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I wear gloves whenever I have a long paddle, to improve my grip on the paddle shaft and to minimize irritation and blisters in the area between my thumb and first finger. For many years I had a pair of Shimano neoprene fishing gloves that I used year-round. Last fall they tore, so I looked for a replacement. Shimano no longer makes those gloves. I looked at a variety of glove models and eventually bought some Bass Pro brand neoprene gloves for cold weather use. They have not held up well, tearing in a critical spot after just a few uses. But that is another story.
While glove shopping last winter, I found an interesting pair of lightweight Carharrt gloves that have a full rubber coating on the palm and the fingers. http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/s...uickView=false. They were about $10 at Dicks Sporting Goods.
Today was my first chance to try them out. They slip on easily and are comfortable. The rubber palm and fingers provides a firm grip on the paddle. I can dunk my hands in the water and still have a decent grip, but there is a small amount of slippage when wet -- none when dry.
My only gripe about the gloves is that they are difficult to remove. Once you have had them on for a few minutes, any moisture or perspiration on your skin makes it hard to just pull the gloves off. I found that I needed to roll the gloves back on themselves (like turning them inside out) in order to remove the gloves. Other than that they are quite useful for their purpose. If you buy a pair, get at least one size larger than your normal glove size. I bought the largest size they had (XXL) and they are definitely snug on my hands.
I would rate them a 4 out of 5. I know that many MKF members have pedal drive boats and would not need gloves except in cold weather. But for those of you who use old fashioned paddle power, keep these gloves in mind for hand protection and good paddle gripping.
While glove shopping last winter, I found an interesting pair of lightweight Carharrt gloves that have a full rubber coating on the palm and the fingers. http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/s...uickView=false. They were about $10 at Dicks Sporting Goods.
Today was my first chance to try them out. They slip on easily and are comfortable. The rubber palm and fingers provides a firm grip on the paddle. I can dunk my hands in the water and still have a decent grip, but there is a small amount of slippage when wet -- none when dry.
My only gripe about the gloves is that they are difficult to remove. Once you have had them on for a few minutes, any moisture or perspiration on your skin makes it hard to just pull the gloves off. I found that I needed to roll the gloves back on themselves (like turning them inside out) in order to remove the gloves. Other than that they are quite useful for their purpose. If you buy a pair, get at least one size larger than your normal glove size. I bought the largest size they had (XXL) and they are definitely snug on my hands.
I would rate them a 4 out of 5. I know that many MKF members have pedal drive boats and would not need gloves except in cold weather. But for those of you who use old fashioned paddle power, keep these gloves in mind for hand protection and good paddle gripping.
I might have to pick up a pair because I always rip the finger tips.
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