Spearfishing glove thickness

[dohzer]

I'm after some gloves with more warmth than my current gloves. The ones I have right now aren't waterproof, but I want some neoprene ones to give a bit more warmth.
However, I tried on a friend's neoprene gloves a while ago, and I'm guessing they were quite thick (maybe 7mm?), because I really struggled to grip my speargun, and (from memory) my trigger finger was really hindered by the glove. My friend doesn't spearfish, he just scuba dives for crays. I'm pretty sure he uses thick gloves while looking for crayfish to protect his hands a little more.

Has anyone else had the same problem? Should I limit the thickness of my gloves to maintain dexterity, or are there specific gloves that are quite thick but still provide good flexibility?

 

[spaghetti]

I use a thicker one on my left hand, and a thinner one to hold the speargun (if you're left handed, do the opposite lol). Of course they're gloves of two different makes: the left is a 5mm Technisub full of protective grip (i use the left hand to grab rocks and stuff while hunting aspetto style), the right is a sleek 3mm Cressi (I don't remember the name of the model: it's the one with the hexagon honeybee pattern).

I recall that Omer made a pair of gloves ready with differentiated thickness for left and right till a few years ago, but they don't anymore. Pity: it was a brilliant idea.

 

[Mr. X]

I've been using 2mm super-stretch Beuchat gloves this season in the UK and they are very unobtrusive - I am happy to recommend them. Most/many of the major brands (inc. Omer-sub) started selling 2mm super-stretch a year or two ago (thin, so presumably cheap on materials, and one size covers medium and large because of the excellent stretch - which must attractive to resellers). Being thin and stretchy, they fit real close . They probably won't last as long though - so I'm more careful with them (no more tugging old fishing lines looking for lost weights! That trashes gloves).

I would think 2mm would be plenty warm enough for Australia - but perhaps the water is cold where you are? I did find my hands a little cold early season (April?), which is unusual. My previous gloves were thicker Beuchat gloves (I like their cut, seems better than some of the generic gloves), I don't know the thickness but probably 3mm. I don't recall ever experiencing cold with them. They fit very well but were stiffer than the superstretch gloves.

 

[spaghetti]

+1
Neoprene gloves covered with superstretch coating is the way to go for me.
Then water temp will tell you the neoprene thickness needed.

Now the superstretch coating is basically and elasticized nylon fabric that comes glued and/or stitched upon the neoprene. You may find it under different commercial names: superstretch, ultrastretch, ultraspan. But well no matter what the name, that's it.

 

[jps]

I use 5mm neoprene gloves all year in Norway. Any thicker and my fingers get too fat. If it gets really cold, or my frostdamaged hands get too sensitive to the cold some days, then i switch to 5mm neoprene mittens with a trigger finger. These things are really warm compared to the gloves because something like the 3 outmost fingers sharing the same blood vessel.

Another funny thing is that i usually go for the gloves first out of a "better grip etc" mindset, but after a while when getting used to working with mittens i find them to be just as good to work with as long as they got the trigger finger.
The gloves basically gives me a sense (or illusion) of freedom that my mind really craves when putting on the mittens for the first time.

And oh, the third funny thing is that all the cool kids that i never see on the beach when sliding thru the ice/slush towards the water in the winter all wear gloves, im certain of it. Because here i am with my nice, cozy mittens and the cool kids dont want to hang out with me, so thats why i cant see them. Or something like that

Oh again, if you surf in cold water you'll love mittens when paddeling

 

[dohzer]

Thanks for the info guys!

I would think 2mm would be plenty warm enough for Australia - but perhaps the water is cold where you are? I did find my hands a little cold early season (April?), which is unusual.

I'm down south in Melbourne, and looking at the local bay temperatures, they get down to about 10°C at the coldest times (i.e. now).
Back in April this year I was fine with my non-neoprene gloves (actually, I lost one (don't ask how ) and was out in the water for a few hours with only one glove on)

 

[Jon]

I wear 5mm three finger mitts most of the year. I find that gloves over 3mm thick just have too much rubber between the fingers to be much good. I've been using mitts for so long that I can shoot a gun, adjust my camera controls, tie knots, use tools, or do anything else I need to underwater. As a result of the mitts my hands rarely get cold first these days. I did use 5 finger dry gloves for a while, but the three finger mitts worked better for adjusting my camera controls when ice diving.

 

[Mr. X]

Thanks for the info guys!

I'm down south in Melbourne, and looking at the local bay temperatures, they get down to about 10°C at the coldest times (i.e. now).
Back in April this year I was fine with my non-neoprene gloves (actually, I lost one (don't ask how ) and was out in the water for a few hours with only one glove on)

10°C was probably about the same temperature we have had early season. 2mm neoprene will probably be significantly warmer than your non-neoprene gloves. Not sure if it is possible to get the thicker Beuchat gloves now, might need to shop around a bit harder to find them now. I think thicker gloves still have their place, the 2mm superstretch gloves are not as warm.

I know some long time forum members don't like wearing gloves, or don't like wearing them on their trigger-hand (OMD & Pav spring to mind) but I've never felt like that, perhaps because the Beuchat gloves seem to fit so well. However, if that is a concern, I've noticed some shooters using neoprene gloves (in realistic woodland camo) with the right-hand trigger finger left exposed. These camo neoprene shooting gloves cost about the same (possibly even less) than spearo gloves (try ebay or Cabella's in the USA).

 

[Elemental]

I wear these ones and down in Tassie it gets cold!
I have found them great, they fit close so warmth is good, just got to get over the initial cold. Leather palms make them super tough but the neoprene really helps with flexibility and close fit.
Try on a few different ones and get what suits you.