A good 3-finger "semi-wet" mitt will keep my hands toasty for 4 hours in 28°f water, something not all the drygloves are capable of doing.
It mostly cooks down to personal preference & the type of diving a person is doing, & whether the gloves/mitts are appropriate for the task at hand.[/QUOTE]
Bob,
I have fought cold hands for the past 30 years of diving. I finally bought two pairs of Bare 7mm 3 fingered mitts and tried them out today in the balmy 37 degree water. Three dives, each of which lasted around 40 minutes, and my hands were still toasty. With my 5mm gloves, I was begging for mercy after around 15 minutes. Dexterity loss is a minor issue, but when your hands get real cold you lose whatever dexterity you had to start.
BTW, I got my first leak in my Viking....A small V-shaped cut in the back kidney section caused me to get some pretty wet legs and feet. The Viking undies still kept me relatively warm despite the wet stuff. As far as patching goes...The fatory directions are a little vague. Shoule I roughen up the patch and suit material with the included sand paper? Also, should I apply two coats of glue to each surface while waiting 15 minutes between each dose?
As far as what wicked wreck caused my first leak? Well, I entered two different ones, and am here to report that the area was covered by my BP. So...The culprit is most likely the darn picnic table that I use to hold my rig while I slide in. My guess is a wicked splinter punctured the suit. BTW, my buddy Rob S. loves his new Viking. Now if I can just convince him to buy the undies...
Greg
