Gloves for unassisted constant ballast

Michael,

Good point about the rules.

Looks like AIDA rules doesn't specifically prohibit mittens or 3 finger gloves. I remember CAFA rules used to explicitly prohibit the 3-finger gloves and mitts, but now it has gone away. HOWEVER, section 6.12 says 'prohibit...any equipment to aid propulsion' (same in 8.11 for DNF) so it could mean the Jury can disallow 3-finger gloves or mittens if they see them as propulsion aids. So it's best to check this point and all equipment with whoever's judging the comp. or record attempt.

Personally I would prefer something like this to be more explicitly stated. But that's just my opinion.

Peter S.

Gloves may be an advantage or a disadantage depending on your style. They can also slow you down.....
I've tried it and it increases the drag or friction of your hands which is an advantage on the downstroke for propulsion. It then becomes a disadvantage when bringing your hands back up, and again for the glide phase. Annabel doesn't glide much and has small hands relative to me, so for her it's definitely an advantage. I use a lot of gliding and rely on being very streamlined. I'm also 190cm tall and have larger hands so the propulsion is not a problem for me.

For a world record attempt there is no way any judge would let someone use 3 fingered gloves or mittens. You might be able to sneak it by in a local or national competition but would be up to the judges present.

Cheers,
Wal

that sounds like it would give you a lot of extra power........i like it.
while it may not be allowed for record attempts or anything it sounds like it would be fun for recreational cnf. does anyone know how much a pair of good webbed gloves would cost?

-Rory