Dry Gloves

[ethanb]

This has been discussed pretty extensively over at thedecostop.com, though you have to be a member (free) to read threads there.  Here's a good place to start:


I've been using Viking rings and dry gloves for 6-7 years now.  Most of the time has been with their standard older setup, but I experimented with the newer bayonet rings last year.  I went back to the standard rings this year, partly due to issues with removing bayonet ring gloves after a dive, but mainly because that's what my dive partners are using.

The standard Viking rings are installed either onto latex wrist seals or permanently installed onto the suit itself.  Either way, you can have wrist seal underneath them, which I think is essential.  I puncture gloves pretty regularly cave-diving and it would be unacceptable to flood my suit every time.

I use industrial/farm chemical gloves that we buy at Fleet Farm (unfortunately not Farm & Fleet) for a buck or two a set.  The industrial gloves have a "longer wrists" than the Viking OEM gloves, makes them significantly easier to don.  I can usually get them on myself in 30 seconds or so, though often I'll ask for a hand because it goes quicker that way, especially if it's really hot or cold while gearing up.  Small punctures can be repaired using Aquaseal - when I used the expensive Viking OEM gloves (which costs upwards of $20 a set) I'd generally patch them 10 times or more before discarding them.

I've tried a variety of liners.  The shiny white gloves liners that come with the Viking gloves are fairly worthless, in my opinion.  The two liners I've been happiest with are thin wool liners from an Army suprlus store and thick fleece gloves from REI.  I mainly use the REI fleece gloves - they're slightly cumbersome on the surface, but as soon as I get underwater they compress and I have very good feel with them.  It's definitely better than the feel I'd have with a 5mm neoprene wet glove (even if my hands weren't numb).  If I'm cold at the end of the dive, I'll blow them up a bit more for extra warmth (by holding my hands over my head and wiggling my wrists) - it's great during deco.  When I need better tactile feel again, I "burp" the excess air out by squeezing with my other hand.

Ethan