Gloves or no Gloves?

[JohnMitchell 16]

Absolutely gloves. I wear the mechanic type glove on every jump. Not only do I like the hand protection ( many sharp edges on airplanes) but you can get a much better grip on handles, grippers, AFF level I students with gloves on. It's a proven ergonomics thing.

I've told jumpers with poor canopy control and bad flares to start wearing gloves to protect their hands during bad landings.

[Joellercoaster 6]

Always. Even on jumps where I don't where much else, always have gloves, shoes and a helmet. And a rig :P

I've shredded a couple of pairs now (one on exit, one landing off) and been really glad I could just throw them away, rather than taking them to hospital.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[Baksteen 84]

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Then I moved to Florida... no need for them here!

Even during my brief stay at Perris I always jumped with gloves. It wasn't very comfortable in the hot Californian sun, I grant you.

But one time (at some other DZ) me and a fellow student landed out in some nearly ripe grain. I was wearing gloves, they weren't. I had to buy new gloves, my friend had to have nine stiches in their index finger.

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

[virgin-burner 1]

i always jump with the thin, tacky receiver gloves, summer, winter, whatever.

i like them!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[JohanW 0]

I always wear gloves, for reasons that have been mentioned already.

My favourite are golfing gloves. Have to pay attention you're not getting a left only, though.

Johan.
I am. I think.

[DiverMike 5]

I also always wear gloves. Fingerless in the summer to get the best of both worlds -protecting the palms when hanging on risers and complete tactile feedback for little stuff like RSL if needed.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[johnboy 0]

I'm always wearing gloves. The last jump I made without them, I had a BAD off-field stumbled landing, and the stick almost went the entire way through my hand. It didn't pierce the top of my hand, but the skin was poking up.

I've grown a little smarter since being 19. Or, well, I've worn gloves ever since that jump!

[bluetwo 0]

Still trying to find gloves that have good grip and offer some protection from the cold.

I think I prefer bare hands in the warmer months.

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[rippedbx 0]

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Still trying to find gloves that have good grip and offer some protection from the cold.

I think I prefer bare hands in the warmer months.

I'm a newer skydiver and haven't jumped in below freezing yet. but I've been wearing dirt bike gloves every jump and will probably wear the cold weather dirt bike gloves once it gets below 40. They have great dexterity and feel and are still wind proof. and i got all sorts of dirt bike gloves laying all over my house

[airtwardo 7]

I think I prefer bare hands in the warmer months.

Let's see...1st you're in a thin aluminum tube full of fuel, then you are trying to grab onto someone while falling 100 plus MPH, then you may be landing at a speed your legs won't go onto terrain possibly scattered with rocks, sticks and the like.

Yup, I sure can see why ya wouldn't want to protect the paws ya feed yourself with.


Even GOLFERS wear freaking gloves!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Martini 0]

Batting gloves, full finger, every skydive.

Cyclocross gloves with knuckle armor, fingerless, every BASE.

Insulated gloves, weight depending on temperature, every paraglider flight.

Always hand protection of some kind.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[NWFlyer 2]

The only jump in recent memory where I didn't wear gloves was my hop & pop into the Blue Hole in Belize. Then again, that was a bare bones jump - just a swimsuit, flotation gear, and a rig. No AAD, no helmet, no alti, no shoes.

For all other jumps, I like to protect my brain, my feet, and my hands.

So, yes to gloves, no matter how hot it is.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[rehmwa 2]

I always wear thin batting gloves. Keep a pair in each helmet (RW, FF, Camera) so I don't have to look for them.

Mizuno's fit my hand shape best. Finding a brand to fit your hand is the toughest part. But proportions tend to track with brands. Most gloves seem to fit people with fat palms and stubby fingers - so my search took a while.

Easy to find affordable batting gloves on the internet, but recommend going to a sports store to try on a bunch of brands to figure out which fit best.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[wmw999 2,439]

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Most gloves seem to fit people with fat palms and stubby fingers

Try XL women's gloves if you have trouble next time. I find that women's gloves all have narrow palms and skinny fingers, and I have to buy youth large gloves, as I have fat palms and stubby fingers

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[rehmwa 2]

thanks, W. so far, the Mizuno's are great (and there is a good model that's very reasonable and still sturdy.)

sometimes, I could dig through a pile of Neumans and find a left and then a right at some point - their proportion are random, apparently.

and they were pretty cheap - but the fingers started to come apart usually in less than a month. cheap thread. so not worth it.

I'm sure your fingers and hands are dainty and female. I will brook no talk otherwise from a friend. As you know, men like women with small hands for a variety of reasons.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[wmw999 2,439]

My palms are wide, not hairy

That makes them capable of handling belt sanders, power saws, and a hammer
Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[3mpire 0]

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Still trying to find gloves that have good grip and offer some protection from the cold.

I think I prefer bare hands in the warmer months.

I've jumped these in -20 C and found they worked great:

http://www.rei.com/product/794353/the-north-face-apex-gloves-mens

I got the smallest size I could get my hands into which means I have good dexterity as there is no wiggle room. The palms are very grippy and while the material is thin, it keeps the wind out so your hands don't go numb.

They're even on sale right now.

[jarboarder1 0]

How do people feel about gloves for people new to the sport?

I did my AFF1 two days ago and decided not to wear gloves. I wish I did since it was pretty cool up in Edmonton and my hands hurt for a little after the jump.

[3mpire 0]

I have always worn gloves, but you want to make sure that the gloves will not interfere with your ability to use your toggles or access your handles.

Talk to your instructors and they can tell you what you need to know -- I'm sure they'd be more than happy to look at gloves you have.

[Decodiver 0]

I wear gloves, a jumpsuit, socks, a helmet and my Vans on every jump winter or boiling hot summer days.

When you take-off in a plane you never know where you're going to land.....ever.

Just my thoughts so gloves are a protection IMHO.

Cheers,

Coops.

[bluetwo 0]

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I'm a newer skydiver and haven't jumped in below freezing yet. but I've been wearing dirt bike gloves every jump and will probably wear the cold weather dirt bike gloves once it gets below 40. They have great dexterity and feel and are still wind proof. and i got all sorts of dirt bike gloves laying all over my house

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I've jumped when it was 30 on the ground and that air was by far the coldest thing I've ever felt all at once, and mind you I've been colder from long term exposure.

That cold air at 120+ MPH was so intense, to the point that my goggles were useless to keep my eyes from watering. In fact I started out in a track which was blowing the water out of my eyes but when I went to the stable position my goggles got completely soaked. So to remedy that I started tracking again just so I could see.

.....oh yeah. Before some naysayer comes along - I did go back to stable and wave off before opening.

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[airtwardo 7]

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I'm a newer skydiver and haven't jumped in below freezing yet. but I've been wearing dirt bike gloves every jump and will probably wear the cold weather dirt bike gloves once it gets below 40. They have great dexterity and feel and are still wind proof. and i got all sorts of dirt bike gloves laying all over my house

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I've jumped when it was 30 on the ground and that air was by far the coldest thing I've ever felt all at once, and mind you I've been colder from long term exposure.

That cold air at 120+ MPH was so intense, to the point that my goggles were useless to keep my eyes from watering. In fact I started out in a track which was blowing the water out of my eyes but when I went to the stable position my goggles got completely soaked. So to remedy that I started tracking again just so I could see.

.....oh yeah. Before some naysayer comes along - I did go back to stable and wave off before opening.

Jumping during a -10 winter in northern Illinois caused my contacts to freeze in my eyes once...sure wish I had a miniature windshield scraper with me!

Taping the vents closed on my Kroops helped, RK fixed the problem altogether!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[hookitt 1]

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How do people feel about gloves for people new to the sport?

I did my AFF1 two days ago and decided not to wear gloves. I wish I did since it was pretty cool up in Edmonton and my hands hurt for a little after the jump.

If it's cold, I give my students gloves to wear. Sometimes it's just too damn cold not to wear them. I wore them during some of my AFF training also.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto