Pros and Cons of wearing gloves

[MauiScubaSteve]

I always wear gloves. I'm a shore diver, and dive from rocky (lava) coastlines that require a bit of climbing using your hands to grip sharp rock at the entry/exit.

Maybe I've "softened" a bit in middle age, but I've found that water-softened skin combined with hauling my big self (6'5" / 260 lbs) plus gear up sharp lava rock can easily shred my fingers and palms.... good gloves prevent this.

I also shore dive, sometimes walking (barefoot) and climbing (gloveless) over a'a, and even though I am technically middle aged, evidently my 6', 180 lb body does not shred my fingers and palms (and soles). Perhaps I maintain original human skin strength by using said skin regularly like an original human.

I'm of the opinion that gloves in warm water is one of the reasons to call someone a warm water wuss

I'd still dive with you, but only if the fact that I will make fun of you is not an issue

 

[peterbj7]

Haven't read this thread. I wear gloves to protect my hands from severely cold water, or from nasty substances/sharp edges if they're going to be around. Otherwise I never wear them.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I always wear gloves whether free diving or scuba diving. I get all-leather work gloves from the hardware store for a few bucks. I do not wear them to keep my hands warm, but I rarely dive in water colder than the low 50s. I wear them to protect my hands from getting cut up. The down-side to leather work gloves is that they get really stiff when dry and I have to soak them for a couple of minutes before I put them on. If I need dexterity then I temporarily remove a glove (such as for shooting a fish). The pair of leather gloves I have right now are about 30 years old and have no holes. They tend to cut down water circulation somewhat so I'd say they help keep my hands warmer, but nowhere near what neoprene would do. I don't wear neoprene because it is not puncture-proof. I'd rather have cold hands than punctured hands. Next thing ya know sharks will be chasing me cause of the smell of blood.

 

[String]

Gloves serve 2 purposes:- (i) thermal protection (ii) Physical protection

Cons:- can be harder to manipulate things with thick gloves

Personally i like wearing gloves all the time to prevent stings, scrapes from metal (especially around wrecks, boat ladders and so on).

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I also shore dive, sometimes walking (barefoot) and climbing (gloveless) over a'a, and even though I am technically middle aged, evidently my 6', 180 lb body does not shred my fingers and palms (and soles). Perhaps I maintain original human skin strength by using said skin regularly like an original human.

I'm of the opinion that gloves in warm water is one of the reasons to call someone a warm water wuss

I'd still dive with you, but only if the fact that I will make fun of you is not an issue

Hi halemanō,

I'm busted....I am a wuss!!

And if we ever get to dive together (I hope so if I ever am in your area!), you'll quickly see that gloves are the very least of the reasons you'll have to laugh at me!

My wife and kids laugh at me.... total strangers laugh.... heck if I'm solo, I laugh at myself!!

So go ahead, I'm used to it 'cuz I've got thick skin.... except on my hands and feet

Best wishes.

ps: I'm still gonna wear my gloves

 

[hypertech]

Dry gloves are wonderful things.

I will always wear some sort of glove unless it isn't allowed. For example, when I was in the Caribbean, my wife and I were one of the few on the boat wearing full suits. Most were in shorties or swim suits and t-shirts. It just so happens, that where we ascended had a bunch of little jelly fish. We got a couple hits on our neck and hands. The other divers got stings all over. Its not just the reef you need protection from.

 

[Jasoncassanova]

Hi halemanō,

I'm busted....I am a wuss!!

And if we ever get to dive together (I hope so if I ever am in your area!), you'll quickly see that gloves are the very least of the reasons you'll have to laugh at me!

My wife and kids laugh at me.... total strangers laugh.... heck if I'm solo, I laugh at myself!!

So go ahead, I'm used to it 'cuz I've got thick skin.... except on my hands and feet

Best wishes.

ps: I'm still gonna wear my gloves

same here i don't want to be cut again

 

[peterbj7]

I hate dry gloves - tried them years ago, found them clumsy and ditched them. I use 2mm wet gloves in the coldest of water.

Down here in Belize a lot of our diving is done in a national park where the wearing of gloves is prohibited.

 

[wve]

Interesting reading through this thread. It seems more people wear gloves than I thought.

In cold water, I have no choice. I wear gloves so that my fingers will still work!

In warm water, I give myself a choice by putting a pair in my BCD pocket. If I get cold, or if I think I might need them for skin protection (eg, wreck dive, grabbing a barnacle-encrusted line, etc), I pull them out and put them on.

Even in "no gloves" parks, no one has given me a hard time about it because it becomes evident pretty quickly that I'm going to be careful not to touch stuff just because I have gloves on.

 

[damage]

I wear gloves all the time, even in warm water, just for protection. I'm very careful not to touch the environment, but sometimes grabbing the anchor line can make nasty cuts.