Puerto Galera

[ishbaby]

I don't understand why anyone would need gloves at Puert Galera, the water temperature doesn't get that low!
In fact any good dive guide should not allow gloves to be worn on a reef. Any good marine reserve should ban them anyway.
As a responsible diver you are not going to touch anything so gloves are not necessary.

The last 4 dives I had when I was in Puerto Galera, it was really cold. Perhaps you and I may have differences on how our bodies react with the temperature changes, you may be used to the cold in UK when I am used to the heat here in the Philippines.

Don't you worry, I barely hold or touch marine life unless I had to . . . like if I get drifted to a wall or I need to hold on to a rock or just plain curious to touch a certain fish with no intention of harming it.

 

[Xizang]

The coldness of a water is something very subjective. If you have been born and raised in the Philippines or have stayed here long enough, your body would have adjusted already and what is probably warm in other countries will already be cold for you.
I do not agree on banning gloves, gloves are not the problem, its the divers attitude.

 

[Babydamulag]

Roger that....the diver "must" follow the approved protocol of "DO NOT TOUCH". Training, training, training. Gloves are cool. They are really cool when you don't want to tear your hands up on descent/ascent line, picking up trash when diving, and best of all....in those moments when you have no choice but to grab blindly to save yourself, a buddy, or both.

 

[jonix]

and best of all....in those moments when you have no choice but to grab blindly to save yourself, a buddy, or both.

exactly!

 

[Spoon]

The coldness of a water is something very subjective. If you have been born and raised in the Philippines or have stayed here long enough, your body would have adjusted already and what is probably warm in other countries will already be cold for you.
I do not agree on banning gloves, gloves are not the problem, its the divers attitude.

well said. i dont beleive in the notion of not wearing gloves as to give you less temptation to touch things. if you try to examine the reason of the logic of banning gloves, it basically presupposes that you will have less desire to touch things bec your hands are unprotected. this doesnt change the fact that the intent is still there. as jai put it, the problem is in the inherent attitude of the person. im cool with gloves as well and its saved my hands many times before.

 

[Bruciebabe]

Bonair Marine Park is the one on which all others are based. They have done a magnificent job protecting the reefs of Bonaire so they are recognised as the finest in the Caribbean. They do not allow gloves. (many other dive locations also enforce this)
http://www.bluedivers.com/parkrules.htm
Each diver has to purchase a Marine Park Tag (price 25.-- US-$, valid one calendar year, you will get it in the diveshop),
Diving is prohibited in the Marine-Reserve (between Karpata and Bopec / Playa Frans and Boca Slagbaai).
It is prohibited to take anything living or dead from the Marine Park and it is also prohibited to damge or destroy the marine environment.
Spearfishing is prohibited and fish feeding is not allowed.
Please check your buoyancy and watch your fins.
Please prevent your equipment from dangling around (Octopus & Console).
Gloves are not allowed and are not necessary anywhere.
Please do not handle the creatures underwater, especially seahorses, frogfishes, turtles and so on.
For dives at the town pier and the salt pier is a permit from the harbourmaster and a diveguide necessary. Please obtain one at least 24 hours before the dive in the diveshop.
Fishing with the traditional line is allowed please respect this.
As an underwater photographer be careful when you take pictures especially macro. No picture is worth a dead animal or a damaged reef.
If you should find some garbage please take it with you.

Here is an article about Diving Without Impact which specifically mentions gloves as a bad thing: http://away.com/features/responsible_diving.html

 

[Halthron]

Here is an article about Diving Without Impact which specifically mentions gloves as a bad thing: http://away.com/features/responsible_diving.html

We must be reading two different articles then because the one at the link that *I* see doesn't say that at all.

 

[Bruciebabe]

We must be reading two different articles then because the one at the link that *I* see doesn't say that at all.

It says: "Coral touching was also more common among men than women, and by those who wore protective gloves."

Touching the reef is damaging the reef. This is why many dive locations and dive operators in the world ban gloves. If you aren't wearing gloves you are less likely to touch and so damage the reef. Logical really.
If you want to conserve the wonders of the reef you should not wear gloves even if you are a perfect diver. It is good to set an example to others that gloves are bad practice on a reef. They should be illegal everywhere.

Coral is covered with a thin layer of protective mucous. A human touch can break this and allow bacteria and other small organisms to invade, killing off many coral polyps. If you look closely at the coral on popular sites you can see the dead patches where it has been touched.

 

[Halthron]

It says: "Coral touching was also more common among men than women, and by those who wore protective gloves."

Touching the reef is damaging the reef. This is why many dive locations and dive operators in the world ban gloves. If you aren't wearing gloves you are less likely to touch and so damage the reef. Logical really.

Your point is not the logical one to be made. Gloves aren't causing the damage, people, some of whom are wearing gloves, are the ones causing it. Extend your "logic" further, almost all people touching the reef are wearing fins and are certified divers. By your logic, divers should be banned from the reef.

The problem is one of attitude, that being that pawing the reef is something okay to do.

 

[Bruciebabe]

Gloves aren't causing the damage, people, some of whom are wearing gloves, are the ones causing it.

Dynamite and cyanide don't cause damage on their own. Obviously it is the people using them. Gloves also lead to reef damage when worn diving. This is why they are banned on the world's best managed reefs. If you care for the reef you should be supporting this.
Look at all the Bonaire rules. This is how to manage a reef so it is conserved for the future. It would be fantastic if these rules were enforced worldwide.