Scuba divers should wear gloves, even in warm water. That’s my stance. I’m not a surgeon or a pianist, but without my fingers, I wouldn’t be typing this. My digits are important to me, as well as the hands they’re attached to. So I try to protect them when I’m in a hostile environment.

It’s not just about keeping warm, and it’s not about being a baby. It’s about being smart. It’s about having to grab the bow of a rusty USS Vandenberg when a 5 mile an hour current suddenly threatens to take you to Miami.

As dive equipment goes, scuba diving gloves are cheap, and even a lightweight ‘warm water’ pair such as the SEAC Spiders (featured) will help protect you from the ravages of ocean life, from barnacle encrusted mooring ropes, to jellyfish at the surface, to that boat ladder that tries to trap your fingers as you try to re-board your dive charter.

I recently wrote a piece for FloridaDiver.net on whether or not scuba diving gloves should be banned. Check it out and if you have strong feelings either way, feel free to leave a comment below. There is also a poll on scuba gloves on the ScubaSchedules Facebook page.