Introduction

Whether you’re a seasoned diver or just starting your underwater journey, choosing the right gear is crucial for safety, comfort, and performance.

Among the essential pieces of diving gear are gloves, which serve not only to protect your hands but also to enhance your overall diving experience. O’Three offers a range of gloves designed to meet various diving needs. In this article, we’ll help you navigate the options and select the perfect O’Three gloves for your diving adventures.

 

Considerations when choosing a Pair of Gloves

When choosing a pair of gloves you need the right balance of keeping your hands warm and dexterity. Like a wetsuit, neoprene dive gloves do not keep your hands dry. They trap the water that enters and your body then warms that water up.

The thickness of the gloves will depend on the water temperature you will be diving in. For cold water diving, you will need thicker gloves to provide more thermal protection, for warmer water diving, you can get away with thinner gloves.

It’s very much about personal preference and knowing how your body reacts to the water temperature, our recommendations here will be generic.  Different divers physiology will affect the benefit they will gain from different styles of gloves, and indeed how warm they will feel when using them.

 

Location & Seasons

We have created the following diagram as a rule of thumb guide for UK diving and diving in most temperate waters. We have tried to indicate the best glove for use in the different seasons based on average temperatures.

As we said above, you should use this as a guide only as, depending on your physiology, benefits will differ person to person.

 

Dexterity vs Warmth

We have worked hard to design in maximum dexterity and comfort across our range of gloves. An example would be the pre-bent fingers on our 5mm ECG [ Extreme Condition Gloves ] and the ‘Squid Grip’ palms across the range. However a 2mm Glove will always be more dextrous and give you more feel than a much thicker 5mm glove.

You may choose a compromise in warmth if you need to perform dexterous movements such as operating camera controls. We always recommend trying on gloves as many people find that they can still conduct intricate operations even in our 5mm ECG, and cold fingers will make things harder even with the most dexterous pair of diving gloves.

 

The Right Kit for the Right Dive

Many divers own multiple gloves and hoods so they can match them to the conditions on the day of the dive. There are many changing factors when you go for a dive such as wind chill and ambient temperature, nature never stands still, so it may be best to have all the options in your bag.

 

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The O’Three Gloves Range

2mm FFG – Full Flex Gloves

This 2mm glove is the most supple and most flexible we have ever built.  Super-soft neoprene sandwiched between the very best high end materials gives an incredible fit and feel.

Use this glove for recreational diving from early summer, through to late autumn in temperate waters.

Also great for Wild Swimming and other water-sports such as Kayaking and SUP.

• 2mm
• Technical Black
• PU Textured ‘ Squid Grip’ Palm
• Super Soft fit and feel
• A doddle to Don and Doff
• Sizes: XS – XL

 

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3mm Tri-Season Gloves

A NEW version of a highly versatile three season firm favourite. This glove will cover you for most of your dive season in temperate waters.

An amazing balance of warmth and dexterity.

This all round glove can be worn from early spring to mid-winter.

Ideal for Wild Swimming and other water-sports such as Kayaking and SUP late into the year.

• Thermal Skin Inside
• Built-in Pre-bend to fingers
• PU Textured ‘Squid Grip’ Palm
• 3mm Quality Neoprene
• Size: XS-XL

 

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5mm ECG – Extreme Condition Gloves

Warm with dexterity.

5mm glued and blind stitched Gloves, fully lined with thermal smooth skin neoprene for total internal flush through protection.

3D pre-bent fingers to improve flexibility and reduce fatigue.

PU textured ‘Squid Grip’ palms for that additional protection where you need it most.

These gloves have proven themselves on countless expeditions where water temperatures have been barely above freezing, allowing the diver a warm low profile and comfortable diving glove experience.

• 5mm Glued and blind stitched
• Internal Thermal smooth skin finish
• PU Textured ‘Squid Grip’ palm
• 3D Pre-Bend to Fingers
• Size: XS – 2XL

 

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5mm ECM – Extreme Condition Mitts

This is the latest version of our super warm divers favourite mitt now features our new ‘Squid Grip’ textured palm.

The internal smooth skin finish and the three finger design enables this 5mm Diving Mitt to punch way above its weight in the warmth factor. These 5mm Diving Mitts have proven themselves on countless expeditions where water temperatures have been close to freezing.

The ultimate warm glove.

My favourite gloves ever. I was on an expedition to the arctic where other team members had lots of issues with dry glove systems, I was snug and warm in my 5mm O’Three Diving Mitts

Paul Rose – Explorer

• 5mm Glued and blind stitched
• Thermal smooth skin inside
• PU Textured ‘Squid Grip’ palm
• 3 finger design
• Size: XS-XL