I need help with my dry gloves please

[LowDrag]

Hey all...When we got our dry suits (White's) we got the SiTek dry gloves with them. I got the round rings and Danee got the oval rings. Not by choice mind you, hers were supposed to come with the round rings too, but White's put on the oval rings instead. So... here is my question. How do you make the darn things work??? They seem like they are more of a PITA than they are worth. Lining up the glove so that when you put them on, the glove isn't twisted. Getting them to twist on and lock to begin with. Not squeezing your hand when you get in the water IF you do get them on. And probably a dozen or more other issues that I have not encountered as of yet becaaaaaaause I have not got the damn things to work right yet. SOOOO...if anyone would be willing enlighten me I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Dave

[seattlepaul1975]

Dave....
I have the whites with the rings as well...I do not use the SiTek Dry gloves...I have dry gloves that pull up and over the rings that create the seals. They are quick and easy...mine do not interlock, I can just swap the seals quick if I need to.

Does that makes sense?

[LowDrag]

I have seen pic's/video's the type that roll up over the rings but I have never seen them in person. Do you still have to keep your wrist seals in your White's?

[seattlepaul1975]

Yes the wrist seals are still there....I have been told that if they tore I would be dry as the gloves are the seal. I use the yellow glove liners and they are always dry.

[RVbldr]

+1 on the rubber gloves over the rings. I use the latex gloves (http://www.sitech.se/pages/default_uk.a ... ionID=3855) with liners and they work great. The liners are thinner polar tech gloves from REI and seem to keep hands warm even if flooded and I find they are warmer than the cheaper wool inserts. You keep the wrist seals in the suit, just in case you do flood a glove. I've gotten in the water and forgotten to pull the glove over the ring, flooded the glove, then pulled the glove over the ring and continued with somewhat warm hands even though flooded.

[Jeff Pack]

couple of things.

1> Use some silicon lube on the rings. And for the nay sayers, I've never had a glove pop off, ever. But I also run alot of slack in teh gloves, so I have full wrist movement.
2> Yes, they are a bitch to get on
3> Do /are you using the straws, to allow air into the gloves?

The sitech o rings arent very high quality, there are some better buna o rings, but they are even a touch harder to get on.

Also, once you get the rings seated, you unscrew 1/2 turn, and reseat.

It takes awhile to work out the tricks (how to seat them, how to align them), just takes practice.

[LowDrag]

seattlepaul1975:

Do you have the drylock ring system and are not using them in favor of the over the ring type glove? Or are you just using the over the ring glove on the stock rings?

RVbldr: Polar Tech huh? I will, have to check those out...thanks.

couple of things.

1> Use some silicon lube on the rings. And for the nay sayers, I've never had a glove pop off, ever. But I also run alot of slack in teh gloves, so I have full wrist movement.

The only thing I have used so far is the wax White's provided with the glove systems. Is the silicone better?

2> Yes, they are a bitch to get on

Yeah...tell me about it.

3> Do /are you using the straws, to allow air into the gloves?

We have not used the straws yet, our instructor was telling us we could either take out the seals or put our liners on then slide into our DS's that way we did not need to mess with the straws. Danee and I are not real confident in that method just yet.

The sitech o rings arent very high quality, there are some better buna o rings, but they are even a touch harder to get on.

Good to know...where would I find the Buna rings?

Also, once you get the rings seated, you unscrew 1/2 turn, and reseat.

As in put them on, then back them off and back on again? Why would I do that? Does it make a better seal?

It takes awhile to work out the tricks (how to seat them, how to align them), just takes practice.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback. We are going to do a proficiency dive tomorrow at Timothy Lake and are thinking of trying to get some time in the dry gloves. I will let you know how it goes.

Dave

[LCF]

So, your wife has the Antares rings? I think if you go to the Dive Right In Scuba website, they have videos on how to use them. I haven't run into anyone who had them yet. I'd be interested in whether you get this solved, because they look like an attractive option.

[Dusty2]

So, your wife has the Antares rings? I think if you go to the Dive Right In Scuba website, they have videos on how to use them. I haven't run into anyone who had them yet. I'd be interested in whether you get this solved, because they look like an attractive option.

FIW
Lynn and who ever else is interested. Usia also sells these as an option but I was advised against them and after reading many discussions on various forums I am glad I didn't get them. From what I read they are very prone to breakage. Though the shops don't say much I know for a fact they are getting a lot of returns due to the alignment tabs breaking off.

[seattlepaul1975]

seattlepaul1975:

Do you have the drylock ring system and are not using them in favor of the over the ring type glove? Or are you just using the over the ring glove on the stock rings?

RVbldr: Polar Tech huh? I will, have to check those out...thanks.

couple of things.

1> Use some silicon lube on the rings. And for the nay sayers, I've never had a glove pop off, ever. But I also run alot of slack in teh gloves, so I have full wrist movement.

The only thing I have used so far is the wax White's provided with the glove systems. Is the silicone better?

2> Yes, they are a bitch to get on

Yeah...tell me about it.

3> Do /are you using the straws, to allow air into the gloves?

We have not used the straws yet, our instructor was telling us we could either take out the seals or put our liners on then slide into our DS's that way we did not need to mess with the straws. Danee and I are not real confident in that method just yet.

The sitech o rings arent very high quality, there are some better buna o rings, but they are even a touch harder to get on.

Good to know...where would I find the Buna rings?

Also, once you get the rings seated, you unscrew 1/2 turn, and reseat.

As in put them on, then back them off and back on again? Why would I do that? Does it make a better seal?

It takes awhile to work out the tricks (how to seat them, how to align them), just takes practice.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback. We are going to do a proficiency dive tomorrow at Timothy Lake and are thinking of trying to get some time in the dry gloves. I will let you know how it goes.

Dave

Using the stock rings

[Gdog]

On that note, and at the risk of thread hijack, any more news on the future of the dive concepts dryglove system?!

[KneeDeep]

Hey all...When we got our dry suits (White's) we got the SiTek dry gloves with them. I got the round rings and Danee got the oval rings. Not by choice mind you, hers were supposed to come with the round rings too, but White's put on the oval rings instead. So... here is my question. How do you make the darn things work??? They seem like they are more of a PITA than they are worth. Lining up the glove so that when you put them on, the glove isn't twisted. Getting them to twist on and lock to begin with. Not squeezing your hand when you get in the water IF you do get them on. And probably a dozen or more other issues that I have not encountered as of yet becaaaaaaause I have not got the damn things to work right yet. SOOOO...if anyone would be willing enlighten me I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Dave

LowDrag,
The wife and I both have the oval dry gloves on our Whites. I was in the same boat as you as to keep them or not, it seemed like every dive, one or the other (handed glove) would leak on us EACH. I used the wax... had a bitch of a time removing them (as they were long). But, you really need to get the notches on the glove ring and suit ring to align up. After I figured that out, I don't have wet hands, and love them. Takes a couple trimmings on the gloves to get the slack out, but they are really easy on and off. Once you trim the slack out of the gloves, removal is a breeze.

I had the pull over rubber gloves on my last suit, they did the job (only had 2 leaks with that), but my oval now I can put on and lock while walking to shore.

[Jeff Pack]

With the Whites, I wouldnt suggest not having the wrist seal. I tried, it, hated it. The wrist seal helps hold the cuff back on the wrist abit.

Without it pushes too far out.

The Buna seals are available from Graingers, look in scubaboard, someone posted the proper o ring numbers for them.

The purpose of the 1/2 unscrew, is no one can push those things on straight and even. So the unseat, reseat gets them on straight.

[fmerkel]

Wax? I know the manufacturer should know the best thing for their product but after trying the wax a bunch of times I went back to silicone > much better!
Jeff has the right way to put the glove ring on. IMO they made the O-ring too small and flimsy. It can get displaced when putting it on. The wax only makes it worse. Go light on the silicone and re-apply every few dives. If you end up with a sticky stubborn O-ring at the dive site just lick it up good and put it on. Sloppy but works. I've done it and seen more than one other person do it.

FIRST thing when you get in the water is plunge your hands in and pay attention for 30 seconds. You'll know if you got it on wrong. Pop it off, swear, wring your liner out, and re-attach. Now that it's wet it seems to go on properly (wet lube).

You can also position the removal ring so you can just .....barely.....get it on. This helps it go on straight and is less likely to disturb the O-ring. Then back off the removal ring and squeeze it on the rest of the way.

The one major thing SiTech standard round rings have going for them is they are easy on your cuff and gloves. I'm using OS drygloves right now (neoprene cuffs, Sitech works poorly/leaks with them). They are quite secure and do not have a leak problem but they trash the cuffs and gloves over time with the way they are installed.

[blt2go]

Silicone? I haven't done much diving lately but back in the day we were told to avoid using silicone products since they can affect gluing new seals on. Has this and the glues changed?

[fmerkel]

Silicone? I haven't done much diving lately but back in the day we were told to avoid using silicone products since they can affect gluing new seals on. Has this and the glues changed?

In this case the silicone is applied directly to an O-ring which sits in a plastic groove. It doesn't get near a gluing surface unless you are incredibly sloppy.

[DecidedlyOdd]

I have the round rings (Glove Lock QCP) on my old suit and the oval rings (Antares) on my new suit. When I first got the round rings, I distinctly remember spending 5 minutes in the parking lot struggling to get them to twist off. After that I lubricated them with the provided chapstick thingee along the mounting surface, then literally sat in my living room clicking them in and out over and over for a minute or so. They've worked like a charm since then! I've really only had a couple of minor leaks in over a 100 dives with them. Every so often, when they start getting sticky, I just hit them with the chapstick stuff again. On the downside, they are really bulky. It's hard to slide bungies over them and they can get in the way when bending my wrist a lot (e.g., trying to reach tank valve).

The oval/Antares are a different story. I've only dove them about a half dozen times now and one or the other has leaked every dive. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little, sometimes just at the beginning after which a fix was effective, other times fixing it didn't completely stop the leaking. The sleeves on my new suit may be too short in that the gloves are tighter and pull more despite more of the glove being let through (don't have any more glove left). This might be contributing to my leak issue too, but it's hard to say. I haven't had any issues with fragility but the design is clearly more susceptible to breaking than the round rings just due to the exposed tabs. On the plus side, they are WAY lower profile than the round rings. I'm considering checking out those $10 pull on rubber gloves as a best of both worlds (lower profile rings without the fragility/leakiness).

[LowDrag]

LowDrag,

The wife and I both have the oval dry gloves on our Whites. I was in the same boat as you as to keep them or not, it seemed like every dive, one or the other (handed glove) would leak on us EACH. I used the wax... had a bitch of a time removing them (as they were long). But, you really need to get the notches on the glove ring and suit ring to align up. After I figured that out, I don't have wet hands, and love them. Takes a couple trimmings on the gloves to get the slack out, but they are really easy on and off. Once you trim the slack out of the gloves, removal is a breeze.

I had the pull over rubber gloves on my last suit, they did the job (only had 2 leaks with that), but my oval now I can put on and lock while walking to shore.

I like the sounds of that. I was wondering if it is really necessary to trim the gloves once you have them set where you want them. My dive instructor said we would want to trim them but I have been hesitant about doing that.

With the Whites, I wouldnt suggest not having the wrist seal. I tried, it, hated it. The wrist seal helps hold the cuff back on the wrist abit.

Without it pushes too far out.

The Buna seals are available from Graingers, look in scubaboard, someone posted the proper o ring numbers for them.

The purpose of the 1/2 unscrew, is no one can push those things on straight and even. So the unseat, reseat gets them on straight.

Yeah, I did not like the idea of pulling out the seals, just did not sound right to me. As for the Buna rings I will look for them on SB...thanks.

Wax? I know the manufacturer should know the best thing for their product but after trying the wax a bunch of times I went back to silicone > much better!
Jeff has the right way to put the glove ring on. IMO they made the O-ring too small and flimsy. It can get displaced when putting it on. The wax only makes it worse. Go light on the silicone and re-apply every few dives. If you end up with a sticky stubborn O-ring at the dive site just lick it up good and put it on. Sloppy but works. I've done it and seen more than one other person do it.

"just lick it up good"...would you mind elaborating for me please? Are you meaning what I think you are meaning?

FIRST thing when you get in the water is plunge your hands in and pay attention for 30 seconds. You'll know if you got it on wrong. Pop it off, swear, wring your liner out, and re-attach. Now that it's wet it seems to go on properly (wet lube).

That would definitely be me...LOL!!!

Silicone? I haven't done much diving lately but back in the day we were told to avoid using silicone products since they can affect gluing new seals on. Has this and the glues changed?

In this case the silicone is applied directly to an O-ring which sits in a plastic groove. It doesn't get near a gluing surface unless you are incredibly sloppy.

Exactly...



Update from today's dive...I forgot the straws so we did not try the wet uh uh uh dry gloves at all. Next time for sure though.


Thanks everyone...you given me some great info and ideas as always.

Dave

[fmerkel]

I don't really see the need for straws/tubes/string, etc. Your hands are very bony. I've been to 140 with no equalization and it's not a problem. If the glove does leak (rare) I have an intact seal. When I have tried equalization I acknowledge you can get warm air up into the glove by elevating it....but, you don't dive that way. As soon as you drop your hands down it simply gets squeezed right back out anyway.....same, same. Why bother.

[KneeDeep]

For equalizing, I don't use the tubes either. I just have my thumb strap from my undergarment stick out of the seal, works great, and one less item to bring to the site.

[GearHead]

I finally switched to a dry glove system (UTD / KUBI), and have been pleasantly surprised at how well it works. So far I've just used the Fourth Element wrist warmers and my hands have been plenty warm. The KUBI system preserves the latex seals, and the wrist warmers allow good equalization around the seals.

[msblazer]

This is probably taking this thread in the wrong direction, but I've also been using the UTD?Kubi glove system for several months, and couldn't be happier. I switched from the Glovelock QCP system because the rings are just too big. As someone else said, a real pain to get bungees over them, and I was consistently getting hung up getting in and out of my harness. The Kubi rings are much smaller and sturdier - they are aluminum instead of plastic. Conceptually they are similar to the Diving Concepts system, but with one external o-ring instead of two.

[cardiver]

This is probably taking this thread in the wrong direction, but I've also been using the UTD?Kubi glove system for several months, and couldn't be happier. I switched from the Glovelock QCP system because the rings are just too big. As someone else said, a real pain to get bungees over them, and I was consistently getting hung up getting in and out of my harness. The Kubi rings are much smaller and sturdier - they are aluminum instead of plastic. Conceptually they are similar to the Diving Concepts system, but with one external o-ring instead of two.

Wow! I just watched a couple of videos featuring this setup and it looks very nice.

[cardiver]

This is probably taking this thread in the wrong direction, but I've also been using the UTD?Kubi glove system for several months, and couldn't be happier. I switched from the Glovelock QCP system because the rings are just too big. As someone else said, a real pain to get bungees over them, and I was consistently getting hung up getting in and out of my harness. The Kubi rings are much smaller and sturdier - they are aluminum instead of plastic. Conceptually they are similar to the Diving Concepts system, but with one external o-ring instead of two.

Wow! I just watched a couple of videos featuring this setup and it looks very nice.

[Tom Nic]

Reading threads like these makes me SOOO happy with my dry gloves!!