NORTHER DIVER DRY GLOVES

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:07 pm

Is anyone using the Northern Diver dryglove system that they're selling at UWS? I'm leaning towards these or the Diving Concepts system that they have at A2Z. I've tried the SI Tec ones before, but my hand doesn't fit through the cuff ring.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:36 pm

Don't get 'em. I have a pair, and I don't like them-but I spent so much on them, I'm stubbornly refusing to replace them, for now. The locking ring gets stuck on a semi-regular basis- once, it took both my dive buddies to get them off of me! And the rubber friction ring falls off almost right away......anyway, I don't like mine, and I'm going to replace them with a pair of Vikings down the road.

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:52 pm

Thanks, Nailer! I actually thought that the locking ring would be a good feature. I really liked them because my hand actually fit through the ring and in to the glove.
Is anyone using the Diving Concepts set up? This one is nice because the glove itself is actually 2mm neoprene, so you can wear it with or without a liner.

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:10 pm

Excuse my ignorance, but what's all the fuss about dry gloves recently? I use 1mm tropical gloves with my drysuit and never have a problem. Why dry?

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:19 pm

Cold hands Dude... you are such a hot-blooded mutant! ...in the nicest sort of way, of course! $\:D/$

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:30 pm

I've got the Diving Concepts gloves on both of my drysuits. I don't use the neoprene gloves, though ... I purchase Atlas gloves from Seattle Marine (for $3.88 per pair).

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:37 pm

Hey, Bob. If I go down and pick those up today, do you think there's a chance of stopping by your house sometime and getting an assist at putting them on the suit?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:44 pm

cardiver wrote:Hey, Bob. If I go down and pick those up today, do you think there's a chance of stopping by your house sometime and getting an assist at putting them on the suit?

No time this week ... I'm teaching a Rescue class, Monday thru Thursday ... Cheng's suit's been waiting over a week for me to find time to put hers on ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:57 pm

Speaking of rescue..... I still need to take that class. Let me know when your next class will be.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:00 pm

Seth T. wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but what's all the fuss about dry gloves recently? I use 1mm tropical gloves with my drysuit and never have a problem. Why dry?

You've never done an hour and 42 minute dive with 25 minutes of deco in February, have you? Nah, you haven't. I can tell.

mancub · Post by **mancub** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:12 pm

I use the Northern Diver dry glove ring system and have not had any problems with them. I'll admit though, they are a little pricey at underwater sports...fortunately for me I was in London over the summer and got em for 60 quid. Roughly 120 bucks. I can't compare with the diving concepts (never used), but I would definitely recommend the ND gloves. really easy install and you could put either the typical blue or orange rubber gloves on or a neoprene glove that has the latex wrist. Just saying that I like em and you might, but you might also find a better deal or a preferable pair.

Burntchef · Post by **Burntchef** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:53 pm

i love my vikings

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=2596

cheap, simple, qaulity=

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:03 pm

Nailer99 wrote: You've never done an hour and 42 minute dive with 25 minutes of deco in February, have you? Nah, you haven't. I can tell.

An hour and 33 (on an AL80 in our cold ASS water) is my claim to fame! Oh and that was in a wetsuit! $\:D/$

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:25 pm

Seth T. wrote:
Nailer99 wrote: You've never done an hour and 42 minute dive with 25 minutes of deco in February, have you? Nah, you haven't. I can tell.
An hour and 33 (on an AL80 in our cold ASS water) is my claim to fame! Oh and that was in a wetsuit! $\:D/$

Seth, you must really move underwater to stay warm, I've never heard of anyone around here--including people that are built like walruses--being able to tolerate the cold like you do.

Nailer, we really need a diet coke alert on this board.

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:29 pm

dsteding wrote:
Seth, you must really move underwater to stay warm, I've never heard of anyone around here--including people that are built like walruses--being able to tolerate the cold like you do.

Nailer, we really need a diet coke alert on this board.

Thanks!

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:30 pm

Comparing the DC with the Sitech... The ring size seems pretty comparable, ditto with the Viking. They all seem about the same inside diameter to me. I haven't actually measured though. The DC's have the disadvantage of stretching the latex seals pretty hard. The seals tend to crack alot and leak there. But whatever works, works.

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:42 pm

Well.....I can't get my hand through the SI Tec and I can get it through the other two with just a little effort.
Seth. I've used wet suit gloves for 12 years, but now that I'm taking pics and staying still, I tend to get cold hands in the winter. I know it might not be "manly" to keep your hands warm but it sure makes using camera controls easier.......

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:43 pm

cardiver wrote:I know it might not be "manly" to keep your hands warm but it sure makes using camera controls easier.......

That's a great point. I hadn't thought of that.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:03 pm

cardiver wrote:Well.....I can't get my hand through the SI Tec and I can get it through the other two with just a little effort.
Seth. I've used wet suit gloves for 12 years, but now that I'm taking pics and staying still, I tend to get cold hands in the winter. I know it might not be "manly" to keep your hands warm but it sure makes using camera controls easier.......

Between Viking and DC I'd go with the vikings myself

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:07 pm

Any particular reason, Captain?

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:46 pm

cardiver wrote:Any particular reason, Captain?

I think I can answer this, having used (or tried to use) both. There is actually a good thread somewhere around 10 months back laying this all out.

But, between the Vikings (made by Si-Tech) and the DC gloves, the Vikings have a few advantages.

1) the seal stretch Richard mentions. The DCs (and the OS Systems) use an O-ring to attach to the suit. The DCs actually use TWO o-rings on the suit side. Net result is a fair amount of constant tension on the seal, leading to it degrading quicker. I've seen this with the OS Systems rings, I went through two sets of seals in ~50 dives. Expensive. By contrast, either of the Viking ring systems use a compression fitting, which also has a plastic cuff that will protect the seal a bit better. The Bayonet ring system is really easy to doff and don, I just got a set of those rings and love them.

2) Ease of putting the rings on both the suit and gloves. The DC (or any o-ring based glove system) almost needs two people. I say almost because I've heard stories of people putting them on with only two available hands, but I've never seen it. Once again, by contrast, the Viking/Si-tech rings are easily put on by one person. Makes life easier. In fact, I took my ring system off my suit in the water up in the San Juans this weekend because of a leaky glove (I had the captain pass down my wet gloves and went and did the dive).

So, overall, I've gone from Si-techs to OS Systems (o-ring based like the Vikings) and now to the Viking Bayonet system. The latter is the best glove system I've come across, if you have to dive dry gloves. Note that I've come to prefer a good fitting set of wet gloves . . . just simpler and they keep my hands warm enough most of the year.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:43 pm

Basically for the reasons Doug laid out...

The DC rings seem to put quite a bit of wear and tear on the seals. They are a royal pain to install too. The Vikings, like the sitech, are a compression fitting that doesn't put the seal in constant tension - exacerbating the smallest crack until it splits. Can be installed by one person in 10 mins or less. Easy to remove when you do finally need to get the seals changed. And adaptable to various thickness seals (save the colored rings, your next set may be thicker or thinner).

The only minus is that they can slip off if you pull on the suit side ring too much. But better to have the ring come loose than rip a seal like you would pulling too hard on a DC ring.

Richard

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:30 pm

Well.....I just got my Viking cuff rings in the mail. I put the gloves together and.....Surprise! I can't get my hand half way in the glove!
Anybody want to buy a brand new complete set with Atlas gloves and some liners?

Pez7378 · Post by **Pez7378** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:36 pm

](*,) That really sucks Ron. Keep trying, somethings gotta work for you.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:44 pm

Trade for the ones you tried on before? You must have tried someone's to suggest that they were bigger than the SiTech's no?

Sucks that they don't fit.