Yellow Diving Gloves – Dive Magazine
Perhaps it is something in the gene pool or maybe a consequnence of the upbring in the cold, far north of England that I’m one of those fortunate divers who doesn’t usually feel the cold and can dispense with the need for gloves under normal circumstances.
Even in the winter months when others are donning their dry-glove systems, just the action of holding and operating my camera equipment underwater seems to be enough to keep the blood circulating through my fingers.
Gloves do of course have their uses for protection, when entering and exiting from shore dives or navigating around a particularly jagged wreck for example, but generally, I’m happy to dive without them.
On the other hand there are several divers i know of who would rather abort a dive than go without their hands snugly insulated against the elemets.
For those and other similarly afflicted divers, the chilly waters surrounding the UK mean thick neoprene gloves or mitts are as essential as a piece of kit as the air that they breathe.
The west coast of Scotland is one destination that offers a combination of top-class diving with a shock to the system for those not used to diving in the colder extremes of our island nation.
Thankfully, Glasgow’s Lomo Watersport have a range of warm, comfortable gloves available do divers can be safe in the knowledge that their time underwater can be enjoyed with their digits enclosed in relative warmth. Made from high quality neoprene with glued and blind-stitched seams, these all black, 5mm gloves have a contrasting grey honeycombed rubber printed pattern for superior grip, plus an elastic velcro strap to prevent cold water flushing.
They’re exactly what the west coast divers need to stay cosy and warm, you’d think, but Lomo’s Mark Lowery found his customers still required something a little different. As the customer is always right, Mark duly obliged and now the same product is available – in high visibilty yellow!
My initial response, and that of almost every diver was ‘Yuuuk!’.
However, once over the ‘You’d never get me wearing a pair of those” Reaction, it was closely followed by an appreciation of the simple logic behind the idea. Even in today’s advanced technological society, we divers still predominantly communicate by hand signal, so why are the majority of diving gloves black?
Think the benefits of communication with the hi-viz yellow version: for instructors signalling to trainees; a dive guide directing his or her charges or buddy pairs navigating in murky conditions. Boat skippers would also have a much easier task of spotting a diver at the surface giving the OK for pick-up or, More importantly, a distress signal in an emergency.
Will they take off and become a commom sight among the diving community?
That shouldn’t be too hard to monitor, as they do tend to stand out like the proverbial sore thumb – exactly as they’re meant to.
Dives Says:
Well made and inexpensive, these brightly coloured gloves are comfortable, warm and remarkably dextrous despite their 5mm thickness. If you’re teaching, guiding or intending to dive in potentially murky water they will definitely improve your visual communication.
Value 9
Performance 9
CLICK HERE to view the Yellow Diving Gloves
