Venting or Equalizing Dry Gloves?
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swamp diver
Contributor
Here is one more variation on the theme.
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/xerotherm-wrist-warmer-p-3095.html
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/xerotherm-wrist-warmer-p-3095.html
It's an interesting idea, in terms of ensuring there is some insulation on the wrist where the veins and arteries carry blood close to the surface (although the neck is a bigger issue and well worth a neoprene neck warmer of some kind over the latex seal (and that is a natural advantage with a neoprene wrist or neck seal).
However, in my experience, any fabric under the leas will cause it to leak, and the difference between "leak" and "flood" is just a matter of the time it has to "leak".
My preference is still to use 3/8" OD latex tubing 3" to 4" long (to ensure it is easy to feel and grasp inside the arm through the suit material to enable you to pull it inside the suit if the glove floods.
People who minimize the impact of a suit flooding through a leaking glove with no way to completely seal the wrist have not been diving in 35-39 degree water with mandatory deco or under an overhead.
Dry gloves work great when they work, but in really cold water, it's hard to find warm enough liners, and when wet, glove liners are all cold. Eventually I went back to 5mm wet suit gloves as, provided you wear thick enough insulation and keep it properly lofted to keep your core warm, your hands will stay nice and toasty. If you under insulate or over compress the suit in cold water, dry gloves even with really heavy liners won't keep your hands warm as your body will reduce the blood flow to your hands and feet to keep your core warm.
In my experience dry gloves were a real PITA, and in commerical work with prickly rusted cables, marine growth, etc it was not if they leaked, but when on any given dive.
However, in my experience, any fabric under the leas will cause it to leak, and the difference between "leak" and "flood" is just a matter of the time it has to "leak".
My preference is still to use 3/8" OD latex tubing 3" to 4" long (to ensure it is easy to feel and grasp inside the arm through the suit material to enable you to pull it inside the suit if the glove floods.
People who minimize the impact of a suit flooding through a leaking glove with no way to completely seal the wrist have not been diving in 35-39 degree water with mandatory deco or under an overhead.
Dry gloves work great when they work, but in really cold water, it's hard to find warm enough liners, and when wet, glove liners are all cold. Eventually I went back to 5mm wet suit gloves as, provided you wear thick enough insulation and keep it properly lofted to keep your core warm, your hands will stay nice and toasty. If you under insulate or over compress the suit in cold water, dry gloves even with really heavy liners won't keep your hands warm as your body will reduce the blood flow to your hands and feet to keep your core warm.
In my experience dry gloves were a real PITA, and in commerical work with prickly rusted cables, marine growth, etc it was not if they leaked, but when on any given dive.
sambolino44
Contributor
I don't have seals under my dry gloves. I don't think there's any way I'd be able to remove whatever I had put under them. I haven't had a leak yet, but I bet I'd call the dive if I did. I cannot imagine doing a whole dive with a wet hand. I never dive with any type of ceiling, and never in water colder than 45F. I agree with the guy who thinks this is something that is over-emphasized, but like TSandM said, it's a risk assessment.
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