22 replies to this topic

[ScubaDadMiami]

(should have been more clear in my recommendation re Fleece...my Bad! )

I was speaking of Fleece OUTER GARMENTS for apres' dive...The SI's get cold at Ginnie these days, and Fleece allows me to keep my wetsuit ON, and still stay toasty.

nhb

Got Fleece? GET some!

I personally suspect that more Folks are bent while OUT of the Water than IN...Fleece will keep Core temps up when you are WET!

Thinsulate, at least per what I have been told, retains 80 percent of it's ability to keep you warm even when wet. Per the manufacturer, 3M Corporation, "Thinsulate insulation retains its insulating ability in damp conditions. Its fibers absorb less than 1% by weight of water, so it stays effective at keeping you warm – and it dries easily if it does become wet."

Fleece is very effect. However, once it gets wet, it loses a lot of it's ability to retain heat. Thinsulate does not lose nearly as much.

I wear Thinsulate thermals for my long decos just in case I should get a suit flood. That way, I won't freeze to death while avoiding DCI.

Yep. There are Warm Wind jackets and equivalent. They do work great because they not only have the material for warmth but also have an outside layer to act as a windbreaker.

Edited by ScubaDadMiami, 11 February 2006 - 11:40 AM.

[gcbryan]

I agree with most of the comments here.

One exception, I am one of the dinosaurs who still uses wet gloves. My dry gloves don't like to stay dry anyways and a wet hand with some insulation (the 5mm neoprene) is better than a wet with no insulation (because you were planning on it being dry and it wasn't).

I use Andy's Drysuit and have the factory installed dry glove system. That is similar to the Bare system that is referred to here. The factory installed an outer ring and left the orginal dry seals. I put a small piece of silicone tubing (I work at a medical tubing factory on the production lines.) on my upper seals to allow me to equalize the dry glove with the suit.

The problem? As I said, after the first few dives on that system, the term "dry gloves" denoted a concept and not reality. My hand got cold quickly! I am wearing a good hood. My drysuit does a good job (along with my fleece layer and thinsulate undies) of keeping me warm. That makes it far more easy for my body to heat cold hands.

Oh, I don't use the P-Valve or diapers either. I have a buddy who tried the diapers and had them leak. He was not happy. I may install the P-Valve but it won't be this year. I have too many other other expenses. Normally, I can do an hour in the water with out having to use the head. My run times are sixty-five minutes or less as a general rule. I have done 2 hr+ run times, but I was hanging around seeing the sites at 10-20 ft. because neither I nor my dive buddy wanted to get out of the water and my deco obligation was done long before I got out of the water.

One point regarding dry gloves. They keep your hands dry not warm!. You can keep your hands warm if you wear the proper thickness of fleece liners underneath however.

With your system (and mine) I'm not clear as to how you were getting wet unless you were just touching barnacles and putting holes into your gloves in which case no dry glove will keep your dry.

Edited by gcbryan, 11 February 2006 - 12:19 PM.

[6Gill]

]

One point regarding dry gloves. They keep your hands dry not warm!. You can keep your hands warm if you wear the proper thickness of fleece liners underneath however.

With your system (and mine) I'm not clear as to how you were getting wet unless you were just touching barnacles and putting holes into your gloves in which case no dry glove will keep your dry.

I'm with gcbryn on this about wondering why your dry gloves started leaking so soon.Other areas that might be the cause of leaking is were thehard rings fasten to the suit or were the ring of the glove mates with the suit ring.
I've had gloves leak on rare occasions and water has gotten in and been trapped in the glove so it pretty much end up as a wet glove and was still warmer then if I was wearing wet gloves.I use a seperate glove liner that is designed to retain warmth while wet rather then gloves with built in liners.
Myself and a number of people I know dive dry gloves and leaking is the exception not the norm and usually traces its problem back to a maintance or operator error.DiverBrian as yours started leaking right at the begining I would look for product defect or improper instalation(even the best product or manufactue will allow something through but it's how they deal with it is part of what makes them good).
I keep a spare pair of gloves already on rings for a quick change out in my save a dive kit along with spare liners.For the record I use the Si-Tech #60910(Si-Tech has three styles) which I'm happy with and off hand don't know any brand I would avoid(disclaimer-I haven't been exposed to all brands)

Eric

[gcbryan]

]

One point regarding dry gloves. They keep your hands dry not warm!. You can keep your hands warm if you wear the proper thickness of fleece liners underneath however.

With your system (and mine) I'm not clear as to how you were getting wet unless you were just touching barnacles and putting holes into your gloves in which case no dry glove will keep your dry.

I'm with gcbryn on this about wondering why your dry gloves started leaking so soon.Other areas that might be the cause of leaking is were thehard rings fasten to the suit or were the ring of the glove mates with the suit ring.
I've had gloves leak on rare occasions and water has gotten in and been trapped in the glove so it pretty much end up as a wet glove and was still warmer then if I was wearing wet gloves.I use a seperate glove liner that is designed to retain warmth while wet rather then gloves with built in liners.
Myself and a number of people I know dive dry gloves and leaking is the exception not the norm and usually traces its problem back to a maintance or operator error.DiverBrian as yours started leaking right at the begining I would look for product defect or improper instalation(even the best product or manufactue will allow something through but it's how they deal with it is part of what makes them good).
I keep a spare pair of gloves already on rings for a quick change out in my save a dive kit along with spare liners.For the record I use the Si-Tech #60910(Si-Tech has three styles) which I'm happy with and off hand don't know any brand I would avoid(disclaimer-I haven't been exposed to all brands)

Eric

Eric, the interesting thing if he actually has the same system as mine is that there is no ring where the glove mates with the suit ring. The only ring is on the suit and it is sewn/glued to the outside of the arm. The gloves have to be latex (no built in liner) so that it can stretch over the arm ring. The water tight seal is strictly the latex stretching over a large ring.

So, unless one put's a hole in the glove there really is no way for a leak. There is no o-ring maintance to do as there is no o-ring.

[6Gill]

Sounds like a bad batch of gloves...probably very tiny pinhole leaks that don't open up till the glove is streatched.

Eric

[ScubaGypsy]

I too am interested in hearing more about these drygloves, etc as I'm not really picturing what you guys are doing with reference to marine gloves and bungee. Aren't you also further stretching out the latex wrist seals?

So far the lowest temperatures I have used my drysuit in is the low 40's though now the local water temps are around 35-38. Right now I too am using 5-mm neoprene gloves as well as a thick (5-mm?) hood with a DUI TLS-350 drysuit, Polartec 300 jumpsuit and rockboots. I felt fine in the 40's but am concerned with the present temperatures. I also have a 6 cu ft argon bottle system though I have yet to use it. So far I've only been wearing double pairs of socks and would like to hear recommendations for interior foot wear (matching Polartec 300 boots?).

[6Gill]

ScubaGypsy,
There are several dry glove systems out there and what I use is the Si-Tech #60910 as Si-Tech has several systems.
the web site is www.sitech.se and click on the retail catalog icon.
This sysyem allows you to keep or remove the latex wrist seals( I leave mine in place)the reason for the bungee is to allow the dry gloves to equalize to the drysuit.The bungee goes under the latex seal so without a dryglove in place water will enter the suit.For shallower dives this isn't an issue but as you go deeper you'll get something similar to suit squeeze except only on your hands thus the need to equalize.Anything that breaks the seal works but in the unlikely event of a torn glove you want something that you can easily remove to prevent water flowing into your suit.I find that by placing the bungee on the top side of my wrist this is easier along with being more comfortable.
The wrist seal being left in place also allows you to use wet gloves as an option.
For gloves any water proof glove with a smooth surface at the cuff can be fitted with locking rings,I use a thinner glove with a seperate liner to provide the warmth.
Along with water temp. the duration of the dive needs to be factored into your choices.This is why you find drysuits being used in Florida for long dives in the caves ect where as a single tank dive at the same temp only requires a 3 or 4 mm wetsuit

Eric

[Diverbrian]

The leak is on the left glove where it connects to the ring. I am using a Si-Tech system. The factory only installed the mating rings on my drysuit. The gloves and the rings are put together by me. I will confess to suspecting a tiny hole in that left glove. But seeing that I dive in Zebra Mussel land and around metal wrecks, let's just say that protecting delicate gloves can make a dive a little more challenging than I like it.

My neoprene gloves have a kevlar coating (like the fisherman's gloves) that is pretty much puncture proof and that still allows me to get a handhold near a wreck in heavy current and pull myself back to an ascent line if necessary. One of my buddies got around this with his dry gloves by putting a pair of kevlar fisherman's gloves the next size larger on over his dry gloves.