I guess I should share some thoughts.
Diving without gloves in the Caribbean has never particularly bothered me. I don't think I've been stung on the hands there at all... so protection from free-floating stingies hasn't been an issue there. But... I really question the efficacy of the policy because from my observation, folks with less than wonderful buoyancy control frequently end up bashing the reef with fins or stirring up sand and silting corals with poor finning while trying to avoid that stinging touch with the hands - where a gloved hand may have let them do the "one finger pushoff." Yes, competence and education will prevent this - but with competence and education will gloves make any difference? I don't think so. Bottom line, I personally don't care one way or the other, but the idea that I don't have a choice wrankles a bit, and gloves around boats are generally a good idea.
Touching things isn't necessarily bad. It may be instructive to read Dee Scarr's "Touch the Sea" articles - Bonaire's the primary site for her stories.
http://www.touchthesea.com/
I don't wear gloves when cave diving. My reasons there have to do with line handling.
Rick
Diving without gloves in the Caribbean has never particularly bothered me. I don't think I've been stung on the hands there at all... so protection from free-floating stingies hasn't been an issue there. But... I really question the efficacy of the policy because from my observation, folks with less than wonderful buoyancy control frequently end up bashing the reef with fins or stirring up sand and silting corals with poor finning while trying to avoid that stinging touch with the hands - where a gloved hand may have let them do the "one finger pushoff." Yes, competence and education will prevent this - but with competence and education will gloves make any difference? I don't think so. Bottom line, I personally don't care one way or the other, but the idea that I don't have a choice wrankles a bit, and gloves around boats are generally a good idea.
Touching things isn't necessarily bad. It may be instructive to read Dee Scarr's "Touch the Sea" articles - Bonaire's the primary site for her stories.
http://www.touchthesea.com/
I don't wear gloves when cave diving. My reasons there have to do with line handling.
Rick