsion for back up? of course I know all the previous commenters are perfect divers and would never possibly have an emergency, break a fin strap, etc........
Just my opinion from reading the posts, I always rather try to find the best in something instead of bashing it for no apparent reason.
Robert
Seriously though, instead of putting it down and knocking something new, how about being constructive and try to think of new and useful ways to use something? Look at cell phones, 10 years ago, people only made calls and the occasional text, now some people live their whole life on them......just goes to show, sometimes the usefulness of a product or it's potential can't be fully realized immediately and you're very naive to immediately dismiss something without good reason.
Thinking about these, would I use them as my primary propulsion or even in combination on a regular basis? probably not, but having that extra burst of speed now and than is never a bad thing.
However, the main benefit I could see is from a safety point of view. Now many of you who think you're a navy seal and the greatest diver of all time thinks these are b***t and ridiculous. But what if you look at the fins and potential failures? Is it possible that a strap breaks while diving and you lose a fin? Yes. Is it possible that in a difficult dive or for whatever reason a fin falls off and you lose it? Of course. Now if you had these, at least you would have some sort of back up and can still move somewhat efficiently, not as good mind you but whether underwater or on the surface you could at least make progress.
The thing I'd be most interested though is for beach diving. Probably a lot of the great 'dive masters' here only do boat dives, do a nice leisurely jump off the back of the boat and never worry about waves, surf, or rocky entries. However most of my dives are beach dives here in California and a lot of times, the conditions are less than perfect. When I do a surf entry, I have two options:
1) Put your fins on before you enter, walk backwards doing the duck walk and when you're deep enough get on your back and start kicking. This is what is normally taught but not my favorite way. It's very slow, takes a lot longer to get through the surf, and awkward if and when you get knocked down by a big wave. Personally I want to get through the surf ASAP and not ideal from that perspective.
2) You walk in without the fins and put them on when you're deep enough to start swimming. This works well most of the time but has its problems too. In big surf, a lot of times you get knocked down and without the fins on already, you end up floundering around, unable to move without fins and struggling to get back up or put on your fins while the surf is crashing on you.
Looking at option #2, I could see a huge benefit with these gloves. That way, I can walk in without fins, move through the surf zone much faster and worst case scenario if I do get knocked down, I can use the gloves temporarily to get the hell out of the surf and into deeper water. From there, I can finally put on my fins comfortably and continue on. Not to mention rocky entries where you're literally crawling over boulders when you have no way to go in with the fins already on and these could be very helpful.
Final scenario is for an emergency, lets say you're climbing up the ladder to the dive boat and are handling off your fins, a huge swell comes along and you get knocked down in the water. You have no fins and start drifting away. If you have these, well at least you can move and hopefully get back unless you have some real wicked current.
Like I said, I haven't used these but very curious and interested and see them more as a safety back up, almost a pony for your fins. Now for all the guys in their ivory towers, is it really a bad thing to have extra propulsion for back up? of course I know all the previous commenters are perfect divers and would never possibly have an emergency, break a fin strap, etc........
Just my opinion from reading the posts, I always rather try to find the best in something instead of bashing it for no apparent reason.
Robert
SgtSlaughter
Registered
Hey formula1, I have a pair of these and love them. I wear them just about every dive. I and generally a by the book diver and dont normally use my hands for swimming. But... these do come in handy. A little flick of the wrist and spin on a dime.
The best way for you to really apreciate them is just get a pair. They are only 25 bucks and I think Roy is still doing free shipping.
The best way for you to really apreciate them is just get a pair. They are only 25 bucks and I think Roy is still doing free shipping.
I've ordered a pair, taking advantage of the free anywhere-on-the-planet postage right now as I'm on the other side of the planet. I believe that the gloves will help me with my manoeuvrability while taking pictures. Whether it makes a significant difference or not remains to be seen. I'd read that other people have no problem operating a camera while wearing the gloves. I'd be happy to give a glowing review if they turn out to be as good as I hope they'll be.
floridanewbe
Contributor
I finally got to try the pair out. Kept forgetting to take them out of the dive bag. Wife actually tried them as she wears gloves. She liked the maneuvarability in the water. we had a good surge dive in LBTS shore diving and minor movements got her right where she wanted. I read alot of the reviews and also the criticisms. I tend to agree with Roy, if you took it down to basics, we'd be swimming in the nude. My wife skin dives. I do not. She likes gloves cuz she likes to one finger touch the bottom or a rock and hang out to watch the little stuff. She commented the swim back to shore was easier and she got a bit more propulsion.
Wife will be doing a write up on her blog as well.
She did make a comment about feeling like a super hero. I told her she was my scuba girl.
Wife will be doing a write up on her blog as well.
She did make a comment about feeling like a super hero. I told her she was my scuba girl.
Mark Derail
Contributor
Thread Revival
Darkfin's fault - got publicity on Facebook...and I thought, oh no, another of those great products that are illegal everywhere I love diving.
Gloves illegal in many dive locations - so would these Darkfin gloves also be illegal?
I wish that "illegal" would not apply to gloves that have the fingers of the gloves cut, so that all, or half, of the fingers are exposed.
If no-glove on reefs are to prevent people from touching / picking-up, then exposed fingers on gloves would also be a deterrent.
Darkfin's fault - got publicity on Facebook...and I thought, oh no, another of those great products that are illegal everywhere I love diving.
Gloves illegal in many dive locations - so would these Darkfin gloves also be illegal?
I wish that "illegal" would not apply to gloves that have the fingers of the gloves cut, so that all, or half, of the fingers are exposed.
If no-glove on reefs are to prevent people from touching / picking-up, then exposed fingers on gloves would also be a deterrent.
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