Wet Gloves

[KevinG58]

My experience both personal, observed, and anecdotal, is that the better a glove minimizes flush through (the warmer it is) the more difficult it is to put on, and to lesser extent take off. Has anyone out there tried wearing latex or nitrile gloves underneath the dive gloves? The idea would be the same as plastic bags over the feet easing the donning of a wet suit.

Maybe (probably) this has been tried and I just missed it. Search doesn't turn anything up though.

 

[g1138]

Have you tried putting on medical gloves when your hands are damp?

I use O'Neill Psycho gloves which are a huge pain to put on dry and wet. Very water tight, I don't get any water in unless my suit flushes. And with my custom skin in, that only happens when I pee.......yeah it's as gross as it sounds.

I find that folding the cuff up helps when taking my gloves on and off. O'Neill has a great lining too that helps to allow your hands to slide in easy. So it's really not all that bad IMO. There are far worse gloves to put on.

If you can't fold the cuff over for your current pair of gloves you could always try fingerless lycra gloves perhaps? You'd have to make your own though, I came up with the idea just now.

 

[KevinG58]

Have you tried putting on medical gloves when your hands are damp?

I use O'Neill Psycho gloves which are a huge pain to put on dry and wet. Very water tight, I don't get any water in unless my suit flushes. And with my custom skin in, that only happens when I pee.......yeah it's as gross as it sounds.

I find that folding the cuff up helps when taking my gloves on and off. O'Neill has a great lining too that helps to allow your hands to slide in easy. So it's really not all that bad IMO. There are far worse gloves to put on.

If you can't fold the cuff over for your current pair of gloves you could always try fingerless lycra gloves perhaps? You'd have to make your own though, I came up with the idea just now.

Nope hadn't tried damp hands and medical gloves, guessing that's not a good combination. I tried folding the cuffs and that helps a little. I am going to look into your lycra glove idea.

The problem isn't a show stopper, but I wouldn't mind less of a "battle of the gloves". Leaving the gloves laying in the sun sometimes makes them a little more stretchy but the results aren't consistent.

 

[g1138]

Yeah, it's damn near impossible. You're hands have to be absolutely dry otherwise medical gloves are an even bigger pain to slip on.
I know exactly how you feel about the glove issue. It's not exactly the end all of problems but it enough that you wish it were a bit easier.

 

[Peter_C]

I don't have these problems with my dry gloves :tongue2:

Yes in the past I had tried latex full length cuff gloves under my wet gloves, not for ease of donning/doffing but instead trying to keep my hands from freezing by lessening water transfer across my fingers. Have I mentioned I don't have these problems with my dry gloves

I know some who swear getting their gloves wet before donning helps. I have tried gloves like the XS Semi-dries that were a royal pain to put on and take off. Plus they are fragile, and seem to tear at the cuff from tugging and pulling. Being 5mm they also have less dexterity than my dry gloves

Of course if you dive wet, you don't have a choice but to stick with wet gloves...or go dry all together.

 

[Herb-alaska]

On my neoprene DS seals i use watered down (just a bit) cheap shampoo which works great My hand slip right through the cuff and it is easy to fold under, to do this I then have some remaining on my hands which I then rub around my neck which helps to ensure a slippery neck and a better seal then the last benefit is actually what you are looking for . It makes my glove easy on. my wet gloves just slide right on no problems.

So try a bit of cheap shampoo on your hands and your gloves will have no further problems.

 

[spectrum]

My experience both personal, observed, and anecdotal, is that the better a glove minimizes flush through (the warmer it is) the more difficult it is to put on, and to lesser extent take off. Has anyone out there tried wearing latex or nitrile gloves underneath the dive gloves? The idea would be the same as plastic bags over the feet easing the donning of a wet suit.

Maybe (probably) this has been tried and I just missed it. Search doesn't turn anything up though.

My experience in cold water is that a slightly loose fit works well by allowing some water volume to be warmed in the palm. Flexing the hand can warm the fingers.

I also give them a shot of suit snot when I prep for the dive and they slip right on.

What you do need is closure. First it needs to be a good brand that really is glued up water tight. With a wetsuit a 5mm gauntlet that has a Velcro cinch strap above the wrist seals up well and keeps the blood vessels in the wrist cozy too.

A thin barrier glove won't do much good thermally .

 

[KevinG58]

Hey I have seen a couple of people squirting a mystery solution in their gloves and on seals, I just didn't put 2 and 2 together. Next time out I will try the shampoo solution. If that doesn't work I have found a couple of glove liners I may try. Or dry gloves.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[spectrum]

Cheap (dollar store) conditioner works well without the suds. 1/3 conditioner 3/2 water in a pump sprayer.

 

[KevinG58]

To close out, a diluted baby shampoo & water solution eased the donning of the gloves significantly when they were dry. Once they were wet, effectiveness was reduced, but still worth the application. Reduced time gearing up under the beating sun was a plus!