Recommendation: Gloves

[Rio Santonil 7]

Greetings everyone, 

I would like to happily report that I recently passed my Level 6 this past weekend. My awesome DZ is at Lake Elsinore. Well, during this time of the year until February, I learned that it is advisable to wear gloves because it gets really cold. As a student, my DZ provides all of the gear except the gloves. Anyway, I want to start buying the smaller equipments and plan / budget for the upcoming gear. I started window shopping from the various online stores but it seems to be limited plus I am not familiar which brand are low end versus high end gear. I did not get a chance to visit the gear store at my DZ but I will certainly check with them this coming weekend. 

Would you be so kind to make a recommendation (summer/winter) and indicate whether it is a low/high end brand?  

Thank you for your advise. 

Fly Happy! 

Rio

[IJskonijn 38]

I've been happily using generic worker gloves (the maxiflex types, close-fitting) instead of skydiving-specific gloves. They provide a ton of grip, plenty of dexterity for pulling handles and zippers and whatnot, are cheap (but only last me about a season), have no velcro that could snag on stuff.

For wintertime, I typically wear silk gloves underneath them. They help, but I haven't found any simple way to keep really warm hands in winter.

[wmw999 2,114]

I use football receiver's gloves; you can get them at pretty much any sporting goods store. I have small hands, and find that the youth large fit well, but there's a wide range. They have very sticky fingers. Not too thick, but I have another pair of motorcycling gloves that fit well that are warmer.

For me, having them end at the tips of my fingers, and not be too tight on the fingers, is key. The first for dexterity, the second for warmth.

Some people use latex gloves under their winter gloves for additional warmth (it stops the wind from hitting the skin). I actually size up a notch, and put them over my gloves. That way I'm trapping a little bit of air in there, and it also means I'm not sweating as much in there. But generally I just don't jump if it's that cold (I'm in New England)

Wendy P.

[WV177RG 19]

Ask your instructors. +1 on football receiver's gloves. Also, baseball batting gloves. Avoid thick flaps where they fasten...possible snag hazard. Practice locating and gripping your handles, etc., with your gear on. Last pair I bought were too slippery when I tried them with my gear. A few seconds with fine grit sandpaper and they've gripped fine ever since. Try end of season clearance sales and put the savings toward an altimeter, helmet...

Congratulations on passing your Level 6!

[wolfriverjoe 1,339]

Baseball batting golves. Football receiver's gloves. Mechanic's gloves. And...

Skydiving gloves.

They are all similar. 

Thin but solid. Good coverage, without losing too much dexterity. In the "Question" forum, you asked about cold weather (I think that was you), and I suggested being able to tie your shoes with the gloves on. 

I've never used the football gloves, but I've used the other 3. 
Currently using a pair of actual "skydiving" gloves. The white ones the 4 way folks like (it's easier to see the grips if the hands are white and the suits are black). 

Personally, I wear gloves on every jump. I've managed to burn through the palms of a pair or two on 'slidey' landings. And tore the crap out of one on a sharp door edge (or something sharp on the plane). 
I'd much rather buy a new pair of gloves than deal with stitches or a good friction burn. 

[danornan 64]

Get some skydiving gloves at your local gear store.  They are the right tool for the sport and that will be one less thing to have to think about.  Later as you get more experience you can try other types.  Keep it simple.

 

[councilman24 36]

I wear gloves on every jump.  I started when I was throwing static line students in the 80's. Even though the static lines were attached to the airplane I pulled most of them by hand.  Gave me control and allowed me to short line them if needed.  After I busted my knuckles on the door frame a couple of times I started wearing gloves.  I went though a few different ones and sometime in the 90's settled on these.  The fit snug, are sticky to give positive grip on handles and grippers, protect your hands from bumps on handles, doors and landings.  These gloves also come in a winter thicker version.  If really cold I add silk liners.  While latex or vinyl gloves give wind protection silk wicks sweat away from your hands.  I find any gloves labeled skydiving gloves are less durable and thinner than the receiver gloves. Usually more like golf gloves.  I think I'm on my third pair in about 2000 jumps.  I consider gloves a safety device, especially in cold weather.  I posted this link not to suggest buying them from amazon.  Unless you've bought a lot of gloves you should try them on.  Again at many sporting goods stores.  There are other brands but I prefer these particular ones.

Even the few times I jump without a jumpsuit I usually put on my gloves.  They stay with my helmet, googles, altimeter.

https://www.amazon.com/Neumann-Tackified-All-Sport-Gloves/dp/B01B6XOSKM

[wmw999 2,114]

I always jump with gloves, too. Same reasons as Councilman, with the addition that I had a friend whose ring finger was degloved when she caught it on a floating exit on a Twin Beech (or maybe a DC3). This was before the days of float bars on airplanes, but it still brought home the fact that in a finger-vs-anything fight, the finger loses, so why not protect it. I always wore them when motorcyling, too, for the same reason.

Wendy P.

[Pirate0321 0]

Mechanix

[nwt 131]

On 11/16/2020 at 11:54 PM, councilman24 said:

I wear gloves on every jump.  I started when I was throwing static line students in the 80's. Even though the static lines were attached to the airplane I pulled most of them by hand.  Gave me control and allowed me to short line them if needed.  After I busted my knuckles on the door frame a couple of times I started wearing gloves.  I went though a few different ones and sometime in the 90's settled on these.  The fit snug, are sticky to give positive grip on handles and grippers, protect your hands from bumps on handles, doors and landings.  These gloves also come in a winter thicker version.  If really cold I add silk liners.  While latex or vinyl gloves give wind protection silk wicks sweat away from your hands.  I find any gloves labeled skydiving gloves are less durable and thinner than the receiver gloves. Usually more like golf gloves.  I think I'm on my third pair in about 2000 jumps.  I consider gloves a safety device, especially in cold weather.  I posted this link not to suggest buying them from amazon.  Unless you've bought a lot of gloves you should try them on.  Again at many sporting goods stores.  There are other brands but I prefer these particular ones.

Even the few times I jump without a jumpsuit I usually put on my gloves.  They stay with my helmet, googles, altimeter.

https://www.amazon.com/Neumann-Tackified-All-Sport-Gloves/dp/B01B6XOSKM

I'm new but I got a pair of these because they seem like the go-to and I wasn't disappointed. I wear them every jump and in the tunnel. White to get those points.

[Rio Santonil 7]

As usual, everyone thank you for your feedback and input. It really helps hearing the perspectives why people use it and the recommendations are definitely appreciated. The links were very helpful too, 

Until next time...

Fly Happy!

Rio

Edited November 20, 2020 by Rio Santonil