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Well cotton work gloves will smell like dead fish after a few dives. I have seen warm water divers use Kevlar fish cleaning gloves.
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What about a spandex and leather glove?
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If you’re looking for protection and not insulation then there are dive gloves out there that are reinforced with kevlar.
I would stay away from any glove made of cotton for anything dive related. As noted it won’t take long before it starts to stink. It will also lose all thermal properties when wet, as well as become restrictive and take a long time to dry.
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Good point. I have a pair of Scubapro gloves too. They appear to be made of leather like many non-diving gloves. They’re not insulating at all but they do a great job of protecting my hands from stinging marine life and sharp objects. The one thing that I can think of that might be special for diving is the velcro strap around the wrist. They’ve never floated off on me and I’ve probably taken them on 50+ dives. I have a pair of leather gloves for working in the yard and there’s no velcro strap. They’d certainly protect my hands even UW (and possibly make it harder to manipulate dive computer buttons, BC bladder inflater, mask, etc.) but I wonder if they’d fall off easily without that wrist strap if I took them on a dive. I like the Mechanix gloves idea. I have a pair and it has a wrist strap. A quick check of prices show the Mechanix gloves cost a little more than leather diving gloves. They might do a better job of protecting you and maybe insulate some as well. When my Scubapro gloves wear out I’ll have to try the Mechanix gloves out.
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I have a pair of batters gloves that I use when conditions allow.
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I just checked the mechanix wear gloves on SB and apparently they have a huge following on there. Locally Mechanix gloves are about $20 and the LDS is selling the scuba pro gloves like mine for $25. I already have a pair of Mechanix gloves so I believe thats what I’ll be diving with on my next dives.
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If you like the mechanix glove you can also try the offerings from Craftsman and Harbor Freight. They are similar to what some dive gear manufacturers market as tropical gloves. They offer a minimal thermal protection with moderate scratch and puncture protection. The Harbor Freight versions were on sale for less than $4 a pair a week ago during their parking lot sale. At that price they are worth waiting for and stocking up on for in between sales.
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I wear the best gloves ever, and buy them from my Equine Feed store in Ocala. They are called Atlas Glove, Nitrile Touch. I have been wearing the same pair now for 6 months, diving cavern springs on a weekly basis. I pull myself on the rock walls regularly, and hold a large camera too. I run a reel with these gloves on with NO problems whatsoever. Plus, they are only $6.59 a pair. While the springs stay a constant 72 degrees, I wear these gloves when it’s 32 degrees out, as well as in the 90’s. They are ram tough! I love them. Check out my photos and you’ll see me in bright yellow gloves (they come in many colors).
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daz88 - 6/17/2014 12:55 AM 
In warm water don’t wear gloves unless I’m doing a wreck dive. (and then only about 1/2 the time) Most the "tropical" gloves have a leather palm and some kind of spandex or nylon on the back side. That’s all I wear when I wear gloves. I don’t like wearing gloves, and if I wear gloves in the cold water...I wear tropical gloves. My hands just don’t get that cold most of the time.
The Mechanix wear gloves will work fine for protection. But if you’re wearing out gloves after 5 dives, you must be doing a lot of touching, try touching less and you’re gloves will last longer. ; )
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Daz88 I’ve been doing river cleanup dives, you kind of have to touch stuff lol. I prefer gloves, I raced motocross for 11 years pretty much every single weekend and still ride a street bike so wearing gloves is like 2nd nature. RAwalker, I’ll check on the harborfreight gloves. SantaFeSandy, I wonder if tractor supply has them.
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Daz are you in FL? If not, when I get home from work today I’ll photograph their label and scan their barcode to see who else, like Amazon, might have them.
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Yup, you can buy them online. Amazon, eBay, ablackhorse.com, lots of places have them. FYI: I have little teeny tiny hands, as a retired professional thoroughbred jockey, and a clinical laboratory worker too. Therefore, I think I know gloves pretty good.
As for wearing gloves underwater, regardless of cold or warm temperatures, it’s my opinion that everybody should always wear gloves. Be it freshwater or salt water, sometimes we have cuticle tears, or cuts, that bacteria get in, and gloves help add an additional protective barrier despite penetration, period.
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daz88 - 6/17/2014 4:41 AM
Hey Sonny, yea I guess it would be a little ruff on your teeth if you if you’re not touching stuff with your hands on a cleanup. ; ) I guess you are used to wearing golves if you’ve been doing motocross. Myself...I mostly hate wearing gloves unless it’s winter time and I’m playing in the snow, or driving gloves in cold weather. (leather gloves on leather steering make for good grip), and cutting trees or other misc. stuff. If your doing cleanup dives....I would use just straight leather gloves. lots of sharp and/or rusted stuff down there.
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have a look at Grainger.com. Look at the cut resistant gloves. The Ansell Hyflex 11-644 ($18) is a great glove very thin - you’ll neve know you’re wearing them
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Went by Harbor freight today and found a very very nice set of mechanics gloves for $12. I found the $5 gloves but they only had large and x-large. I wear a size small glove and they had the $12 gloves in a medium but fit closer to a small. Super protective and seem very durable.
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Did you find the ones I suggested?
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Just go to Home Depot and get a pair of heavy duty rubber gloves. They last for years and probably cost around $5.
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Sandy, I looked at tractor supply but couldn’t find them. I’m going to keep looking and will grab a pair when I find them.
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I posted that link because they are the cheapest price I’ve seen for them. ablackhorse.com. You can go there and at least check them out. They fit nice and tight like a laboratory glove. They are very comfortable, and quite rugged. I don’t do "baby stuff". If it isn’t tough, it won’t work for me, whatever it is.
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I may just order a pair. Thanks sandy!
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I’m a ladies size 6 glove, and the XS gloves fit me best, however, I didn’t find them in yellow. Therefore, the S gloves now fit me just fine, as yellow is my color.
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Sonny, notice my new profile pic from yesterday. I cling to rocks all the time, and these gloves "fit like a glove" and are tough. Meanwhile, I still have excellent "feel" for running a line.
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From RAWalker: The Harbor Freight versions were on sale for less than $4 a pair a week ago during their parking lot sale. At that price they are worth waiting for and stocking up on for in between sales.
And the camo ones are great for bow hunting!
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I buy mine at Uncle Sams. Neoprene with the velcro and I think under 10 dollars. you have given me some good ideas though
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By the way, if you need rugged, yet thin and good for touch, roping gloves, (also what I galloped and breezed racehorses in), I can share those too.
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nrs.com/product/2406/nrs-mens-hydroskin-gloves-closeout
I fell in love with hydroskin gloves for when i’m whitewater kayaking, and thought to myself man these would be good for light scuba work; and what do you know, I use them all the time now! In fact, I use them more than normal wetsuit gloves now.
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Greg - 6/30/2014 6:58 AM
From gemiller: I fell in love with hydroskin gloves for when i’m whitewater kayaking, and thought to myself man these would be good for light scuba work These gloves sound awesome. The different layers sound perfect for scuba diving. Neoprene layer with warm inner core. Do the insides of the gloves end up wet when you use them for scuba?
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They do end up wet inside, but it’s never really bothered me. I’m using them pretty regularly in 50 degree plus water temps (PA creeks/rivers/quarries). I’d imagine if they had a real seal they’d stay pretty dry, but they just have an elastic Velcro band (which for kayaking works just fine.) They have a very good range of motion, a byproduct of anything in the kayaking industry, which is mostly why I prefer them over regular wetsuit gloves.
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Greg - 1/15/2015 10:33 AM
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