Antares Oval Dryglove System

You can't beat this ring system as an addition to a drysuit.

Getting these rigged up can be a bit of a challenge. But once you have the glove cut properly they work well. (don't leave it too loose, or you'll have a heck of a time getting it off your suit),

The trick is to make sure you trim both the glove & insulation to make sure there is no loose material. Then be sure to install the red ring into your wrist seal system. After that it should be a breeze to put the gloves on and take them off.

I had these added to my new suite that I brought (from here), as the little reviews seemed good. They were still pretty new concept, but it seemed solid. When I first got them, I had a bit of a challenge to get them to work. Once I figured it out, they seemed to work for a time. The problem was the finger that lock seemed to get pushed out and not lock in. The new attachment really didn't help. I've had about 60 on this system and will be moving to the round system.

I wouldn't waste your time or money to only go to a different system in the end.

The Antares System was very impressive when I took it out of the package. The instructions were easy to understand and I was installing the glove system very quickly.

As a new diver I depend on the recommendations of experienced people. Now having used Antares for half a dozen dives I'm disappointed that they were the first and only glove system that DRIS told me about when I called and asked for recommendations on a dry glove system.

Putting the gloves together is easy once you've done it. The first time I did it my fingers were numb by the end of 45 minutes of struggling. Watching the video didn't help at all. If you use the PVC gloves in the "customers who bought this also bought" section as I did, you MUST fold them inside so the friction of the outside of the glove holds the ring in place. If you fold them outside like a video I saw showed, they pop right out. Also, be sure to use the rings that come with the gloves NOT the rings that come with the Antares kit. The ring that came with the Antares kit was too large to use with the 660 PVC gloves I purchased. They look the same size, but the ones that come with the gloves are slightly smaller to allow for a thicker glove. Also when attaching the glove to the ring system I found if I made the ring horizontal so my hand slid right in, I couldn't get the gloves to detach from the suit with the "make a fist and twist" method. This may have to do with the rings on my suit not being the right orientation, but it was fixed by reattaching the glove to the ring at a 45 degree angle. I have to spin my hand in the glove once I get it past the oval, but it's doable. My hands are not large, and there's not a lot of room so if you have large hands this is not the system for you.

Attaching the glove and ring to the suit is where the video helps, but only slightly. They basically just pop on but to do it in a way that you don't leak is a little difficult. So far nearly every dive I've had to ask for assistance in donning my gloves. Occasionally I've gotten lucky and they attach properly. The tabs go inside, but make sure you align the extremely small male/female alignment dots on each side. If you don't, they aren't fit together right. Each side should click, but if there's any noise around you or you're wearing your hood you won't hear the click.

First dive the right glove leaked, but I've been extra careful in attaching them since and no more leaks. Even so, I've seen other divers pop their gloves on and off with no issue using other systems so I regret paying the money for these. I don't leak, and that's a good thing, but it's a lot of careful effort in order to attach them properly.

Have ten dives with this system and have had eight leaks!!!! I have been extremely careful donning them (listened for the two clicks for each glove) and they still leaked. I would steer clear of these.

I had a bit of a struggle getting the gloves initially set up (tore a glove, busted a ring) until I got the hang of it. Fortunately, replacement gloves and inner rings for this system are cheap, and DRIS was happy to sell them to me.

It seems to me that this dry glove system is a "consumer grade" dry glove setup. Meaning that it's more fragile and finicky than an "industrial strength" system like, say, UTD. But if you take care of the gloves, make sure the "tabs" on the glove rings don't get bent, and fer chrissakes keep your drysuit cuffs and the glove rings out of the sand and dirt, you should be as happy with it as I am.

I am the sort of diver who is pretty obsessive about cleaning and maintaining my gear in perfect condition. If you're not, this might not be the glove system for you. Come to think of it, a drysuit is probably not for you either.

The number one advice that helped me is to TAKE YOUR TIME donning the gloves. Put 'em on last, after everything else is sorted, and do it slowly, carefully and deliberately. Make SURE the tabs aren't bent, and push them in firmly until they're locked.

After I tore a glove, I got "upgraded" triple-dipped 660 gloves from DRIS, only $5.99. I highly recommend these, they are extremely sturdy.

I have this system for my Waterproof D1 drysuit. I have not had much luck with it. The ring that is attached to the glove has two little prongs that need to clip into the ring that is attached to the suit. the problem is when you try to attach the glove to the suit these prongs get caught up in the seal, takes forever for me to get these gloves on!

This was my first purchase with DRIS and I am very pleased. The quality is outstanding, very well built. The ring system works perfect with my D1 Hybrid but I wouldn't expect anything less from SI Tech.