Soft vs Hard Goodman Handle

[Beau640]

Any advantage of a hard goodman handle over a soft one for technical diving? The reason I ask is because my hard goodman handle seems to slip frequently through the dive. This is with it adjusted to be as "tight" as the handle will allow and with big thick dry gloves (I probably have very small hands). It periodically slips down the hand and has to be pushed up which is very annoying. The soft goodman handle I have has a thumb hole and can be adjusted to be a lot more "form fitting" to the hand and doesn't really slide around at all. It still can be removed/slid from the hand quickly as well without undoing any straps.

Just wondering if there is any reason that a hard goodman handle would be favored or can a soft goodman handle still be considered DIR? What criteria would a soft goodman handle need to have to be equivalent?

 

[guruboy]

If you think you can put it on and off without any issue one handed, go for the soft one.

 

[Schwob]

I don't do this myself yet and only have cheap soft ones (mostly what came with a light or another, works well enough), but if you wanted to have e.g. three small but decent primaries in the handle for extended run time and / or redundancy, hard likely is the way to go.

 

[Marie13]

OK, sort of a side question, but one I've been curious about...with the twist operation of the lights, is it hard to turn one on with it in a goodman handle? I have an inexpensive goodman I bought with a light, but I've really wondered about this...

 

[guruboy]

Depends on how the strap that holds the light works. If it has a good grip.

 

[Boaty McBoatface]

I first got one of these, and it was garbage:

DGX Soft Handmount

Doesn't fit me or any human hand I can envision, doesn't hold the light well (and naturally points the light off at an angle) and doesn't allow good usage of the hand.

Then, I got one of these:

OxyCheq - Light Sock *Raider 1*
(I think they have a couple of sizes.)

I have several dives with it, and it's comfortable, adjustable, secure, and allows good use of the hand. It will not grip my twist-on light well enough to turn it on/off, however. I pull the light out of the grip sleeve to turn it on and use the light lanyard in addition to the grip for added security in case I were to drop it while doing so.

 

[PfcAJ]

You need to be able to quickly and easily take the light off your left hand and put it back quickly and easily.

Tough to do with soft ones that lose their shape.

My advice is more practice.

 

[guruboy]

You need to be able to quickly and easily take the light off your left hand and put it back quickly and easily.

Tough to do with soft ones that lose their shape.

My advice is more practice.

The issue with the hard handle isn't practice but sizing. The OP needs a smaller hard handle.

 

[Beau640]

Or larger hands.

 

[fmerkel]

Do you need to be DIR? I've used both and will never go back to hard Goodman. It was annoying. I had the same problems you talk about.

My wife got the DGX soft. She has small hands and got the Med. It was too small with thin (dish washing type) dry gloves. With a bit of extra sewing and modification we got it working, but I can't recommend that unit.