Waterproof G2 5mm Mittens

Waterproof G2 5mm mittens

Cold hands end more UK dives early than anything else. A three-finger mitten keeps your fingers together so they share heat, and that alone makes it noticeably warmer than a five-finger glove of the same thickness. The G2 5mm mitten adds a GlideSkin seal at the wrist and a long YKK zip, so you get that warmth without the usual fight to get a thick mitten on.

We recommend it to wetsuit and semi-dry divers in UK water from late spring through autumn, and to drysuit divers who do not want to commit to dry gloves yet. It is the step between a 5mm glove and full dry gloves, and for a lot of people it is the step that finally fixes cold hands.

Among the dive gloves and mittens we sell, this is the one we hand to divers who tell us their fingers go white by the end of a Swanage drift.

• 5mm three-finger mitten, 100% microcell limestone neoprene
• GlideSkin interior seal at the wrist
• Extra-long YKK zip with Glove-Grip tab for one-handed donning
• 3D pre-bent finger shape
• Polyurethane anti-slip palm print
• Bonded nylon thread, reflective logo, ID plate
• Sizes Extra Small to Double Extra Large

Why divers choose the G2 5mm mitten

Fingers together means fingers warm

Two fingers sharing one pocket lose heat far more slowly than five fingers each surrounded by cold neoprene. Thumb and index finger stay separate so you can still operate an inflator, clip a bolt snap and pinch a mask strap.

It goes on without a wrestling match

The extra-long YKK zip opens the cuff wide, the GlideSkin interior lets your hand slide in, and the Glove-Grip tab gives your other mitten something to pull against. Getting the second mitten on is the usual problem with thick handwear, and Waterproof has designed that out.

Less water exchange at the wrist

The smooth GlideSkin seal sits against your suit's wrist seal or cuff and reduces the flushing that drains heat from your hands. It is not a dry glove, but it is a big step up from an open-cuff glove.

Relaxed hand, longer dive

The 3D pre-bent shape puts your hand in a slightly curled position at rest. On a long cold dive a mitten that fights you flat is tiring and restricts blood flow, which is exactly what you do not want when you are trying to keep fingers warm.

Features that matter underwater

Limestone neoprene

Waterproof uses 100% microcell limestone-based neoprene rather than petroleum-based rubber. It has a higher closed-cell density, which means better insulation for the thickness and less compression at depth, and it is a lower-impact material to produce.

GlideSkin seal

A smooth-skin interior at the wrist that seals against your suit. It is the same material Waterproof uses in its semi-dry suit seals, and it is why these mittens flush far less than a plain neoprene cuff.

Extra-long YKK zip and Glove-Grip

The zip runs well up the cuff so the opening is wide enough to get a hand into quickly. The Glove-Grip tab is a loop you hook with the other mitten to pull the cuff up when you have no free fingers.

Polyurethane palm print

Embossed PU across the palm and finger pads. It grips a wet shot line, a reel handle or a ladder rung and takes the abrasion from rock and wreck that wears through plain neoprene.

Reflective logo and ID plate

The reflective logo shows up in torch light on a night dive. The ID plate is a small thing that stops your mittens leaving the club kit pile on someone else's hands.

Who the G2 5mm mitten is for

• UK wetsuit and semi-dry divers whose fingers go numb on a 45-minute dive
• Drysuit divers who want warmer hands without fitting dry gloves
• Divers doing long, slow dives where hands are not working hard
• Anyone who struggles to get a second thick glove on with one cold hand
• Shore divers and wreck divers who need a palm that survives rock and steel

Who it may not be for: photographers, and divers who run reels or lay line regularly. You give up independent middle, ring and little fingers, and for fiddly tasks that matters. For those divers the G50 5mm five-finger glove is the better choice, and the 7mm Polar version of this mitten is the answer for winter or very cold water.

Sizing and fit

The G2 mitten runs from Extra Small to Double Extra Large. It should be snug across the palm with your fingertips reaching the end of the pockets without being crushed. A mitten with space at the fingertips fills with cold water and you lose the benefit of keeping fingers together.

Measure around your palm at the widest point, excluding the thumb, and use Waterproof's glove chart. If you are between sizes, go down rather than up; the neoprene and the pre-bent shape give a little, and the zip makes a close size easy to get on.

Specifications

• Also available as the G2 7mm Polar mitten with a double GlideSkin seal for colder water
• Sold as a pair

Care and use

Zips and seals are what fail on mittens, and both are easy to look after.

• Rinse in fresh water after every dive and work the zip back and forth under the tap to clear salt and grit
• Dry open and inside out where you can, out of direct sun
• Put a little zip lubricant on the YKK teeth every few dives
• Put mittens on last, after your hood and mask, and use the Glove-Grip to pull the second cuff up
• Check the GlideSkin seal for nicks; a small cut glued early will not spread