Is the Kubi dry glove system worth the money?

[Gareth J]

There are a number of glove options that Kubi provide, from the basic latex glove, to heavier duty gloves.
If you want better thermal insulation, then you can fit a larger glove, and a wear a heavier Inner glove.

I generally wear the thinner (standard) glove with the thinner (standard) under glove. This is mainly because working a camera is easier.
I do have a much thicker set of glove liners that I used in Iceland. I can't remember the name of the make.

There are now a number of options for the under glove, from those provided by Kubi, to Forth Element thermal under gloves.

You can wear very thick under gloves, as long as you size the outer glove correctly. The only issue is you use dexterity.

With regard to the ring size, get the correct size (rather than an overlarge ring). Kubis suppliers have a test Jig - you just need to be able to put your hand through the hole!

 

[Paul M]

I’ve gone diving with the thin Kubi gloves down to 40F. I use Fourth Element fleece liners. My fingers were fine. I bet others have used different gloves with the Kubi rings so they’ll have to answer.

The only downside to Kubi/Ansell gloves is they don't come in large enough sizes for a lot of guys. The glove themselves are not designed specifically for diving, with glove lliners. They are made/sized for fitting bare hands. When the gloves are too tight, there is very little air circultation causing cold finger tips.
My hands wear XL gloves and the XXL Kubi/Ansell gloves are simply too tight when needing to wear a thicker cold water liner. These gloves are not sold in a larger size. At a few dollars a pair, I wish they were.
My solution was to attach purpose made Dry gloves, from Waterproof, to my Kubi rings. They have been perfect and allowed for some air circulation to help keep the fingertips warm. They are still thin enough to allow good dexterity.
The Kubi rings are fantastic. I have a few hundred dives on mine and still going strong with all original o-rings. I take the rings off, clean and lube them a couple times each year.

 

[Zef]

OP, which si-tech system do you have?

If you are going to migrate away from one system to another then I can only recommend the Rolock system.

If you currently have the round Si-Tech QCP rings attached to your suit that you were using a si-tech glove system with then you can modify the system to directly fit the Rolock 3 dryglove system. If you have latex wrist seals you can also mount the Rolock 3 dryglove system.

I have tested a good deal of the systems on the market and in order of preference I recommend the following:
1. Rolock
2. Ultima DGS
3. Si-Tech Glove Lock
4. Kubi

-Z

 

[AJMcc]

I did not like them, sold them and went back to Si-tec.

 

[Peter10/50]

I have used the Kubi rings for several years now and like them. I have them on a couple of suits.

Despite the instructions to not lube them I have found a small amount of zipper lube helps make them easier to put on and more importantly, take off.

Pulling gloves over plastic rings seems easier but it also seems that the gloves can easily be damaged by hitting a hard object on the ring that causes the glove to hole. Many folks up here tape the gloves over the plastic rings. It can be hard to donn both gloves for pull over on one’s own. I often help my buddies do that. My gloves seem to last much longer than those of my buddies that do the pull over.

The Kubi rings are incredibly durable. Mine have hundreds of dives on them with no discernible wear.

The best feature for me is the small amount of real estate on my arm the Kubi ring takes up. I sometimes dive with multiple tanks strapped to my side and the small rings make it easier to reach between them. Also better for leaving space on my arm for a computer.

To size draw a circle on cardboard to see if you can put your hand thru.

 

[Adampatrick]

Short answer, no.

I found better systems for less money. Rolock or Ultima would be my recommendation.

Thank you,
I will do a search for them.

 

[Adampatrick]

I did not like them, sold them and went back to Si-tec.

do you ever have any issues with your Si-Tech leaking?

 

[Adampatrick]

I have used the Kubi rings for several years now and like them. I have them on a couple of suits.

Despite the instructions to not lube them I have found a small amount of zipper lube helps make them easier to put on and more importantly, take off.

Pulling gloves over plastic rings seems easier but it also seems that the gloves can easily be damaged by hitting a hard object on the ring that causes the glove to hole. Many folks up here tape the gloves over the plastic rings. It can be hard to donn both gloves for pull over on one’s own. I often help my buddies do that. My gloves seem to last much longer than those of my buddies that do the pull over.

The Kubi rings are incredibly durable. Mine have hundreds of dives on them with no discernible wear.

The best feature for me is the small amount of real estate on my arm the Kubi ring takes up. I sometimes dive with multiple tanks strapped to my side and the small rings make it easier to reach between them. Also better for leaving space on my arm for a computer.

To size draw a circle on cardboard to see if you can put your hand thru.

Excellent thank you for the advice.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I don't have experience with Kubi. I have waterproof ultimas. They work really well for me.. so well that I don't have a liner around the wrist. I cut the liner off and now the air travels into my hand and keeps it warmer. (I'm not the 1st person to do this). I installed them myself. It was pretty straightforward.

If I had to do it over I would try the Rolock. They're supposed to be easier to get on and off, and a little less expensive.

Kubi look nice, they're just too damn expensive (to me) for what they are.

Only 2 leaks with mine in 80 ish dives. Both were my fault, just hair stuck on the o ring, rushing to get in. Both were felt and fixed at the surface.

 

[Gareth J]

I don't have experience with Kubi. I have waterproof ultimas. They work really well for me.. so well that I don't have a liner around the wrist. I cut the liner off and now the air travels into my hand and keeps it warmer. (I'm not the 1st person to do this). I installed them myself. It was pretty straightforward.

If I had to do it over I would try the Rolock. They're supposed to be easier to get on and off, and a little less expensive.

Kubi look nice, they're just too damn expensive (to me) for what they are.

Only 2 leaks with mine in 80 ish dives. Both were my fault, just hair stuck on the o ring, rushing to get in. Both were felt and fixed at the surface.

Kubis are expensive, but, they weren't that much different from the alternates.

I originally used the Sitech, because the rings where already fitted to the suit. But buying the 'glove' element was still a (reasonably) expensive purchase. I found the Sitech, really uncomfortable due to the size of the rings. The ring size interfered a lot, including making handling stages very difficult. Very easy to put on and remove. The leaks I has where due to glove failures. Most glove failures where down to puncturing or ripping the glove, a product of wreck diving.

I found the Kubi's much more comfortable, the rings are barely noticeable. I have found very light lubrication of the O-ring makes them much better, easier to done and remove, and stopped the odd damp dive. I tend not to fit a vent into/out of the glove from the suit, just in case I puncture the glove (which I have done a number of times).

The main reason, that you don't see dry gloves on all suits is the cost, and the suit normally needs modification. That is the main reason most people don't use dry gloves.
Interestingly, once people have started using dry gloves, they appear to see them as a crucial part of the drysuit.

Those I know, who have had dry gloves, have then paid to have them fitted to their next suit. As I did with my new suit. If you are diving cold water, they significantly increase comfort, and you don't want to go back to having frozen hands at the end of the dive.