Gloves

Thickness — matched to conditions
A 2.5mm glove suits water from 18°C to 24°C where some hand protection is wanted without significant bulk. A 3mm glove covers the 12°C to 18°C range. A 5mm glove is appropriate for water from 7°C to 12°C — the range for most Canadian spring and fall diving. A 7mm glove or mitt is for the coldest conditions: late fall, winter, and ice diving in Canadian lakes and ocean environments. Gloves significantly thicker than your wetsuit are sometimes used because hands lose heat faster than the core of the body — a 7mm wetsuit diver may find 5mm gloves insufficient for extended dives in near-freezing water.

Five-finger gloves vs. mitts
Five-finger gloves allow full finger dexterity — you can operate BCD buttons, regulators, cameras, and other equipment normally. They lose warmth faster than mitts because each finger is individually exposed to cold. Mitts group the fingers together, sharing body heat and significantly reducing heat loss — they can be several degrees warmer than a glove of equivalent thickness. The trade-off is reduced dexterity. For recreational diving where equipment management is routine, five-finger gloves are the standard. For ice diving or very cold conditions where dexterity can be compromised after extended immersion, a mitt may be the better choice for warmth even at the cost of some fine motor control.

Wrist seal — preventing flushing
The wrist is a critical point where cold water can enter the glove and flush through, rapidly reducing the warmth of the glove. Look for gloves with a long wrist cuff that extends well past the wrist joint and tucks under the wetsuit sleeve — the wetsuit sleeve sits over the glove cuff to prevent water from entering at the wrist. Some gloves include a textured or grooved wrist seal that grips the wetsuit sleeve. When trying on gloves with a wetsuit, check this interface specifically — any gap between the glove cuff and the wetsuit sleeve is a potential cold water entry point.

Grip and durability
Neoprene gloves used for shore diving take significant abrasion on the palms and fingertips — from pushing off rocks, steadying yourself on reef, or gripping ladder rungs. Look for gloves with reinforced palm panels and fingertip protection if you do significant shore diving. Textured grip on the palm surface improves handling of cameras, flashlights, and other equipment. Gloves used primarily for boat diving in open water experience less abrasion but still benefit from a robust construction, particularly at the seam between the neoprene and any wrist seal material.