September 2002
By John Brumm
Photography by Joe Byrd

The primary consideration when choosing a glove for diving in tropical waters is protection. In temperate waters, warmth is the key, although protection is not far behind (if you think snagging a finger on a rock hurts in warm water, just try getting zinged with half-frozen fingers).

All nine gloves in this test go-round are 3mm, or close to it. Three millimeters of neoprene provides warmth without totally sacrificing dexterity. Although all these gloves failed our "pick up a quarter" test, they still provide enough fingertip flexibility to allow unencumbered diving. Besides, when the water is 58 degrees and you're down in a crevice chasing a monster bug, it's warmth and durability you want from your gloves, not dexterity.

All but two of the gloves tested come with wrist straps. Half our test team likes the ability to snug up a glove's gauntlet with a strap, while the other half feels straps are unnecessary appendages.

Gloves In Review

Excellent--*****
Very Good--****
Good--***
Fair--**
Poor--*

AKONA AKNG132K 3.5MM DELUXE GLOVE

|| |---| | | | Akona AKNG132K 3.5MM Deluxe Glove| Bulletproof Palm
Rating:** *******

Akona's 3.5mm glove offers a rugged Kevlar palm that also covers the wrist and wraps up and over fingertips to provide near-bulletproof protection. Glued and blind-stitched, the glove is cut with pre-curved fingers to conform to the natural shape of the hand. The gauntlet reaches well past the wrist and incorporates a wide strap that threads through a D-ring and folds back onto itself on top of the wrist. A gusset assists in donning and doffing.

PRICE: $40.
MATERIAL: Neoprene/nylon.
MADE IN: China.
SIZES: 5.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: Akona, (800) 347-9766.
WEB: www.akona.com.

BARE 3MM GLOVE

|| |---| | | | Bare 3MM Glove|
Budget-Priced
Rating:** ***

Bare's 3mm glove is available in only three sizes and tends to be cut on the small side. It also suffers somewhat in quality. The test pair had unfinished edges and gaps in finger seams that allowed a lot of water flow. The thumb of one glove was considerably shorter than that of its mate, and we're not sure how well the polyurethane-coated palm would stand up to heavy use. However, its price is less than half of many of the gloves in this go-round, which could justify having a pair as a backup or for light-duty use.

PRICE: $19.95.
MATERIAL: Neoprene/high-stretch nylon.
MADE IN: Thailand.
SIZES: 3.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: No.
CONTACT: Bare Sportswear, (604) 533-7848
WEB: www.bare-wetsuits.com.

BODY GLOVE TI SUPREME

|| |---| | | | Body Glovce TI Supreme|
Protection Plus Comfort
Rating:** ******

Triple-glued and blind-stitched construction combine with a plush interior and a Kevlar palm to make Body Glove's Ti Supreme a comfortable as well as rugged temperate water glove. Anatomically cut to match the hand's natural shape, an expansion panel on the wrist makes it easier to pull the glove on and off. A light Velcro strap secures on the underside of the wrist. The glove offers better finger dexterity but a bit less protection than gloves with palm material that wraps over the tips of thumb and fingers.

PRICE: $49.95.
MATERIAL: Neoprene/nylon with titanium plush.
MADE IN: Thailand.
SIZES: 5.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: Body Glove, (800) 678-7873.
WEB: www.bodyglove.com.

DEEP SEE KEVLAR GLOVE

|| |---| | | | Deep Sea Kevlar Glove|
Ready to Rumble
Rating:** ******

This glove is very similar to Akona's AKNG132K except the fold-over wrist strap is not quite as nice, the Kevlar palm material doesn't extend down the underside of the wrist and it has a slightly fuller-cut wrist. The pre-formed curve of the grip is less pronounced too, but overall you get the same sense of durability--this glove clearly fears no nook or cranny. Seams are glued and blind-stitched to minimize water transfer.

PRICE: $54.99.
MATERIAL: Neoprene/nylon.
MADE IN: China.
SIZES: 4.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: Deep See, (800) 367-2626.
WEB: www.deepseeinc.com.

HENDERSON 3MM GOLD CORE GRIPPER GLOVE

|| |---| | | | Henderson 3MM Gold Core Gripper Glove|
A Slick Fit
Rating:** *******

This is a slick temperate water glove--literally. The Gold Core skin-in lining is extremely comfortable, and it minimizes water flow, which makes for a warmer dive. It also makes the glove easier to don and doff. The glove is among the most pliable and dexterous in this go-round. A special diamond-pattern polymer material provides adequate palm protection. The gauntlet rides past the wrist and secures just above the pulse point with a Velcro strap and security flap.

PRICE: $39.95.
MATERIAL: Gold Core neoprene/nylon jersey.
MADE IN: China.
SIZES: 6.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: Henderson, (856) 825-4771.
WEB: www.hendersonusa.com.

OCEAN REEF CATALINA

|| |---| | | | Ocean Reef Catalina|
Difficult to Don
Rating:** *****

The Catalina 3mm glove is very dexterous, and very comfortable--once you've got it on. Its gauntlet reaches way up the wrist (as much as two inches farther than other gloves), which is good because it doesn't have a wrist strap, but bad because it makes it hard to don and interferes with the sleeves of certain dry suits--although we didn't find this problem when wearing wetsuits. The polyurethane palm is comfortable and pliable but it's not as well-suited for heavy-duty use as are many of the other palm materials.

PRICE: $30.
MATERIAL: Neoprene.
MADE IN: Thailand.
SIZES: 5.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: No.
CONTACT: (800) 922-1764.
WEB: www.oceanreefgroup.com.

OCEANIC OCEANPRO

|| |---| | | | Oceanic Oceanpro|
Tops in Comfort
Rating:** ******

While it was a tight race, the 3mm Oceanpro earned the title of most comfortable temperate water glove in this test go-round. Easy to don and doff thanks to a generous gusset in the wrist, a Velcro strap secures on the underside of the wrist to snug up the fit. The glove offers a curved grip to accommodate the natural shape of the hand. The rubberized palm adds to the glove's dexterity, but it's not as tough as others. A very good general-purpose glove.

PRICE: $32.95.
MATERIAL: Neoprene/nylon.
MADE IN: Thailand.
SIZES: 5.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: Oceanic USA, (510) 562-0500.
WEB: www.oceanicworldwide.com.

O'NEILL FLEXLOC

|| |---| | | | O'Neill Flexloc|
Plenty of Sizes
Rating:** ******

With a pronounced preformed grip and palm material similar to Kevlar but not as abrasive, O'Neill's Flexloc glove provides a comfortable, flexible fit. The palm material runs seamlessly up and over the fingertips. Seams are glued and dry-taped. The gauntlet is full-cut and has an expansion panel to assist in donning and doffing. A nylon cinch strap secures on the underside of the wrist.

PRICE: $35.95.
MATERIAL: 3mm Fluid Foam (glove) and 3mm Glideskin Ultraflex (cuff).
MADE IN: Thailand.
SIZES: 7.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: O'Neill, (800) 538-0764.
WEB: www.oneill.com.

PARKWAY TITANIUM SHARK SKIN-IN

|| |---| | | | Parkway Titanium Shark Skin-In|
Oh So Warm
Rating:** *******

The quick-drying "sharkskin" lining allows Parkway's 3mm titanium glove to maintain its warmth by minimizing water flow. It also makes the glove easy to don, although it can be a challenge at times to take off. The glove has a preformed grip with palm and fingers covered with "Protex" material to provide abrasion resistance. It has both a wrist gusset and a wide-cut gauntlet, which is helpful when diving a dry suit. This glove was a favorite among test divers on a day of diving 55-degree water.

PRICE: $50.
MATERIAL: Neoprene/nylon.
MADE IN: Thailand.
SIZES: 7.
COLOR: Black.
WRIST STRAP: Yes.
CONTACT: Parkway Scuba, (800) 587-2822.
WEB:www.parkwayscuba.com.