Sailing Gloves 101

[nbuckner]

Greetings, all. I'm a newbie gearing up to learn the art and sport of sailing. The wife and I will be taking the ASA 101 class in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to get everything ready for that experience.

One thing the school recommends we have are sailing gloves. We'll be learning on a Colgate 26 in mid October on Galveston Bay. As I've browsed the interwebs concerning sailing gloves I've been overwhelmed by the seemingly endless variety offered in a wide range of prices.

Are there special considerations I should take into account before making my purchase, or should I just buy the cheapest ones I can find?

Thanks for your help!

[doug1957]

Don't over think this. If you get thoroughly hooked, there will be many bigger decisions ahead. On a 26, you may not even need them, but I would get a pair. They are mostly to enhance grip and most important, prevent rope burns as the jib sheet goes running though your bare hands. Don't ask how I know this.

[rebel heart]

Random thoughts on gloves:

- I've bought West Marine brand gloves before and was stunned at how fast they fell apart.
- For brutal jobs like handling chain, working with tools, or other nasty stuff I use full-grain leather gloves from Ace Hardware.
- The best gloves I've found, and I'd love to hear some comments otherwise, are Gill 3/4 (the most expensive ones):

GILL 3/4-Finger Pro Racer Gloves at West Marine

[SV Sea Monkey]

You'll want gloves for the mainsheet when gybing on a Colgate 26. Make sure they're made for sailing--other gloves tend to fall apart (and from reports here maybe some sailing gloves do, too). I'd go for the cheapest ones you can find. If you stick with it long enough to wear them out, you will know what you like for the next pair.

[Vasco]

If you really need gloves buy cycling or weight lifting gloves, much cheaper than genuine marine sailing gloves. Myself, I don't use them.

[JPA Cate]

And Jim uses gloves for chain handliing, sometimes, or cutting up fish. But we sail gloveless and don't mind having our callouses.

Lots of places which give lessons try to get you to buy gear. Suit yourselves about gloves. I saw some on a professional model who was sailing on a cat, but do not often see gloves among cruisers.

Ann

[SkiprJohn]

When I started sailing I had very little money. Sailing gloves were a good pair of work gloves with the ends of the fingers cut off and stitched so the thread wouldn't unravel. They worked for many years. The last pair I bought were from Home Depot for something like $8 with the fingers already cut off. I've had those for 4 years with nearly daily use because they double as my bicycling gloves. Find something that fits at a sports store for weightlifting or for cycling if they are cheaper.
Unless you'll be sailing all the time don't buy anything expensive.
Check out home depot first.

[nbuckner]

Excellent advice. Thanks for the real world perspective!

Although I currently have grand visions of sailing the world over, I suppose if I don't manage to wear out a cheap pair, an expensive pair certainly wouldn't have been worth it.

Fair winds

[silversailor]

If you are near a Menards store, buy their fingerless work gloves at $5. As good as any sailing gloves I have purchased.

[zeehag]

i have 2 pairof gil i use''one is light weight''dark blue with leather palms, similar to the wm ones, except they are gil. .
.the medium wieight ones are white, solid leather. also gil.
i like both. i wear them in heavier weather and when i need to really use my hands.
i need to use leather palms to be able to grasp items normal souls do not need gloves to grasp. also in pulling lines the traction helps.
for anchor i use home depot or ace hardware leather ones, grey, or my white sailing gloves.

[bobconnie]

I sometimes wear leather gloves for anchor handling. Never for line handling.In fact with my Old Man skin Im more apt to use arm gardes, sorta like the leather ones guys used to use for motorcycle rideing, but made from heavy weight canvas with snaps. Saves me from haveing those big bruise looking marks on my arms from rubbing on something harder then my skin ! LOL I guess if you don't have callous's already, then any glove without fingers would be a big help!!

[ohdrinkboy]

I've owned many pairs over the years and use them regularly after getting a really bad rope burn from a spinaker halyard in a gust.

Mine last a couple years (no matter what brand) of racing about once a week. I've had Gill, West Marine, Harken, Henri Lloyd haven't found much difference. Get what you like.

[S/V Alchemy]

Leather gardening or work gloves with a light lining and the finger ends removed work, but I have mostly used bicycling gloves. I have some Gills around the nav station I picked up on sale, but I only bother when going "full foulie".

[MarkSF]

I've tried a few brands, none of which lasted very long, and then a friend told me to try the Ronstans. So far, they are holding up very well.

[ozskipper]

I have been sailing for 35 years and still find the best gloves are tradesman gloves with the finger tips cut off. Cheap and tough!!