Pirate's Dive the Reef

[Doc]

...so the only other reason for wearing them is so you don't get stung/cut/etc when you put your hands down on stuff. Whatever happened to buoyancy control? Don't bloody touch stuff!
Mark

Ahh, so Mark, you're new aound here? Well, you better be wearing Nomex shorts.

This is roughly similar to the "I aint going diving without my Spare Air", "I always take my pony tank when I dive in Jamaica", "All rental gear is dangerous", "Split Force fins are superior" posts and threads.

If someone wears gloves they will have very defined reasons why they must. And, of course, they never touch anything.

Bull.

A gloved diver, with very few exceptions, manhandles the reef.

Want proof? Take away their gloves for a couple of reef and wall dives. Count the gouges, slices and stings on their fingertips. Only touching dead coral, were you?

Then there's the ones with stainless steel pointer rods. Veritable walking sticks. Seen them planted firmly in Anemones.

There's no winning that argument Mark. People that wear them will find a reason to keep wearing them.

 

[scubawife]

And why do you need gloves in Cozumel? Not being funny, but even in winter it doesn't exactly get cold, does it? It pisses me off no end seeing people diving with gloves in warm waters – if ain't cold, you don't need them for exposure protection, so the only other reason for wearing them is so you don't get stung/cut/etc when you put your hands down on stuff. Whatever happened to buoyancy control? Don't bloody touch stuff!

Everyone has different tolerance for cold. Ever noticed that on the same boat you can have divers in swimsuits and also divers in 5mm, or 3mm w/ a hood or vest?

You don't have to "put your hands down on stuff" to get stung. Sea lice, thimble jellies, jellies, other stinging organisms don't exactly sit in the sand or on coral waiting to be touched. And even divers with great bouyancy skills can get tossed a little off course and brush by fire coral and the like in a strong or unpredictable current. If you're someone who never gets stung by anything or does not experience any bad reactions to stings, then that's great.

I don't wear gloves but I don't assume that anyone who does is doing so for the sole purpose of protecting themselves from what they plan to touch. Don't be so judgemental and don't jump to conculsions.

 

[Firefyter]

Bull.

A gloved diver, with very few exceptions, manhandles the reef.

It's nice to know that my wife is one of the very few exceptions

Seriously, though, I tend to agree with you. I don't wear them, and I would love to see every DM out there follow Christi's protocol. First time you touch something, you lose the gloves.......

 

[ggunn]

Just like in the US, the governemtn has many different areas, interests, etc. Trust me, the marine park fought the cruise ship piers being built, they just didn't WIN. The Marine Park is a small fish in the pond in comparison to other government offices.

Yes, I remember how the Marine Park fought it, but as you say, they are just one voice in the bureacracy. Believe me, I know that he US gov't is just as bad, if not worse; I had a friend try to get a building permit here in Austin. The City Building Permit office would not grant the permit because there was no fire hydrant nearby. The City Water dept would not approve putting in a new hydrant because there was no building nearby for it to service. It took 6 months to get the two offices to talk to each other to get it straightened out.

 

[MarkUK]

Ha ha... Doc/Roatanman, you are right – just thought I'd stick my forpenneth in!

Scubawife, I am not jumping to conclusions – I have spent the last seven and a half years travelling around the world for work diving in the Caribbean, Middle East, Indian Ocean and Far East, logging thousands of dives in the process, and I can categorically say that in warm water, if I saw someone wearing gloves, then sure enough I saw them touching stuff on the dive. So I am not making rash judgments – my comments came from personal experience.

I know there are always going to be a select few who might have genuine reasons for wearing gloves in warm water – Firefyter's missus, for example – but that has not been the case for people I have seen wearing gloves. And forget stinging critters in the water as being the reason for exposure protection – I saw one guy in Mexico wearing board shorts, a rash vest, booties – and gloves! So was he cold??? I don't think so...

Anyway, as Roatanman said, not going to win this argument (and not trying to, to be honest, just wanted to give my opinion), so that's me done.

Mark

 

[Christi]

I saw one guy in Mexico wearing board shorts, a rash vest, booties – and gloves! So was he cold??? I don't think so...

You are exactly right...someone like this would not be allowed to wear their gloves on my boat. I'm referring to the people that are bundled up in a 5 to 7mm, with a hood, etc. Obviously they have thermal issues and the gloves are necessary. Firefyter's wife is another qualified example for exceptions to the rule.

 

[Doc]

people that are bundled up in a 5 to 7mm, with a hood, etc.

I like that idea a lot, that may well be a very useful standard!

If you want to be wearing gloves, you first will need a neoprene hood (plus the full suit).

That will cut the true exothermics (and alergics) from the mere gauntlet fetishists.

 

[ggunn]

I saw one guy in Mexico wearing board shorts, a rash vest, booties – and gloves! So was he cold??? I don't think so...

Not to mention the negative Fashion Statement. How gauche!

 

[Brules]

Good thread. I hope alot of people are reading this and re-considering how they dive and what they do when they dive......and not just in Cozumel, but anywhere.

It would be kind of like going to a zoo, and everyone picking up the animals, or if they see a pretty flower and they pull it out of the ground to smell it.

Too bad they cant put up metal bars on the reef!