Gloves from now on!

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Or just absolutely perfect your buoyancy skills.

If you don't touch, you don't need gloves.

If you wear gloves, you'll touch the reef.

It's that simple.

Mooring lines? Use those paperclip thingies that they sell to the tech divers.

Or, pull that right hand glove out of your bc and wear it for the occasion.

Two weeks ago I absolutely shamed two divers on our Philippines trip out of their gloves.

One of them said: OW! That hurt when I touched that "dead spot" on the reef.

Bought a clue, did he?

Sorry, Roatanman,

I understand the reasoning for both wearing and not wearng gloves. I'm afraid that I would side with those who wear gloves or at least put them on for decents and ascents on mooring lines.

I'm not going to become politically correct as to worry about those little stingy hydroid SOB's on the line that I wouldn't care about wasting a few. There are other times you NEED gloves....shallow water, heavy surge and the elkhorn coral about one foot from your chest. Maybe you should't be there but it happens and you are going to need gloves.

How about heavy current and trying to stay with the dive group? Even without gloves, most divers are TOLD that if necessary touch the "dead spots" for stabilization.

Next thing we will be told is that we shouldn't kneel in the sand on the bottom. Let's face it there are living thingies in the sand too...maybe we shouldn't accidently kill a couple.

True story...I was diving in Eliat, Israel...just off shore. I hate to say it but most of what little coral I saw was pretty beat up. The dive master insisted on a no glove rule. I insisted otherwise....it seems that I had nearly pinched my finger off during very heavy surge a week earlier. The ladder hinge clamped my index finger as I put my full weight on the rungs and the boat surged upwards. The end of the finger literally "blew out". Had I not been wearing gloves I would have most likely amputated the fingertip of my right hand...not a good idea for a dentist. I was cleared to dive HOWEVER, the gloves I wore were to protect my injury. I actually had to take off my bandage and show both the divemaster AND the marine park employee the nasty wound to prove I had to wear the glove before they agreed that I should dive with ONE GLOVE ON.

You will be happy to know that: 1) I didn't touch any of the dead coral in the area...so it was still safe for others to admire.
2) My finger healed up successfully...probably from all the salt water rinses I did.
3) The next time someone tells me to dive without gloves, I'm taking my money and my dives elsewhere.

Your divers didn't need to buy your clue. You lost a future dive trip. Unfortunately, you sound much too smug that you "shamed" your charges. There are two sides to this issue and flexibility, with kind instruction is the most reasonable course of action.

I note with some interest that in your Personal Profile photo, something...perhaps it is your guage...attached to your yellow lanyard is definitely touching the bottom below. You don't suppose that you have inadvertently killed several million microscopic beasties by accident. Now drag that sucker along the bottom and I'll just bet that you would do more reef damage in one dive than all the divers you have shamed might have done by touching the dead (or even the live) spots on the bottom. Perhaps, it is only an example of how, even the best trained divers don't always have complete control over their bouyancy and complete situational awareness that they are dragging a hose or their fins are making contact with the bottom.

Frankly, I think the REAL problem for reefs is not gloves. Rather it is the sheer numbers of divers that are attracted by advertisements to see a particular area that is responsible for the decline of the reef. Touching the reef with gloves is inconsequential when done by a half a dozen divers once a month. On the other hand, successful dive destinations have thousands of divers week in and week out kicking, bumping touching, peeing, etc. The chambers of commerce of each of these sites is doing everything they can to attract more divers...with or without gloves.

But, hey, that's my personal observation and opinion. Gloves are definitely the real culprit...we all know that is the truth.

Respectfully,

Laurence Stein, DDS

 

[Gidds]

You will have to violently remove my gloves from my dead scarred body! I intend on keeping as much of my precious skin covered as possible regardless of water temp. due to the lovely scars a jelly gave me long long ago. And NO I was not trying to touch the jelly, I never even saw it. I was taught that if you are diving near coral, or anywhere else where you are moving horizontally near the bottom for that matter, that you cross your hands on your belly and tuck your gauges in while skull kicking.

 

[Bill51]

But, hey, that's my personal observation and opinion. Gloves are definitely the real culprit...we all know that is the truth.

Gloves don’t kill coral, sloppy divers do – with or without gloves.

You’ll take my gloves off my cold dead hands.

 

[getwet2]

I'm for gloves. It's better to have them on if you need them then to try to put them on when you do.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm for gloves. It's better to have them on if you need them then to try to put them on when you do.

Are we still talking in the Caribbean? A lot of Ops down there are gonna rag you for gloves, even refuse to let you dive. How do you deal with that? Not hypothetically, but how have you?

 

[LavaSurfer]

Are we still talking in the Caribbean? A lot of Ops down there are gonna rag you for gloves, even refuse to let you dive. How do you deal with that? Not hypothetically, but how have you?

Don, Several of the divers on the trip in question did just as I suggested. Once in the water the gloves came out of the BC and went on the hands. There was quite a to do over the gloves and basically it came down to letting those who wanted to wear them, wear them but it wasn't going over very well.

"No Gloves" is the law in Cayman and as I understand, in many other areas now.

If I must, I will enter the water without them on but you can guarentee they will be in my BC pocket. These burns really bite!

BTW, I noticed the SPG, Hand or somethng dragging on the coral in Roatanmans profile pic but I thought better left alone. Glad I wasn't the only one that noticed.

 

[diversteve]

Even on Bonaire, where they're obsessed about protecting the reef(it's a good thing...) you're allowed one glove for touching the mooring lines - since a lot of them are covered with firecoral it's probably a good idea.

From the BMP regs:

Please don't wear gloves (you won't need them because you're not going to touch anything). You may:

stow one in your pocket to be used to go up and down the mooring line
use gloves during clean up dives
wear gloves while wreck diving
wear gloves to get into and out of the water if you are shore diving the windward side east of Willemstoren

 

[getwet2]

Are we still talking in the Caribbean? A lot of Ops down there are gonna rag you for gloves, even refuse to let you dive. How do you deal with that? Not hypothetically, but how have you?

We might be closer to the Atlantic.
Gloves are in the BC pocket and are being put on during the descent down. Never had a problem, never been told otherwise but then again I haven't been to the Caymans yet.

 

[LavaSurfer]

Grand Cayman Law

For good reasons the Cayman Islands Government has banded the use of gloves while scuba diving on coral reefs. Although some experienced divers can wear gloves responsibly, many can not. It has been studied that divers wearing gloves are far more likely to touch a coral or a fish - Touching can remove their mucus membrane and cause infection and even cause corals to die. Please help us follow this new law, otherwise it can lead to 6 months in jail, confiscation of vessel and a $500,000 fine.

OUCH!

 

[Doc]

Sorry, Roatanman,
I understand the reasoning for both wearing and not wearng gloves. I'm afraid that I would side with those who wear gloves or at least put them on for decents and ascents on mooring lines.

I'm not going to become politically correct as to worry about those little stingy hydroid SOB's on the line that I wouldn't care about wasting a few.

This exception I noted and agreed to above in my first post.

There are other times you NEED gloves....shallow water, heavy surge and the elkhorn coral about one foot from your chest. Maybe you should't be there but it happens and you are going to need gloves.

If you're in ElkHorn your only option is to turn seaward, it will only get worse in shore. Go out, then go around. Gloves will be the least of the materiel you will be needing after a dance through ElkHorn Coral.

How about heavy current and trying to stay with the dive group? Even without gloves, most divers are TOLD that if necessary touch the "dead spots" for stabilization.

Largely, advice to those who do not understand how to "play" the currents, much as a bird or sailplane. It is a simple matter to let a group catch up (that's the only reason you would "hang on") by ducking behind a coral head and getting low. It's just simpler for a local DM to give that kind of 'hang on' advice or sell the use of a "hook" versus explaining laminar flow and hydrodynamics to the new kids.

Next thing we will be told is that we shouldn't kneel in the sand on the bottom. Let's face it there are living thingies in the sand too...maybe we shouldn't accidently kill a couple.

I actually think about that as I do like to glide my mask within 4" of the bottom, staring thru my magnifying glass.

True story...I was diving in Eliat, Israel...just off shore. I hate to say it but most of what little coral I saw was pretty beat up. The dive master insisted on a no glove rule. I insisted otherwise....it seems that I had nearly pinched my finger off during very heavy surge a week earlier. The ladder hinge clamped my index finger as I put my full weight on the rungs and the boat surged upwards. The end of the finger literally "blew out". Had I not been wearing gloves I would have most likely amputated the fingertip of my right hand...not a good idea for a dentist. I was cleared to dive HOWEVER, the gloves I wore were to protect my injury. I actually had to take off my bandage and show both the divemaster AND the marine park employee the nasty wound to prove I had to wear the glove before they agreed that I should dive with ONE GLOVE ON.

I try to follow the local rules and do what I am told. Ladder rules, on the other hand, are universal. A pre dive examination of the ladder is always suggested and well advised. For the terminally clumsy, they make steel tipped gloves (like boots). And, once again, if you want to use glove ascending a mooring line or ladder, I can not disagree. But would that rule apply on a "placed wreck"... if man put it there, it's okay to grab hold of, right? Food for debate.

You will be happy to know that: 1) I didn't touch any of the dead coral in the area...so it was still safe for others to admire.
2) My finger healed up successfully...probably from all the salt water rinses I did.
3) The next time someone tells me to dive without gloves, I'm taking my money and my dives elsewhere.

We are all happy when injuries heal.... I'm glad you finger recovered. But you'll always remember that lesson of the ladder. They can really pOnK you in the skull, as well, so check that out before gaining real time experience. They make little helmets for just this purpose.

Your divers didn't need to buy your clue. You lost a future dive trip. Unfortunately, you sound much too smug that you "shamed" your charges. There are two sides to this issue and flexibility, with kind instruction is the most reasonable course of action.

We all have our methods. In that this was an advanced tech diver, replete with twins and pony whilst we were flitting about in 1/2 mph current with 80's taking snaps of Nudibranchs, he was fully capable of taking the way it was intended. It was said only once, and they mulled it over. Some have the capacity for analytical thought, others stumble onwards unknowingly.

This particular diver (in fact there were two seperate divers on the boat that had this epiphany) enjoyed diving with me before and after the comments. They have both pledged a repeat trip. Musta' really honked 'em off. They enjoyed the change of experience and sharing their discovery. Some good, some bad.




I note with some interest that in your Personal Profile photo, something...perhaps it is your guage...attached to your yellow lanyard is definitely touching the bottom below. You don't suppose that you have inadvertently killed several million microscopic beasties by accident. Now drag that sucker along the bottom and I'll just bet that you would do more reef damage in one dive than all the divers you have shamed might have done by touching the dead (or even the live) spots on the bottom. Perhaps, it is only an example of how, even the best trained divers don't always have complete control over their bouyancy and complete situational awareness that they are dragging a hose or their fins are making contact with the bottom.

No, in that shot, it isn't touching anything. Immediately before that it did brush the fire coral. But nice observation. We should all try to be as streamlined as possible, avoiding contact.

Frankly, I think the REAL problem for reefs is not gloves. Rather it is the sheer numbers of divers that are attracted by advertisements to see a particular area that is responsible for the decline of the reef. Touching the reef with gloves is inconsequential when done by a half a dozen divers once a month. On the other hand, successful dive destinations have thousands of divers week in and week out kicking, bumping touching, peeing, etc. The chambers of commerce of each of these sites is doing everything they can to attract more divers...with or without gloves.

We sure agree on that one. It is the effluvia of visitors, flushed out to sea. It is the siltation and run off caused by construction to suit their needs.

But, hey, that's my personal observation and opinion. Gloves are definitely the real culprit...we all know that is the truth.

Well, no, but then again, gloves were what this thread was about.

Respectfully,

Laurence Stein, DDS

Larry, you'll know me when you see me, I am the guy with thousands of warm water dives not wearing any gloves. All ten fingers still attached! (technically)