Lionfish puncture resistant gloves

[scubidvr]

Any lionfish hunter divers out there who dive with puncture resistant gloves that work? I'm looking for a light weight glove that can give some added protection from spines at depth without being bulky? Any suggestions?

 

[Johnoly]

some added protection

I'm from Florida & you can see from my pictures, we catch hundreds of lionfish diving. In We use Hexarmor 9013 hospital waste gloves that are needle stick proof, you can find them all over the net for $30.. It stops anything that wants to get thru to your hand. But they won't stop a back of hand spine which almost never happens anyways. Mine last about 100 to 130 dives.

It's not that the gloves wear out. It's the high tech Foam Nitrile finger tip coating that get's thin. The most important glove feature is that "balance" between "too sticky, too slick, and just RIGHT". If the palm is glossy plastic like hardware store garden gloves, it's hard to hold a grip on most things like the spear shaft. The foam nitrile are "just enough" grip and slip. It will take about 4 dives to 'break them in".

There are other "full protection" gloves that cover 100% of the hand and also the full wrist, but they are so stiff that it's difficult to use underwater. I'm wearing the gloves in this picture below.
{Edited for new part number from previous 9016}

 

[scubidvr]

Thank you! I love to eat Lionfish Can't wait to spear more with my new gloves!!

 

[Belzelbub]

On a recommendation from @Johnoly I snagged several Hexarmor 9016s. Unfortunately, it appears that Hexarmor discontinued these. So, if you can find them, grab a few.

Hexarmor does make other needlestick/puncture resistant gloves, though. Not sure where they fall on the slippery/sticky scale.

 

[Johnoly]

Unfortunately, it appears that Hexarmor discontinued these.

It looks like they combined the 9016 into the 9013 gloves. The only difference is the 9013 has a grippier sanded texture but it's still the great Nitrile Coating which lasts MUCH longer than their crumbled rubber coating. I edited my post with a note for future readers. Because they are so low cost from the janitorial supply websites, I ordered one of each of the entire 9000 series lineup several years ago to see which I liked best. That's when I learned to stay away from the glossy coatings and the rubber coatings they just don't work for divers hunting. For fun, take a sharp pointed knife and try to stab your gloved palm with these. It won't break thru and is great for sticking your hand inside where the eels live!

 

[Belzelbub]

It looks like they combined the 9016 into the 9013 gloves. The only difference is the 9013 has a grippier sanded texture but it's still the great Nitrile Coating which lasts MUCH longer than their crumbled rubber coating. I edited my post with a note for future readers. Because they are so low cost from the janitorial supply websites, I ordered one of each of the entire 9000 series lineup several years ago to see which I liked best.

Perfect. Thanks. Saved me from doing similar when it's time to re-order.

For fun, take a sharp pointed knife and try to stab your gloved palm with these. It won't break thru and is great for sticking your hand inside where the eels live!

I'll pass on stabbing my gloved hand for now. Might try without a hand in it unless I can convince a volunteer to help with this experiment.

 

[covediver]

Just make sure where ever you are going to radicate lionfish allow you to use gloves. Many marine protected areas do not.

 

[scubidvr]

I have recently culled 30 in 4 dives, the gloves give a bit of buffer, but I don't want to have to rely on them, so I am as careful as possible.