I tried searching but could not find what I was looking for so what type of paddling gloves do you wear and whether they are fingerless or full? My wife and I are looking for some that we can wear in warm to cool weather. Thanks.
Paddling Gloves
We have used NRS Hydroskins to good avail. They afford an excellent grip on the paddle, decent warmth when the water gets cooler, and are not too hot in warm weather.
I rarely use them for everyday paddling, however, as I much prefer bare hands.
-merlin
nrs warmers
i just came back from the bwca and tried a pair of nrs warmers. nothing bad to say about them in water temps in the 40’s to around 50. good quality, dried quickly, and kept my fingers warm and blister free on a 9 day trip. -harry
Paddling gloves
– Last Updated: Oct-07-07 3:30 PM EST –
Personally I don't wear gloves. REI sold various types but I haven't checked lately. Diving gloves also work it you are looking for protection. I've had paddlers in the group wear driving gloves. Beware, gloves especially fingerless ones leave prettty cute tan lines. If you wear strap sandals or shoes and fingeless loves you will have some really cute tan lines after a good paddling season. Other than that wet gloves tend to make your hands white and wrinkly after awhile. Paddling rivers around here we get wet all day so the gloves never get a chance to dry.
I haven't found any gloves for cold conditions but I haven't done any real reasearch. All of the gloves I've tried in cold water winter weather have failed when they get wet.
If you hands are getting blistered maybe someone could give you some advisory help with your stroke.
Happy paddlin,
Chotas
I have several pairs of fingerless, and full finger gloves, I use them all of the time. I always take at least 4 pairs with me on longer trips, in case they get wet. I can paddle without them on day trips, but I use them on longer trips. I tend to get a blister in the same thumb spot if I don’t use them when I paddle longer. I bought most of them on Ebay, but you can find them online other places too.
Donna
NRS hydroskins vote
I have been using these and really like them. Great grip on the paddle and they provide some measure of warmth. Well worth the 30 bucks.
NRS
NRS makes a lightweight fingerless glove…I think it’s actually labeled as a “boater’s glove.” I wear them most of the time not just for the paddling but on smaller creeks or swampy areas where I sometimes have to push through or around snags. They’ll offer some protection from a sharp branch or thorny vines.
I have those too
and I would buy another pair. Great for everyday moderate temp paddling. My hands get roughed up easily and split and crack, so these offer some protection without having to wear a full finger glove.
In winter I have a few different neoprene pair of gloves to wear (this is WNY, after all). One pair is NRS. They work well.
I’m not a super fan of Hydroskin gloves.
I do have and use them from time to time, but mostly prefer bare hands, if possible. I do like the NRS fingerless boater’s gloves already mentioned for blister protection. They also help with cooler weather when your paddling in breezy conditions (as do the hydroskins). I will sometimes use gloves early in the season on long paddles to preven blisters, but this is only for a short while until my calluses develop.
For cold weather paddling several of us now use a diving glove made by Deep See. It can be found in dive shops, but I have yet to find them in kayak shops. The glove is the “Dry Comfort Model” and unlike Hydroskin and other gloves these have waterproof seams. Water can penetrate around the cuffs if you fully submerge your hands, but just dipping fingers into the water will keep you dry and warm, not so with Hydroskin. They are much thicker and warmer however, so are overkill except in cold water.
Kokatat makes some nice looking fingerless gloves as well, but I have not tried these.
~wetzool
No doubt about it! The best paddling
for cool to warm temps are batting gloves. Fit like a second skin and protect your hands from blisters. Also provide some warmth on those cooler paddles. Give them a try. If you buy them now they should be on sale.
If you can stand the stink
…Sealskinz gloves.
They preserve the “feel” of paddling bare-handed but give wind and water protection. Not enough insulation for cold conditions.
Make sure to turn them inside out, wash, and thoroughly dry after EVERY use. They take on an unusually nasty stink otherwise. Therefore, inappropriate for anything other than day trips.
Hydroskin gloves often tear…
NRS makes great stuff, but the Hysroskin gloves have a reputation of seam splitting after a very short season… they just don’t hold up to much more than occasional paddling.
This has been confirmed by several friends and “after the fact” review reading…
Maybe pogies
If you want wind/spray protection, pogies will allow you to retain bare-handed control of the paddle.
If you want cushioning or blister prevention, it’ll have to be gloves.
currently using the
gauntlets by chillcheater. at first i didnt like them when i was just wearing them plain, but now using a fleece liner glove inside and they’re good. What i like is the length, up to the bicep, and when using a GP that’s a good thing. I even used them in the summer instead of sunscreen on my forearms (which have already been under the dermatologists scapel)…more good on them-they’re lightweight and completely waterproof. If you don’t know about them then know they are a like a 3 toed sloth in that they have 3 fingers.
My paddling gloves are also my sailing
gloves. As I frequently loose things, absent minded as I am, I am perfectly happy with a $5 pair of SUG “sport utility gloves” from Walmart. I liked them enough to get a second pair before they discontinue them. They are fingerless.
Polaris
About 5 years ago I got a pair of Polaris gloves that were made for waterskiing (?) and they are great for paddling…padded in the right places, no annoying seams that rub, and they have lasted through 5 seasons of paddling with no problems!
dishwashing gloves
FOr years, I used dishwashing gloves over liners or light wool gloves. They work fine, and you can tuck them into your drysuit if you are going out into conditions.
Today I didn’t have any dishwashing gloves lying around, and I went out anyway–50 degree Lake Superior water temps, 45 degrees air, and lots of wind and waves. I just had bike gloves (plus drysuit, etc). Boy, my fingers were cold! So I cut my paddling short when my fingers went numb, and I decided to go and buy a pair of proper paddling gloves.