Ideas for improving and developing gloves for dry-suits

Hi...

We have now sold and used the same basic dry-suit gloves for more than 15 years and we think it is about time to do some new stuff with improved features. We manufacture the standard Heavy Duty ones to be used for the ring system. but would like to hear from you ..the users what you would like to be improved or maybe to take it in a new direction.

To see our current products you can find here... Gloves - Ring system

Best Regards
Casper Schjorring

First and simplest, I'd like to see heavy-duty gloves made in sizes for women's hands. It's difficult for me, and women I know, to find gloves where the fingers are not so long that, even when the gloves are on properly, there is a half-inch or more of extra material at the end of the fingers, making dexterity difficult.

But if you want to get more ambitious, one of the most annoying things about dry gloves is the ring system required to use them. Rings are large and rigid and awkward, and reduce wrist mobility. Gloves like the Northern Diver ones with the attached latex seals get rid of the rings, but are very difficult for the user to put on without help. DUI's Zip Gloves are handy for those who are willing to give up their wrist seals, which I am not.

What I would envision is a flexible channel system that you could glue to the suit, into which a matching track would fit (a la DUI's Zip system). The channel, being flexible and narrow, would not impede wrist movement as much as the rigid rings -- but having a snap-in mating system would mean that gloves would not leak, even when the wrist was moved.

I don't know if such a thing is possible, but it seems as though most manufacturers are wedded to rigid rings, and they are annoying.

Feh, non obtuse sizing information and accurate measurements on the web site might be a nice place to start... As far as the gloves go, intergrated short liners to allow for soft warm hands and good ring fit without all the rolling or ugly trimming .

Like others have said, I would like to see a better range of sizes. I have big hands with short fingers, so to find gloves that fit, the fingers end up being too long. Also, this is not for me, but what about people that might be missing one or two fingers.

I guess my point is, how about customization?

Thanks guys for the input!

The sizing and customization is an area we look at. We are working on an idea of where the molds have adjustable finger length so we can vary each size with up to one inch to please everybody. Would you guys be willing to wait 2-3 weeks on a special order? Just asking because it would probably be made on order not to have 200 different sizes in stock.

We would really like to make it easier to use the gloves - also without the ring system. We have tested some with a seal on instead of the ring but the problem is that they are hard to take on and off.

A glove that is streatchy as the medical glove and can withstand zebra mussles

The seal-on gloves are hard to take on and off, and are expensive, and if you rip a seal, you are SOL, unless you have another pair of gloves.

Yes, I would be willing to wait for special-order gloves, if they were durable enough that I wouldn't have to replace them very frequently.

gummifabrikken:

Thanks guys for the input!The sizing and customization is an area we look at. We are working on an idea of where the molds have adjustable finger length so we can vary each size with up to one inch to please everybody. Would you guys be willing to wait 2-3 weeks on a special order? Just asking because it would probably be made on order not to have 200 different sizes in stock.We would really like to make it easier to use the gloves - also without the ring system. We have tested some with a seal on instead of the ring but the problem is that they are hard to take on and off.

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Many of us have custom suits so custom gloves sounds just right. My DUI zip seal gloves work well but the fit is very bad. I do have another new set for back up but that's a lot of cash just sitting in my bag. As soon as I can I go to wet gloves during the season.

gummifabrikken:

Thanks guys for the input!

The sizing and customization is an area we look at. We are working on an idea of where the molds have adjustable finger length so we can vary each size with up to one inch to please everybody. Would you guys be willing to wait 2-3 weeks on a special order?

Click to expand...

Definitely, all divers I know usually stack 2-3 pairs and you can always "aquaseal" the hole if it is a zebra cut and do another 20 dives

I'm with Lynne on all her "requests" for a dry glove system. Flexible ring system that retains the wrist seal, but is as easy to don/doff as the Viking ring system. I imagine getting "through" the wrist seal might be tricky with the gloves in place.

Good fit with a more flexible material would be great.

Custom would be great, even with a bit of a wait. You could consider an inexpensive "trial sizing" system: either inexpensive gloves in a range of sizes that each user could purchase first to try on so as to get a perfect fit. Or - buyer "buys" a kit containing a range of sizes of the "real gloves". Upon returning the set - cost minus shipping is reimbursed. Of course dive shops could have the full range for customers to try.

Henrik