Alright so I'm pretty much set up for the season all I need is a new pair of gloves. I will be sponging a little more often than surfing, so the gloves should be decent for both. I am trying to get 5mm gloves, but I'm not sure which type, lobster claw? 5 finger? what have you guys used and which are the best really all around for warmth and maneuverability
Mittens keep your hands warmer while the 5 fingers glove is more for maneuverability and grip . I personally like the 5 finger gloves, but then again i'm in VB so it never really get's cold enough to need the lobster mitts, imo.
Im in south jersey, since i'll be sponging a little more often i think that the 5 finger will be best for grip on the rail and such, but I want to hear from personal experience
i have a 5mm lobster and its pretty damn warm. i actually need a flush or two during the first 45 minutes of a session to keep me from dying of hand warmth hah. i like em better than mittens cause of the added finger and i like em better than the gloves cause they made me freeze 2 years ago when i used them. i guess they are kind of the middle man, if you so inclined lobster claws --->
Do you surf or sponge? I'm afraid if I buy claws my grip and traction on my board will be terrible but then again the warmth is unmatchable by 5 fingers for example but offer excellent grip
Claw gloves are fine, I wear them & don't have any problem. Mittens are a bit warmer, but tend to not provide as good a grip as lobster claw style for holding the boog. At least for me anyway.
picked up the 6 mil mittens by hyperflex. For $25 shipped from wetsuit wearhouse you can't go wrong. Haven't had any issue with grip. Much warmer than 5 mil 5 fingers and they assist with the paddling nicely. Highly recommend.
7 mil xcel bamboo mittens are where it's at. used to have some lobsters but my index finger would always feel like it was about to fall off
I haven't been in the water since early Nov. but these: http://www.ebodyboarding.com/Wetstuff/Gloves/H20-Odyssey-5mm-Shark-Skin-Gloves did a great job of keeping me warm and didn't negatively impact grip/traction. I'll be out with them again tomorrow and can give you another update after that session.
Thank you for the help everyone, I will look into all of your reccomendations individually. If you can zip, please do provide an update tomorrow! it will help
Update: the 5mm H2O Odyssey gloves were great today. My hands weren't cold at all, they have great grip, and with 5 fingers you have a little more dexterity to do stuff like take your fins off etc. I don't think I would personally go with a lobster claw-style glove/mitten. Just the loss of dexterity kills it for me. I can't imagine trying to get them off... I did notice that the gloves hold a little bit of water but my hands still weren't cold. I'm not sure if the water is getting in through the gloves or not though. I didn't put my head down while duck diving and got a pretty good flush past my hood. I've also got H2O Odyssey's 5mm boots and they do a good job of keeping my feet warm. My only issue is that the additional 5mm cause me some fitment problems with my fins. I wear a size 11 shoe and usually wear Hubb Makapuu fins in size large. The first time I went out w/ the boots + Makapuus my feet got cramped up. I just got an XL pair of Ally fins and today I felt like I was wearing clown shoes in the water. The XLs are just really floppy and compliant, I didn't feel like I was getting very good take-offs. What are you wearing on your feet, as far as both boots and fins? Oh, I guess I'll round out the last bit of winter gear I'm using. Suit is a RC 6/4, I forgot the model.
much appreciated man thank you! Seems as if the H2O's certainly are worth looking into. I got 5mm boots and churchill makapuus. I also have a size 11 shoe and I wear my makapuus in large, and they really fit fine I haven't had any problems and I really don't need to use tethers
I don't have alot of cold water riding experience, but I'm looking to get in the water this winter. I have a 4/3 full suit, and am looking into getting a 5 or 7mm hood, and a decent pair of gloves and fin socks, probably also 5 or 7mm. Would that be sufficient for our 35-40ish degree water or would i still freeze my ass off with only a 4/3? anyone who responds, thanks in advance for the input.
since this seems like your first winter, you will probably die with a 4/3 to be honest. 5/4 or even 6/5 if you can. However i probably wouldnt get another suit unless you can afford it no problem seeing as if winter is only a few months out of the year you'll need the thicker suit.
