If you have a dry suit and regularly dive in cold water, have you considered adding a dry glove to your dry suit? Kubi dry gloves may be the gloves for you.
I have been diving with dry gloves for over ten years. The dry glove rings that I used for most of that time were the Viking dry glove rings. As good as those gloves were, they lacked in one crucial aspect. I found the gloves very hard to wear if I had glove liners/insulation. It was tough to put on the rubber glove and seal it until some of my dive buddies introduced me to the Kubi dry glove system they were using. Let’s explore their construction Options and ease of use.
Constructions
Kubi gloves have a straightforward design, which leads them to work well. The dry glove system comprises powder-coated aluminum rings with a series of o-rings that will seal and hold it in place. One ring will go on the rubber glove of your choice, and the other will go on your dry suit latex or silicone seal. There are so few parts in this system it makes it almost indestructible. I have a dive buddy who dropped her glove side ring on the floor in a parking lot where three cars drove over the wrist rings. Long story short, there were just a few superficial scuffs on the rings; other than that, they were excellent for use and didn’t need any replacing.
Options
Something Great about the Kubi dry suit glove system is the endless options they provide to ensure you get the proper fit and environmental and thermal protections you need.
There are two versions of the Kubi glove system; the standard version will fit most dry suits with latex or silicone seals (they WILL NOT WORK on neoprene seals). These are not permanent, and the rubber glove can be changed to one of the several options. There is a fitted version, which I have yet to experience, that is permanently installed on the dry suit and is only removable if sent to a service technician or you’re willing to do the installation yourself on your dry suit.
Some of the options for the standard version are
1- Kubi wrist rings come in four sizes: 70,80,90, and 100mm; Kubi provides the dive shops with a wrist sizing chart that you can fit through to find the right-sized ring for your hand.
2- Rubber outer glove, which will protect you from the environment; they have a standard 1.5 mm rubber glove, a heavy-duty thick glove that is 2.4 mm, and a textured version of the glove in both standard and heavy-duty. Suppose you are handling many tools or are a commercial diver; that may be the best option. There is also currently a limited edition of the textured red glove available. The standard 1.5 mm glove has worked great in the past for me. I sometimes get small punctures in them from touching zebra muscle. I can typically quickly repair small holes with a little aqua seal.
3- Dry glove liners or thermal protection. They come in a standard version, a factor 2 thermal glove described as a mid-wight warm glove. Then there are the merino wool thermals and the Icelandic wool thermal liners, which are warm for some icy water diving conditions.
The versatility of these gloves is one of their most vital characteristics. I was recently on a dive trip without access to a dive shop, and I tore my rubber gloves up pretty badly on a bed of zebra muscles. I could go to a hardware store and buy generic heavy-duty rubber work gloves (one used for gardening), install them with no problems, and dove all week with no leaks. If you have a favourite pair of warm gloves that you want to use as liners, this system will allow you to use your liners.
Tip: if you are having trouble removing your Kube drysuit rings after a dive it may be because the primary sealing O-ring may need a little lubricating. Place a tiny amount of silicone grease on your fingers and run the O-ring through your fingers, ensuring there is no excess as it will attract sand and hair, just a small enough amount that the right is slightly moist. Now, the ring slides on without leaks and comes off easily post-dive.
Here is an instructional video on installing the standard wring set on your existing dry suit wrist seals.
Overall, this is a tremendous dry glove system; the gloves are quick to snap on before a dive and very easy to pull off at the end. The rings are almost indestructible, and there are various options for the rubber glove and liners, making it easy to match your glove to your dive conditions. If there was any con to these gloves, it is the price as they are more expensive than the Vicking drysuit Gloves I was using before them, but they have good value for what you are getting. Overall, I would give these dry suit wrings a 4.5 out of 5.