Scuba diving gloves – one of the handiest pieces of dive equipment. From keeping your fingers warm in cold water environments to protecting you from scratches on a wreck dive, gloves can provide that extra level of comfort. Just like other pieces of dive equipment, some designs are better suited for you than others. This guide is here to help you figure out what are the best dive gloves for you and your style of diving.
The Ultimate Guide To Find The Best Dive Gloves
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5 Things to Consider When Buying Dive Gloves
1. Dive Environment
Think about your gloves as an extension of your wetsuit. You wear different types of wetsuits to suit various types of dive environments. Just like the wetsuit, dive gloves vary in thickness, design and material. It is important to use a pair of dive gloves that is suitable for the environment you will be diving in.
If you are diving in cold waters and are using a dry suit, you will need thick cold water gloves to keep your hands warm. If you are diving on a wreck, you will need strong abrasion resistant gloves to protect you. If you are diving in the tropics, you might want to consider using a super thin flexible pair of gloves as heat insulation will be your last concern.
The type of dive environment is the first thing you need to consider when choosing dive gloves. There is no point in using a pair of 1mm abrasion resistant nylon gloves if you are diving under the ice!
2. Purpose
What is the main reason you are wearing dive gloves? Are you wearing gloves to keep your hands warm in an ice cold dive environment? Are you wearing gloves to protect your hands from potential scratches and wounds on a wreck dive? Or are you wearing dive gloves to protect you from free floating stingers in the water column or on the reef?
The reason why you choose to wear dive gloves is crucial in determining which gloves will be best for you. For example, if you are diving in colder waters and are planning to use a dive camera, you will need to choose a design with fingers, not the cold water mitten. Wearing a pair of dive gloves not suitable of your dive objective will just make your dive uncomfortable.
3.Thickness
Gloves come in a variety of thicknesses. The thinnest being .5mm or 1mm, all the way to 7mm +. It’s simple – the colder the water, the thicker the dive glove.
It’s important to take note that the thinner the glove, the more flexible the glove. 1mm – 3mm gloves are nice and comfortable to use in tropical and wreck environments. They also allow for easy donning and doffing of the glove. These thicknesses still allow for full functionality of the hand. If you are using camera underwater, you are going to want full hand functionality.
As you increase the thickness, movement and flexibility decreases but insulation and protection increases.
5mm, 7mm and thicker gloves are essential items of your cold water dive equipment kit. The extreme thickness also means that putting your gloves on and taking them off will be more of a challenge. But trust me, the effort is worth it if you want to keep your fingers nice and toasty on a cold water dive.
4. Material
Just like wetsuits, neoprene is the most popular material for dive gloves. Neoprene is flexible and built for underwater environments.
Different dive gloves designs might have an additional material added on to increase the functionality. Amara is a synthetic leather that is often placed on the palm section of the glove to increase grip. Gloves with an Amara palm are typically designed for more tropical dive environments.
A new trend is dive glove design is the use of dyneema. Dyneema is an ultra abrasion resistant and strong material. Gloves made from dyneema have the best fit for salvage dives or wreck dives where you will be doing a lot of work with your hands. Dyneema gloves are thin and don’t provide any insulation. Think of them as gardening or construction gloves for underwater.
5. Design
The most popular dive glove design is the classic five finger glove. The five finger glove mimics the shape of your hand and allows for the most dexterity with hand movement.
The mitten design is the preferred option for diving in extremely cold conditions. Your fingers are able to stay together and are not separated by material. Though you lose most of your hand dexterity, the design allows for better heat retention.
For both the five finger and mitten design, the wrist can either come as split-wrist or solid-wrist design. Split-wrist gloves are easiest to don and doff and have a Velcro or zipper strap that tightens. The solid-wrist design is harder to put on and off but better at keeping water out. Divers prefer to pull the wetsuit over the glove to ensure a nice snug fit.
Image provided by Aqua Lung
DIVE GLOVE REVIEWS
Top 10 Best Dive Gloves Of 2016
MARES FLEXA CLASSIC
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 3mm
MATERIAL: Neoprene
PROS: Very flexible and comes with a rubber printed palm for increase grip
CONS: Wrist part has been known to tear
SCUBAPRO SEAMLESS GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon
THICKNESS: 2mm
MATERIAL: Neoprene
PROS: Heat tape seams create a lightweight glove that’s easy to take on and off
CONS: Wrist part can tear easily
SCUBAPRO TROPIC AMARA
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon
THICKNESS: 1.5mm
MATERIAL: Neoprene back, Amara palms
PROS: Extremely light, flexible and comfortable
CONS: Sizes run large and are loose fitting
FOURTH ELEMENT 5MM NEOPRENE GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 5mm
MATERIAL: Stretch Neoprene
PROS: Tight fit eliminates almost all water entry, yet still very flexible
CONS: Hard to put on and off when hands are wet
HENDERSON AQUALOCK GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 7mm
MATERIAL: Nylon and Neoprene
PROS: Aqualock systems prevents entry of any water. Great flexible gloves for cold water diving.
CONS: Difficult to put on when hands are wet
AQUALUNG THERMOCLINE ZIP GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 5mm
MATERIAL: Nylon and Neoprene
PROS: Wrist zipper makes putting them on and off easy
CONS: Large and bulky, hard to do nimble activities with
SCUBAPRO EVER-FLEX GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 3mm
MATERIAL: Nylon and Neoprene
PROS: Extremely warm for 3mm gloves and retains good amount of hand dexterity
CONS: Seal is not the best and water can sometimes leak in
WATERPROOF G1 5-FINGER GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 5mm
MATERIAL: Nylon and Neoprene
PROS: Zipper allows for easy donning and doffing
CONS: Finger thickness is large, allowing for water to move around
PICASSO DYNEEMA GLOVES
THICKNESS: 1.5mm
MATERIAL: Dyneema
PROS: Dyneema material makes them extremely abrasion resistant, yet they are still thin and seamless
CONS: Loose fitting glove, not ideal for nimble activities
AKONA ARMOR TEX GLOVES
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | LeisurePro
THICKNESS: 5mm
MATERIAL: Nylon and Neoprene
PROS: Pre-bent finger design makes them ergonomic despite the thickness
CONS: Hard to put on and off when hands are wet
Other Scuba Diving Gear Guides
NowWe’d Love To Hear From You! What Do You Think Are The Dive Gloves?
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