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Scuba Gloves for Your Dive: Do You Need Them?

Scuba Gloves for Your Dive: Do You Need Them?

Written by Charly Stringer
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Updated on June 29, 2023
scuba diver underwater wearing scuba gloves

Hands are among the most sensitive parts of the human body, and when it comes to scuba diving, they’re incredibly important tools. During a dive, our hands help us navigate the water, make adjustments to our gear, and interact with the environment around us. Scuba dive gloves act as an important protective measure for your hands. With the right scuba glove, you can maintain dexterity, protect your fingers from abrasion, and ensure that you feel comfortable throughout your time underwater.

Wetsuit gloves are necessary in water of any temperature, but they’re absolutely crucial for cold-water dives. As our hands get cold, they lose feeling and become clumsy. To ensure underwater safety, you’re wise to invest in a high-quality pair of scuba diving gloves.

scuba diver in water wearing scuba gloves
Photo by gokhan polat on Unsplash

Why You Should Use Scuba Diving Gloves

In cold water diving, the use of a good pair of thick diving gloves is almost a requirement, however when discussing the necessity of gloves for warm water diving, there almost seems to be a large divide in opinions with many divers opposing the need for scuba gloves. In fact there are certain areas or dive sites where the use of scuba gloves is actually prohibited. Cozumel and Bonaire prohibit the wearing of gloves while diving to prevent divers from touching coral and creatures on the reef. Certain dive operators and boat captains also prohibit their divers wearing gloves for the same reasons.

Some divers also argue that not wearing gloves makes for better motivation to perfect your buoyancy, as divers refrain from reaching out and taking the support of rocks, or ledges, and that improves their buoyancy techniques.

While it is true that you are more likely to touch, and pick things up while wearing gloves, there are several compelling reasons to wear gloves even in warm waters.

Heat retention & preventing hypothermia

Even in tropical waters, a diver loses heat through his/her extremities, and can get cold hands if underwater for extended periods of time. However the argument in favor of gloves in warm water lies more towards protection rather than warmth.

Some people may be comfortable diving in non-protective clothing, such as swimsuits and t-shirts, but this is usually not wise. The human body loses heat up to 26 times faster in water than in air, making hypothermia possible even in the warmest tropical waters. Part of a diver’s exposure protection  is their gloves. The ocean experiences many thermal changes, some are predictable, and many are not.

You must be aware of how changes in water temperature and pressure affect your core temperature. Wearing accessories like gloves can go further in preventing  hypothermia, especially when diving in cold water. Dive gloves can be purchased in thicknesses ranging from thin lycra to 7mm to combat any water temperature you’re facing.

Protection from marine life

Even though one shouldn’t touch anything while diving, we all know it is inevitable that you may brush against some coral or grab onto a rocky outcrop in current. And with so many razor sharp and poisonous coral and creatures on the reef, like fire coral, sea urchins, and stone fish, it could mean the difference between not getting cut or stung by wearing a pair of protective gloves.

Protection while wreck diving

Other situations where gloves could be useful are for wreck diving, where a pair of protective gloves could prevent a diver from getting cut by rusty wreckage. Divers that are prone to allergic reactions to contact with certain kinds of coral and other nasties should also always gloves. Holding onto a descent line in strong current that may have sharp barnacles and other things growing on it, even boat ladders and the sides of boats are often covered in sharp rough barnacles.

What are diving gloves made from?

Diving gloves are usually made of neoprene; a type of synthetic rubber that is stretchy, lightweight, impermeable to water, and insulating. All of these qualities are ideal for diving wetsuits and gloves.

What is the best thickness for diving gloves?

The thickness of the glove you choose should depend on where you are diving. Some colder waters might require 5mm gloves, or even 7mm for very cold places. Alternatively, 1mm to 3mm gloves are enough for warmer waters. Thinner gloves will give more range of motion and ease of movement, but of course less warmth.

scuba diver wearing wetsuit
Image via Shutterstock

What To Look For in a Pair of Cold Water Scuba Diving Gloves

If you’re diving in cold water, the ideal diving glove will be a little different than your typical warm-water glove.

Dexterity

While choosing a pair of gloves for warm water diving, you need a pair that will keep your hands warm but more importantly protect your hands while offering sufficient dexterity to perform simple tasks like push the tiny buttons on your underwater camera. Gloves with rubberized palm and finger coatings give a good grip, and protective materials ranging from Kevlar to steel and titanium mesh are available, so make sure you select one that meets your requirements.

5-finger gloves vs mitts

For example, you’ll have to decide between 5-finger gloves and diving mitts. Five-finger gloves look just like any other glove you may use in water sports and help maintain full dexterity but they also retain less heat. Diving mitts have a thumb sleeve and one or two sleeves for the rest of your fingers to improve heat retention.

Straps

A velcro wrist strap is a really popular feature in wetsuit gloves because it prevents water from entering the glove and ensures a non-slip fit.

Remember that wearing a pair of scuba gloves designed specifically for cold-water diving is ideal. When you want to keep your hands safe and comfortable on a dive, you’ll need more than what a tropic glove, sport glove, or spearfishing glove can offer.

Best Scuba Gloves

Henderson 5mm Thermoprene Closure Gloves

These Henderson 5mm gloves will keep your hands warm even in cold waters. With glued and sewn seams and an elastic hook and loop wrist fastener, there is no risk of leakage and you can dive with peace of mind.

NeoSport XSPAN 7mm Gloves

NeoSport offers these 7mm diving gloves that are suitable for extra cold waters. They simply slip onto your hands and give warmth, durability, and comfort while allowing your fingers to move easily. They are made using XSPAN fabric which allows extensive stretching.

Cressi High Stretch Glove 2.5mm

If you’re looking for great gloves for medium-warm waters, the Cressi 2.5mm would be more than enough to keep you cozy. Featuring a non-slip grip, an anatomical pre-bent finger construction and made from high stretch neoprene, you’ll be hard pressed to find more comfortable gloves for diving.

XS Scuba Hydra 2mm Gloves

If you just need a light glove for diving in warmer waters, these 2mm dive gloves from Scuba Hydra offer warmth, as well as an adjustable velcro wrist closure for a secure anti-leak fit. They come in various sizes and have sewn seams for extra durability.

Caring for diving gloves

Here’s how to care for your diving gloves so they last dive after dive:

How to wash diving gloves 

Wash your diving gloves in freshwater and make sure to get all the salt off them. You shouldn’t need to use any soaps when washing your gloves, but if you want to you can use a light 1% bleach solution occasionally to disinfect and freshen them up.

How to store diving gloves

Make sure that your diving gloves are completely dry before you store them away. If they are damp, then you might find that mold starts to grow inside them. When you’re not using them, store them out of direct sunlight in a well-ventilated area.

How to keep diving gloves waterproof

To make sure that your diving gloves stay waterproof, make sure to rinse them well after diving in saltwater to avoid salt encrusting the seams. If you get a small hole in the gloves, you can fix this using neoprene glue.

Conclusion

Diving gloves can add extra warmth and protection to your scuba diving attire. When buying your own gloves, think about where you will be using them to decide on the right thickness for you. Once you have your gloves, make sure to rinse them well after every use, ensure they are properly dry, and then store them properly in between dives. Look after your gloves and your gloves will look after you! Which gloves will you go for?

Level up your cold water scuba accessories by investing in a wetsuit hood and dive boots for your next dive. 

Feature photo by gokhan polat on Unsplash

Charly Stringer

Charly Stringer

Charly Stringer is a scuba diver based in Dahab, Egypt. She is a scuba diving and freediving instructor, as well as a digital creator,