Ask Jill: Diving Gloves

I get many questions from people wondering what type of gloves I like to use for cold water diving. Many rebreathers require dexterity for operation and yet thermal comfort is also important. There are two routes you can take.

Dry Gloves - If you choose them, get a ring system that allows the dry suit wrist seal to stay intact. Therefore, if you flood, it is only a glove flood and not the entire suit. OS Systems is one example of a ring system. There are many others. The sturdiest dry gloves I have seen are made by Helios. They are very abrasion and chemical resistant.

Dexterity in dry gloves is not great since you must wear layers of under-gloves to stay warm. I suggest lava wool and thinsulate under-gloves. Buy plenty, because you will get them wet simply dressing and undressing.

You can enhance warmth with a chemical heat pack placed in between layered glove liners, but don't use them deeper than 25 meters or you will get burned. Never place these directly on your skin or burns will result.

Wet Gloves ? Believe it or not, I find wet gloves to be warmer than dry gloves. Buy a 1mm BodyGlove (or other brand) five-finger glove that has rubber on at least once surface. Usually the rubber is intended to be on the outside and cloth-surface on the inside. Turn the glove inside-out so that the rubber is against your skin. Get dressed wearing these gloves only. Roll back the cuff and overlap it on the outside of the dry suit seal so there is rubber touching rubber. Immediately before getting in the water, put on a gauntlet-style, three-finger mitt on top. Your hands will stay dry and dexterity will be as good as the dry option. I prefer 7mm gauntlets with a Kevlar coating. In my experience, it?s the warmest thing going and I can still operate all my rebreather buttons, clips and valves.
 --Jill Heinerth