Hood & Boots & Gloves

[RV6Pilot]

I will be doing my first local dive in mid-late June and was wondering what mill hood, boots & gloves to use. I have a 7mm wetsuit but no gloves or hood. I have boots but they are less than 7mm.

All my diving has been in Mexico so this need never came up.

Thanks

[wtdrm]

Boots are not a problem, But get a hood and gloves, Or just dont go deeper than 24'


If you plan to dive alot, start saving for that drysuit.

[RV6Pilot]

What mil gloves and hood does everybody use when diving locally?

[beeger]

Most people you will find are using 5 mm gloves, or 7 mm 3-finger mits. Hoods will range between 5-7mm. Wetsuit boots are probably 5-7 mm. Many of the people who regularly dive around here use a drysuit, but it is not a requirement. Some of the people who use a drysuit also go for dry gloves (some even for a dry hood).

Fit is going to to especially important in colder waters. For the gloves, make sure there is a nice tight seal around the wrist (some strap styles work better than others). With a hood, look for a smooth face seal. For wetsuit boots, try to find a boot that goes fairly far up your calf. This will help provide a better seal with your wetsuit. Some people like to wear pure wool socks under their wetsuit boots. This helps take up space where cold water would otherwise be, and wool retains heat even when wet.

[nomads]

I think it is worth a few extra $$ for a custom made hood.  You may want to consider checking out

[eric myers 2]

Just thought I would throw my two cents in on this one.

If you plan on diving in MN plan on buying 5mm gloves. Many people even go to the 7mm three fingered mitts and I am probably going to provoke a response here from some but it is my opinion that three fingered mitts can put you at a disadvantage dexterity wise.

I wear 5mm Kevlar gloves when I dive wet and dry! I used to wear a pair that didn't have the Kevlar in the palms and I noticed that after many dives in cold water and on shipwrecks that the wetsuit material would fray!

As with most exposure protection pieces the most important factors are fit and comfort (warmth).