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The Xerotech Dry Glove from Helios by Doug Pemberton When you think of dive gloves, you don't often think of consulting the Directions manual before using them. I didn't, but I should have. Dry gloves are not a new idea, commercial divers have been using them for years because they provide greater warmth, dexterity and in many cases, protection from the elements, than neoprene gloves. The Xerotech glove, made by Helios in England, can be worn either with a dry suit that has neoprene wrist seals or with an optional ring system. I recently tried them out with my drysuit that has tuck-under neoprene seals and after some getting used to, liked them very much. The heavy duty rubber gloves are lined with thick fleece and the latex wrist seals are tight but can be cut back incrementally for a custom and more comfortable fit. My first dive went well but after spending nearly an hour in the water at depths to 80 feet, I found that the squeeze on my hands was getting bothersome. One of my dive buddies, who wears a similar system suggested that I leave the cuff of my drysuit I took them on a dive with my camera and they allowed me the dexterity to manipulate my camera controls without any problem. There are three styles of Xerotech gloves, Orange, Blue and Yellow. The Orange gloves are the standard model, designed to be abrasion resistant and rot proof. Two integral linings keep the hands warm, one is a fine jersey knit cotton and the second is a loop pile brushed acrylic inner liner for warmth and comfort. The heavy duty Blue Xerotech, which is the model I was wearing, is dip moulded with a thicker coating in order to make it more cut and puncture resistant. It is also oil and chemical resistant. Internally it is similar to the Orange. The super duty Yellow is designed primarily to protect the hands from cuts and punctures. It comes with a separate insulating liner glove which may be ommitted when diving in warm water. Also available are Kevlar over-gloves for added protection if gloves are to be used for aggresive work. For further information contact Dan's Dive Shop, 329 Welland Avenue, St. Catherines, Ontario L2R 2R2. Phone (905) 984-2160 Fax (905) 984-2167. |
underwear protruding out from under my tuck-under neoprene wrist seals or use the thumb loop on my drysuit underwear. Had I read the directions that came with the gloves I could have learned this sooner but I never thought I needed to read instructions for a pair of gloves. The Xerotech glove seal fits over the drysuit wrist seal and leaving the drysuit underwear out allows air to travel into the glove and minimize the squeeze. On subsequent dives this worked very well and I found the gloves to be very warm and comfortable.