Scubalady,

I wear a full wetsuit including gloves and hood and I do so on every dive. The gloves are regular wetsuit type, Scubapro by brand, I don't know the model off hand.

There are a couple of reasons I wear these things.

I am by nature almost always cold. When I am in the firehouse I let the other guys set the thermostat where they want it and then I put on a coat, inside the house, in summer. Where others seem comfortable at between 66 and 72 deg F, I am just plain uncomfortable at anything under about 78 deg F.

I find that I can tough it out and dive without a wetsuit, but when I do my air consumption goes way up.

The other reason is I've been stung on things clinging to a bouy line. I know there are not really many bouy lines around AC, but you never really know. I also came up through some jellyfish once and wished upon wish that I had gloves on then, as in the process of keeping them away from my face I got stung on my hands pretty bad.

Since then I have taken to wearing gloves and hood on every dive.

I can understand folks concern about gloves, really. All of us worth our salt want to protect the reefs. What I don't get though, is some folks sometimes kinda put me down for wearing a hood. I'm clueless there What possible difference could it make to anyone else? So what if I look dorky. I'm warm and comfy and my air will last long enough that the dive will not be terminated on my account.