Grumble about gear

[Gidds]

I have several things that have been bothering me that I'd like opinions/advice on:

1. Fins

Now while I considor myself a new diver I have been donning fins actively for many years. However this year it seems that I cannot get my fins on without making a donkey of myself. Yes I know the buddy shoulder technique and the inflate your bc and float while donning fins technique. Anyway I swear it takes me forever to get into my fins because I cannot feel the straps with my gloves on so I have to fumble around for awhile before getting a hold on them and giving them a good yank. I also have to pull them very tight because I have somewhat itty bitty feet. They are Genesis Aquaflex fins in case anybody cares and yes they fit both my dry boots and my wetsuit booties. With all the fumbling I always feel like my buddy is sitting there tapping thier foot even if they aren't and I wind myself up unecessarily about that. Then after the dive getting the fins off compounds the whole looking asinine thing. It is physically impossible for me to pop the buckles gloved. There is just no way I can get a grip on the quick release hard enough to squeeze it while compressing the neoprene on my fingers. Just doesn't work. So then comes more futzing and stripping off the gloves to pop the fins off. No spring straps are not an option since I suspect I would not be strong enough to pull them. Grrrrrrrrrrr. I have no idea why this is an issue this year except maybe that it's not that easy to touch your toes fully geared up, especially in a drysuit, especially while being pushed around by waves. Tips, tricks, suggestions?

2. Gloves

I can't feel a thing in my gloves! Arg! I just got a new drysuit hood and I have discovered that I cannot don my mask in gloves while wearing said hood because I can't feel where the mask skirt might be tucked under. Yesterday my mask was leaking during my descent and I was trying to fix it and stay horizontal and it occurred to me that if I needed to pull it off or if it got kicked off it would take a divine act for me to be able to get it back on and clear it in those gloves with that hood. Now I know I've doffed and donned a mask while hooded and gloved sucessfully in the past but I cannot for the life of me remember how I did it and I do not recall the gloves I was wearing then being as unaccomodating to dexterity as the ones I have now (they were lobster mits). No these gloves (Akona 7mm 5-finger) do not come in a smaller size. I suppose I could get lobster mits. Furthermore if I can't feel my fingers enough to deal with my gear issues how am I supposed to help my buddy if they need it? Should I get new gloves? Should I try to "soften" my gloves? Should I wear them around the house and get used to doing mundane tasks with them on?

 

[TSandM]

Answer to #1: Spring straps. It's that simple. They aren't hard to pull on at all. I do it with one finger.

As far as #2 goes, I can't feel the skirt of my mask in my gloves, either, but I just hook a finger under the edge of my hood and run it around my face. That'll make sure the neoprene is outside the mask skirt all the way around. If your dexterity is too poor in the gloves to do other necessary things in the water, consider dry gloves. At least that's what everybody keeps telling me.

 

[redacted]

Spring straps are very easy to pull. Mine are just tight enough to stay on my boot. Very easy to slip thumg under the strap for removal. I've never tried heavy glove but 3mm is no harder than bare hand. Same thing donning. The spring has plenty of flex with little effort to stick your foot in and pull the spring over your heal. The string inside the spring limits the amount of stretch and can come into play often when donning and doffing. The spring is not at all difficult to stretch and, when properly adjusted, hold your fin on loosly with no discomfort.

This WWW can't help much with gloves. If I wear gloves, they are usually the waterskiing type for skin protection.

 

[pasley]

Allow me to second the spring straps. I converted my Sherwood fins to spring straps a couple of months ago and would not go back.

 

[cummings66]

I can't feel anything through my dry gloves either, I just rely on hooking it under the skirt and moving along.

Actually, most of the time my gloves are nearly last, last is the fins. For the fins I just do it in the water and yes, if the waves are pretty good it's tough to do but with time I get them. No easy technique.

 

[Xanthro]

Spring straps are MUCH easier to use than you might think. The pull is very small and you'll be strong enough.

The have spring straps that have little handle loops on the back, these are easier to find and very easy to use. They do present more of an entanglement hazzard than plain spring straps.

Gloves and cold hands are a pain when dealing with issues. Practice helps here, and as others have said, running your fingers around the mask works.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Will spring straps work with any fin? I'm using a pair of Cressi fins, and I like them just fine, but I've been curious enough about spring straps to buy a set and try them out... My problem with my fins, is that my booties have a thick and wide sole, and my feet end up becoming so wedged inside of the fin boots, that it takes a herculean effort to get them off! LOL

Good luck, Gidds. If you get the spring straps, post up your review of them.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I think you've received some great advice.

Spring straps work great and, though I don't own a pair of the Aquaflex, they look like they are very similar to a pair of Mares that I use occasionally. If so, then adapting the spring straps to them shouldn't be hard. (The hard part is figuring out what size of springs to get!)

If you choose to stick with your stock straps, then I would suggest leaving them set for where you need them when you dive. Then, when you put them on, put the straps under the heel of the fin. If you are diving form a boat, drop them on the deck as you approach the gate... tossing them overboard is a great attention getter but generally considered un-cool! Now stand on the top of the right fin with your left foot... just a little back from the tip of the fin. Then, kick into the foot pocket with your right foot... kicking the fin into the water is pretty much a hoot, but also, not considered too cool! Now bend your knee... like you were taught... supporting yourself on your buds shoulder or while holing the gunnel of the boat and then, using your index finger, loop it around the strap and pull hard as you stretch it over your heel. Don't try to grab the tab on the strap with your thumb and index... you just can't get a good hold on the thing to pull hard enough. If needed, you can leave the straps a little lose and the tighten them up after you have them on... but you're probably strong enough to do it without that extra step. Once the right fin is on, step on the top of the left fin with your finned right foot and kick into the pocket with your left foot. Repeat the process to pull on the strap just like you did with your right foot.

This method works great in booties but MIGHT be a little tougher with drysuit boots... unless you get those spring straps. That's how I do it when I'm on a boat. If I'm diving from shore I get in the water first. Then, I obviously can't kick into them but I still make sure the straps are rotated down under the heels and pull them on by looping my index around the strap and pulling hard over my heels.

On the glove deal...

... try some 3mil gloves if your fingers can stand it. If you plan to stick with the thicker ones, then there probably are some gloves out there sized to fit better than what you have already. As far as dealing with the hood and mask thing... I would suggest that you do it just like Lynne described above.

 

[Wayward Son]

I like the use of my hands so m uch that I go with much thinner gloves than most people. To give you my conditions as an example, last winter the water temps were up around 59 degrees.

I put a pair of 3mm gloves in my gear bag, never dove them. I used my Henderson tropical wt gloves, which are maybe 1mm on the backs with a suede like palm & inside fingers area. My hands did get a bit cold, but were warm enough that I could still do everything, which for me means spear fishing. Loading/unloading the gun, stringing fish, clipping the stringer & gun off to D rings as needed, in addition to the normal gauges & other tasks required in a dive.

That may be too light, if it's cold enough for you to dive dry, but the principal remains. Try lighter gloves & see how they work out.

 

[Gidds]

The water is 40 here and if I don't get out in half an hour my hands go numb even in the gloves, thinner is not an option. I hear the dry gloves are even worse dexterity-wise.