Uncategorized – Dive To Escape

If you are a cold water dry suit diver, you know the importance of having warm, dexterous hands when on a cold dive. That is why choosing a dry glove system that works for you is very important for the dive's enjoyment and safety. I will compare two dry glove systems I have used in this article. I will point out the good, the bad and the ugly of the Kubi dry glove versus the Viking Rubber Cuff Rings dive system dry glove cuffs. Kubi Dry Glove system Everything you get when you by the Kubi glove system This system has a few parts, including four aluminum wrist rings and several o-rings to help hold the rings in place. The Kubi rings look nice with a reflector sticker on the cuff. Let others know you have Kubi gloves. For a full review of the Kubi dry gloves, clinic here. Pro’s easy to take your glove on and off once at the end of a dive; no need for buddy help well-built and durable There are three different wrist ring sizes, glove sizes, and textures. A different selection of insulation liner Con’s Expensive compared to the competition ($299 CND in 2021) It is more complicated than the competition to install the dry suit You need to lubricate the main o-ring with silicone grease approximately every 50 dives; otherwise, it becomes difficult to take off. Viking Rubber cuff system Top Center: Viking Cuff Rings inner and outer set Bottom Left: Heavy Duty Gloves Bottom Right: Textured Gloves This system has been around for a long time and is regularly used by commercial divers. This system is straightforward in design. The wrist cuff has a very modest look, being rubber. This also makes this system reasonably reliable and may be why commercial divers use it so often. For a full review of the Viking rubber cuff system, click here. Pro’s Straightforward design compared to the competition Lots of glove options of different sizes, different textures and different thickness More affordable than the competition ($99 CND for cuffs +$20-30 for rubber gloves) Lots of options for glove-insulating liners. Easy to install on most dry suits Little to no maintenance Con’s Difficult to put on without the help of another diver Made of rubber, it is still robust and not likely to break, but it is not aluminum. Don’t have a flashy, expensive look. For a full review on the Viking Cuff Rings click here. If you looked at the list of pros and Cons for these dry glove systems, one would think that I would choose the Viking system. The Viking system is an excellent product, and it always succeeded me on a dive, but it was challenging to put on the gloves once you have the insulating liner on without help. I found this very frustrating. The rubber gloves that work with the set are very heavy-duty, so they don’t get any easier with use. For that, I have liked using the Kubi gloves system. It has all the similar features; they are more robust, being aluminum, but they are effortless to put on and off. At the end of a cold dive, when your outdoor temperature is below zero, struggling to take your dry gloves off to open your car on a shore dive puts a damper on the whole adventure, and the Kubi gloves were my solution to that problem. Hopefully, I was able to give you a little insight into what both systems offer and which one may work for your personal experience.