Gloves
Purpose
Dive gloves serve two primary purposes: thermal protection and physical protection. In cold water, even a short dive without gloves can leave your hands stiff and difficult to operate — managing a BCD inflator, regulator purge button, or fin strap becomes genuinely difficult with numb fingers. Gloves also protect your hands from abrasions against coral, barnacles, and boat surfaces, and provide a barrier against stinging creatures like jellyfish and fire coral.
Features
Style
Gloves are usually 5-finger or lobster claw style. The 5-finger gloves are just as they sound and fit the same way as everyday gloves. The lobster claw mitts have separate finger compartments for your thumb and point finger, and a large pocket for your other 3 fingers. They tend to keep your fingers warmer, but you do lose some dexterity having three fingers in the same compartment.
Material
Standard neoprene gloves are functional but can feel stiff, particularly in thicker versions. High-quality stretch neoprene gloves conform better to your hand shape, move with you naturally, and reduce hand fatigue — worth the extra investment if you dive frequently. Thin tropical gloves made from lycra, 0.5mm, or 1.5mm neoprene are designed primarily for abrasion and sting protection in warm water rather than warmth.
Thickness
Dive gloves range from thin, tropical lycra to thick, 7mm neoprene. For Canadian, cold water diving, you should wear at least 5mm thickness and up to 7mm thickness.
Care & Maintenance
Daily cleaning care will help prevent most of the funky smells to start with. At the end of each day rinse your gloves inside and out with fresh water. Hang your gloves inside out to dry the inside first, then turn to dry the outside thoroughly. Hang the gloves on an accessory hanger.
After a dive trip or a few days of diving, you may find the gloves start to take on a funky odor. Use wetsuit shampoo to soak your neoprene gear and clean the salt, chlorine, and smell from the gloves.