Changed my mind about dry gloves after a dive in Puget Sound

I always thought dry gloves were overkill for PNW diving... until I did a 2 hour inspection on a pier piling in 46 degree water last December. My hands went numb inside wet gloves after 30 minutes, and I couldn't feel the bolts I was torquing. This older diver named Rick loaned me his backup pair of Showas halfway through the shift. After that dive I bought my own set the next morning. Anyone else switch to dry gloves later in their career?

2 comments

2 Comments

rileyl981mo ago

46 degree water with numb fingers sounds rough, I get why you made the switch. But I've been diving PNW for 15 years with just wet gloves and never had that problem. Maybe it's more about how you layer your liners or the actual glove fit?

jennifer_mitchell531mo ago

idk, "never had that problem" is wild when water temps are that low.