Gloves -- dry versus wet

[TSandM]

It must be the week for glove questions.

I wrote the following PM to Rick Inman, as a result of another thread:

Originally Posted by TSandM

Rick,

I dove with Leigh and Marc today, and thought my hands were going to fall off, they were so cold. This is absolutely the worst my hands have ever been, and the water temp has only fallen into the high 40's. So I spent some time this afternoon at the shop, talking to them about glove options, and I'm still confused. So, of course, I searched Scubaboard . . .

I noticed that you use the SiTek rings and rubber gloves from the hardware store, which is a solution that appeals to me. But I still have some questions -- did installing the SiTek rings affect the integrity of your wrist seals? (Some people have suggested that it will ruin the seals.) Did you find a big difference in warmth when you changed to dry gloves? How about dexterity?

I tried a dry glove system with the dry suit I borrowed this summer, but the gloves were huge for my hands, and at that point, my wet gloves were keeping my hands pretty comfortable. So I didn't notice a big insulating difference, and they were less dextrous, and I decided against putting any dry glove system on my suit.

I'm now open to rethinking that decision.

BTW, we had a very pleasant time being utterly incompetent in the water today. Even the crabs were laughing, or at least that's what it looked like.

Lynne

Rick answered:

Here's my one cent:

Installing the rings has not seemed to effect the integrity of the wrist seals. I'm sure there must be some effect, but I would guess that it's less than the normal stretching of putting your hands through. I never take the rings off the seals, even if I use my wet gloves. The rings don't effect how well the wrist seals actually seal - and that doesn't really mater cause the gloves seal out the water. Sure, you should still have a good seal in case the glove floods so you don't flood the suit.

I get the gloves and liners from Seattle Marine. Best price around, and you can try on the sizes with the liners before you buy.

Yes, they are warmer. Much warmer, as long as you have the right fit so you get good circulation. Dry is great!

Dexterity? Maybe a little less than wet gloves, but you're not doing surgery.

If money wasn't an issue, I wouldn't get the SiTek rings. I would get the ones that are built into the suit material and snap in, but I'm not unhappy with the SiTek.

A bad compromise are the mitt gloves. Hard to signal, big loss of dexterity, but much warmer than 5 fingered gloves.

Get the dry gloves! Have you ever met a diver you aspire to be like that doesn't have them?

Wish I could have been there doing drills with you guys. While I'm in CA next week, Robert Phillips has offered to do some with me, and I'm looking forward to it.

Rick

And then he suggested I cut and paste this as a thread on the board, so I have. Inviting all input!

 

[dr_shappero]

I got my dry gloves from Fifth Dimension last year and they are one of the best pieces of dive gear I have ever gotten. They are much warmer and I have also not noticed any harm to the seals. The first couple of dives it felt like I had huge hands and I could hardly operate anything underwater, but I got used to them quickly. Clipping boltsnaps also takes a little getting used to but even the smaller ones I have on my scouts don't give me much trouble anymore. I would say that they are a must, especially for winter diving in the PNW.

-Keith

 

[TSandM]

DS, which ones do you have?

 

[dr_shappero]

Good question...I thought they were SiTech, but the rings don't look the same. Perhaps an older version, I'll try to figure it out. I use the blue Atlas Gloves w/liners from Seattle Marine though and I agree with Rick that they are very comfortable.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Lynne,

I use OSSystems, an older set of rings. The friction fit has never let me down, and they work great. Biggest difference is the enhanced tactile ability for things like valve drills over that using thicker neoprene gloves. Here's the OSS rings (bottom):
http://www.ossystems.com/gloves/index.html

I don't bother with any sort of 'straw', coffee stirrer, etc. under the wrist seal, in my experience it simply is a non-issue, although some of my buddies use them.

Biggest thing to understand about drygloves is that they fail from time to time, especially around wrecks and sharp rocks. Don't use any type of drygloves (in Puget Sound and points north) that DOES NOT retain an inner wrist seal. There are some where the glove screws to the wrist ring making the glove an integral part of the suit - no inner seal. Avoid these. A failure of the glove will flood your suit. Make sure that regardless of which rings you buy, they allow you to retain your wrist seals so that if the glove fails your suit won't flood.

FWIW.

Doc

 

[dr_shappero]

There we go...those are the ones! :59:

 

[Penopolypants]

I have these: https://www.divetank.com/gear/product.php?id=234

The rings are very large, which made donning and doffing my BC a bit of a hassle until I got used to it. The removal method for these make them quite easy to remove. I am not using the tubing provided to offset squeeze. It is not uncomfortable and makes the gloves fit better IMO.

My hands are very warm with the liners, and only chilly without. Incidentally, I went without the liners on the second dive with the gloves, since the gloves flooded during the first dive and the liners were soaked. Uh, it helps to know how to work the gloves prior to getting in the water with them to prevent that pesky flooding. Even when they flooded, though, my hands stayed warm enough. Since the rings allow the wrist seal to stay intact, my suit did not flood. I agree with Doc Intrepid that this is important in our chilly PNW waters.

I went to dry gloves because I heard the dexterity was better - very important with someone who has carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. It took a few dives for me to believe that, but it is true now. Of course, I was never able to find a pair of wet gloves that fit well, so that statement is a bit biased.

 

[melle]

A weird question maybe.

I still dive in a wetsuit. I am not easily cold (I looked up what 40F is in C, it is 8; I dive in 6C water), and the suit fits me like a glove

However the hands are sometimes a problem. Is it possible to have dry gloves on a wetsuit?

Melle

 

[Penopolypants]

A weird question maybe.

I still dive in a wetsuit. I am not easily cold (I looked up what 40F is in C, it is 8; I dive in 6C water), and the suit fits me like a glove

However the hands are sometimes a problem. Is it possible to have dry gloves on a wetsuit?

Melle

http://www.divingconcepts.com/dryglove.htm

scroll down to the wrist seal dry glove...is this what you're looking for?

 

[melle]

http://www.divingconcepts.com/dryglove.htm

scroll down to the wrist seal dry glove...is this what you're looking for?

Oh yes!! Thanks. I will examine the availability in my area.
You're a great help, Penopolypants

-- Melle