5mm XS Scuba Semidry gloves VS full dry gloves (USIA)?

[filmguy123]

I have a USIA Techniflex suit... should I opt for the $160 total price to get a dry glove system installed?

Or $50 for the XS Scuba 5mm gloves, or something similar?
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-xssdfg/xs-scuba-dry-five-pyrostretch-5-mm-gloves

I hear good things on both... up here in PNW I'll be diving puget sound (40-45 degrees) but also some fresh cold water lakes that can get below 40 degrees.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Depends what you want

Drygloves are more expensive, but warmer, easier to get on/off, and typically more comfortable than a THICK glove.

Wetgloves are cheaper, but take more abuse, can't ever leak as they are wet gloves, and to me are a good backup to drygloves.

You wont' be disappointed if you go with drygloves. You don't have to pay someone to install them, you can install them yourself. The majority just attach to your existing wrist seal. You can go further and have a wrist system installed which allows you to change out your wrist seals, and install the drygloves to that. Have you seen some of the videos we have for drygloves? Which system were you already looking at for your suit?

Search results for: 'dry gloves' - Dive Right in Scuba

If you get wetgloves, you will be happy, but you will still be itching to get drygloves. If you buy drygloves, you will never wish you had wetgloves.

 

[filmguy123]

Thanks DRiS! One thing I've been confused about here is I see dry gloves as a sort of shell for $13... and then SiTech for $185... and then a full on KUBI system for $300 and I don't even know what the difference is, or what is compatible with what.

USIA said I would need to have a ring system installed? Are the ring systems universal, or does each brand match their own ring system, and does each suit have its own requirement for a ring system?

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

You don't have to have a ring system installed, any of the systems we sell, can just be installed onto your current wrist seals. They are wrong If you want to also have a replaceable seal system, then yes, you would need a ring system installed. Depending on which dryglove system you like, would depend on which ring system you would want installed (round vs. oval vs. kubi)

Did you watch some of the videos we have on those products? That can typically help explain a lot, then a supplemental phone call with me can really nail down what you need after you get the basics. When are you free for a chat? I'm here when you're ready

 

[filmguy123]

Perfect, thanks Mike! I will get to researching

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Believe what Mike is saying. Generally. My answer would be, it depends based purely on personal preference and experience. Started with dry gloves and was not thrilled. Wrecks and quarries/lakes with sharp objects play hell with them. One of my solo students this year spent an hour one day after dives locating and fixing a hole in his.

About 5 years ago I discovered the XS Scuba Dry 5's. Over 300 dives on one pair that are still holding up well. I just bought a 2nd pair this season and have not had them in the water yet. That will happen in a couple weeks in Lake Erie. Do my hands actually get wet? Yes because they are only dry if you put them on that way. However even when putting them on wet there is zero water circulation and so my hands stay warm. Like an hour in 40 degree water warm where they actually steam a little when I take them off.

The other thing I like is that there is no squeeze and no need to get air into them. The neoprene compresses and they actually get better dexterity wise as you go deeper. Naturally they get a little thinner as the neoprene compresses but they don't seem to lose insulation value. That's my impression anyway. Each person is different so you may think they allow your hands to get colder. Mine don't. I am somewhat sensitive to cold in my hands due to arthritis from my years as a butcher. Including a couple years in a slaughter house where your hands were always wet with water, blood, or other fluids and the temperature was kept at 38 degrees. If the Dry 5's did not work I would not use them.

 

[JohnN]

Believe what Mike is saying. Generally. My answer would be, it depends based purely on personal preference and experience. Started with dry gloves and was not thrilled. Wrecks and quarries/lakes with sharp objects play hell with them. One of my solo students this year spent an hour one day after dives locating and fixing a hole in his.

About 5 years ago I discovered the XS Scuba Dry 5's. Over 300 dives on one pair that are still holding up well. I just bought a 2nd pair this season and have not had them in the water yet. That will happen in a couple weeks in Lake Erie. Do my hands actually get wet? Yes because they are only dry if you put them on that way. However even when putting them on wet there is zero water circulation and so my hands stay warm. Like an hour in 40 degree water warm where they actually steam a little when I take them off.

The other thing I like is that there is no squeeze and no need to get air into them. The neoprene compresses and they actually get better dexterity wise as you go deeper. Naturally they get a little thinner as the neoprene compresses but they don't seem to lose insulation value. That's my impression anyway. Each person is different so you may think they allow your hands to get colder. Mine don't. I am somewhat sensitive to cold in my hands due to arthritis from my years as a butcher. Including a couple years in a slaughter house where your hands were always wet with water, blood, or other fluids and the temperature was kept at 38 degrees. If the Dry 5's did not work I would not use them.

+1 for Dry 5's. Once you learn the trick of putting some baby shampoo on your hands, they're even relatively easy to put on