Rant: Why I stopped using dry gloves and went back to wet gloves after a job in Alaska

Last winter I was working on a pier repair up in Dutch Harbor. Water temp was around 35. I had these fancy dry gloves, the $400 kind with the silicon wrist seals. First dive, the seal pinched weird and I got a slow trickle down my arm. Second dive, the whole wrist seal blew out at 40 feet. I was done for the day, had to borrow a backup set from another diver. Meanwhile the guy next to me had basic wet gloves, was in and out all day long, no issues. I know dry gloves are supposed to keep you warmer but I swear they just leak and make you miserable. Switched back to wet gloves with a good wool liner and I'm way more comfortable and less stressed. Am I missing something or has anyone else had this experience?

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1 Comment

miaa416d ago

Your dry gloves might have failed because of how you were moving on the job. On a pier repair, you're probably doing a lot of reaching overhead and twisting your wrists to tie stuff off or handle tools. That constant flexing puts stress on the wrist seal in a way that straight down diving doesn't. Wet gloves with a wool liner actually keep your hands warmer in those conditions because the water against your skin stays trapped and warms up, while dry gloves with a tiny leak just let cold water flush in and out.