Gloves and limited dexterity

[stuartv]

And if you touch anything they tear easily.

We might have different assessments of what "touching" and "tear easily" really mean. LOL!

I have been seriously impressed at how tough they are for how thin they are. I try to not touch anything. But, when I'm on a wreck, in current, well, sometimes you just have to hold on tight. And, of course, holding onto anchor chain and rope, in a current are also requirements.

Mine have held up astonishingly well. I have changed them out once every year or two, for getting a pinhole leak. Of course, I don't dive dry NEARLY as much as I'm sure you do.

And, yes, if I did not have wrist seals in place and was worried about a serious flood, in that case I might rethink. Though I would still probably just use a thin cut-resistant work glove over them, rather than switch to thicker gloves.

 

[Wibble]

Personally, I use and really like the Fourth Element Glove Liners under the thin drygloves such as the old G17k "Marigold" gloves. These Glove Liners are made from thin neoprene and are comfortable and have insulation properties when wet -- i.e. when the glove is pierced.

G1 Glove Liner

For use under drygloves or wet mitts. 1.5mm hydrofoam provides the confidence that in case of dryglove failure they will retain and provide thermal

fourthelement.com

If the water is cold I'll add the Fourth Element Xerotherm Wrist Warmer

Xerotherm Wrist Warmer

For use with drygloves, bridging the gap between a diver's undersuit and dryglove liner. Allows air to equalise with the dryglove, preventing squeeze.What

fourthelement.com

When it gets really cold, then I'll use the thick textured outer gloves as supplied by Kubi and Santi. These definitely affect your dexterity mainly because it's hard to feel things through those gloves. But your hands are warm even whilst decompressing.

I always use an equalising string under the wrist seal. If I don't I find it very uncomfortable as the gloves squeeze my hands tight and it's difficult to bend my fingers; if some air moves from the suit into the gloves at depth you then end up with the gloves massively expanding as you ascend and it's unlikely that the air in the gloves will pass around the wrist seal so the gloves are forced off of your hand.

If you tear your dryglove -- sorry, when you tear your dryglove -- you need to ensure that you can pull the string out from under your wrist seal otherwise the water will pass up your sleeve and slowly flood the drysuit. This is especially the case if you slash the dryglove on a wreck/whatever. I use some thin string with knots either end which I stuff under the wrist seal.

Test your drygloves by breathing in, holding the glove ring around your mouth and blowing the "balloon" up. You can hear a quite small hole very easily.

 

[jborg]

you need to ensure that you can pull the string out from under your wrist seal otherwise the water will pass up your sleeve and slowly flood the drysuit. This is especially the case if you slash the dryglove on a wreck/whatever. I use some thin string with knots either end which I stuff under the wrist seal.

How does this work? Do you take off the glove to be able to pull the string?

 

[Wibble]

How does this work? Do you take off the glove to be able to pull the string?

This is the challenge. You need to be able to feel the knot and try to lever it out from under your wrist seal. I keep meaning to try knitting a small Monkey's Fist knot into one end of the string but haven't got a round toit so just stick with a figure of eight.

Monkey's Fist | How to tie a Monkey's Fist knot animated and illustrated

How to tie a Monkey's Fist knot with animation and illustration.

www.netknots.com

If a glove is proper slashed, as opposed to a pinprick hole, then just take the glove off and pull the string out ASAP and put the glove back on to try to keep some insulation. What you don't want is to use a thumb loop and realise you have to pull the loop over your thumb and then try to stuff it back under the wrist seal! Done that. Got wet. Never use thumb loops!

One thing that some people suggest is to use a thumb loop from your under clothes but NOT over the thumb, just pulled through. Theory is that you can then stretch your arm and the thumb loop will retract from under the wrist seal. This didn't work for me


Most of my leaks are small holes closer to the top of the outer glove than the fingers. The good thing about the FE Glove Liners is they show a dark patch where the water's leaked in, so you can easily see a small leak and change the glove before the next dive. I've used Kubi Glove Rings and Santi Magic Rings, both of which you can change the glove in a minute or two; takes longer to get out of your kit than changing the glove.

I've only slashed the gloves a couple or three times. Wrecks are sharp. In warmer water, i.e. summer, it can sometimes be difficult to feel a leak underwater with the glove liners.

 

[jborg]

Right... when it's proper cold, I usually have either the sleeve of my under-undergarment or a wrist warmer under the seal (and a rather loose seal). Those are certainly difficult to get back inside the seal underwater without getting very, very wet. I guess heated gloves could be an alternative but then there's a cable and stuff under the seal.

Only NDL diving for me so far, so no real harm done when there's a leak. I suppose it requires more careful consideration when in deco in the cold.

 

[steinbil]

We might have different assessments of what "touching" and "tear easily" really mean. LOL!

I have been seriously impressed at how tough they are for how thin they are. I try to not touch anything. But, when I'm on a wreck, in current, well, sometimes you just have to hold on tight. And, of course, holding onto anchor chain and rope, in a current are also requirements.

Mine have held up astonishingly well. I have changed them out once every year or two, for getting a pinhole leak. Of course, I don't dive dry NEARLY as much as I'm sure you do.

And, yes, if I did not have wrist seals in place and was worried about a serious flood, in that case I might rethink. Though I would still probably just use a thin cut-resistant work glove over them, rather than switch to thicker gloves.

Yeah, all my dives here are dry. To be fair, they did last a long time, I was also pretty careful with touching anything. We do some clean up dives in marinas here picking up all kinds of sharp metal objects and sometimes we pick urchins, shells and other things for research projects, it's very easy to prick or tear gloves when you do that. But I do agree, for normal diving they hold up well.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I dive cold water (low 40's), dry gloves. I touch everything, lol. I use showa 720's and then whatever appropriate liner (I have 3 different ones). My thickest liners put the gloves on par with a 4mm or 5mm wet glove.

I don't dive with seals, my hands stay warmer (they're cut way back). I have gotten pinholes but never a full on cut. Where it would be dangerous (deco in the ocean) the water is usually much warmer (55f and even warmer up top) so it's not the end of the world. A full on flood would be annoying but not really dangerous.

My showa's will last about 6 months. Sometimes longer. If it's just a pinhole I add a little bicycle patch at the SI and keep diving.

It takes practice.. but you really can learn to do just about anything with thick gloves. Someone suggested using the gloves / liners around the house. That's a marvelous idea.

 

[Litefoot]

Great stuff everyone. Thanks!