glove question

[WannaLaguna]

Yea 80' vis but no Kelp.

John

this is true...no seals either...

 

[drrragon]

Thanks for the replies. I had a feeling that there was more to dive gloves than the standard neoprene common nowadays in the LDS. What triggered my question was talking with one diver who had been using gloves that were mostly leather for a few years. The gloves appeared to be in ok condition, obviously used but not worn out. Somehow it made some sense to me that leather could be protective and durable, but I was wondering about what the salt water would do to them, from the leather itself, to the seams and thread materials, and overall durability.

Another trigger for my question is that my gloves need replacing. First the velcro pads at the wrists were coming off due to the threads just simply unthreading and breaking down. Some seams are starting to come apart on the back of the glove. Some fingertips are fraying even though I don't handle much stuff like urchins or pick up things.

I have held onto some hard rock in the past like when going through the crevasse at Shaw's when the surge pushed me backwards. I don't think that I am abusive of the bottom when diving. I may hold a flashlight or my console or shoot a picture or I may climb a boat ladder after a dive.

I haven't stuck my hand in any holes in the rocks or pinned any lobster or any other type of creature, nor gotten bit so whatever the cause, my Oceanic gloves, which are my first pair of dive gloves, have not lasted long enough. I do rinse off after each day of diving and turn the gloves inside out so the insides dry out faster.

It may just be my luck though. For example, I just replaced a Cobra computer after only 3 years, with fewer than 75 dives and outside of the full warranty. For no good reason, the depth sensor went nuts on me during a dive. I never dropped it, keep it attached to me in a way that it doesn't drag on the bottom, nor have I left it in a hot car for long periods. Suunto could not explain how it happened nor could they fix it.

Well, I will be getting at least two pairs of gloves now. I'll get a pair of neoprene for the warmth and will try to find a pair of leather gloves, maybe the elk or some other hide just to see how they are, and maybe to use in warmer water if there is a big insulation problem.

 

[JMdiver]

You might also try and dip the finger tips in the liquid rubber they sell for tool handles it helps the gloves last longer.

John

 

[drrragon]

I came across a pair of dive gloves that look like leather palmed gloves. The "leather" is a polyurethane, a synthetic leather, but they have what I thought would be the advantage of some leather gloves, i.e., more dexterity due to thinness, but then that also means less insulation. The neoprene for the back of the glove is about 1 mm. This is a very non-bulky glove.

They are sold as "reef gloves" for warm water diving, made in Thailand, and cost me at the LDS $18.

I'll have to see about the palm material and the seam's ability to hold up, but at least they seem to be made for divers so hopefully the material and thread type was considered for diving in salt water.

Thanks for all of the replies and considerations.

 

[river_sand_bar]

Just a thought on the gloves part... that works excellent for me in warmer water.

I have a pair of water ski gloves.... they are leather palms and mesh backing...made to be in the water.