Deck work combines cold, water and moving gear under tension. A glove that performs dry and fails wet is worse than no glove, because the operator only finds out at the moment grip matters most.
Continuous immersion strips heat far faster than cold air. Hands go numb, grip force drops and the crew stops noticing minor cuts. A waterproof membrane matters more here than raw insulation, because a wet liner insulates almost nothing.
Running rope under load, monofilament, wire strop and the hooks and blades used in processing all cut the hand while it is wet and less sensitive. A rated liner with a coating that stays grippy in the wet reduces both the cut and the rope burn.
Smooth coatings hydroplane on wet steel and wet rope. Sandy nitrile and latex crinkle finishes break the water film mechanically, which keeps contact on winches, hatches and gear that is being landed.
Gear swinging on a moving deck traps hands against bulwarks, hatch coamings and the gantry. Impact rated backs are worth specifying for anyone working the gear rather than the catch.
Issue enough pairs that a wet glove can be swapped out. A soaked glove that is worn for the rest of the shift is a cold injury waiting to happen.
Barely. Water displaces the trapped air that provides the insulation, so a soaked liner loses most of its thermal value. Prioritise a waterproof membrane and keep dry spares available so wet gloves can be swapped out.
Sandy nitrile and crinkle latex finishes work best because their texture breaks the water film mechanically. Smooth nitrile and polyurethane coatings lose a significant amount of grip as soon as the surface is wet.
It is water permeability, reported as 0 or 1. A 1 means no water penetration during the test. For marine and fishing work that digit is often more important than the two cold performance digits before it.
Send the tasks, sizes and quantities you need and we will come back with a written quotation. Contact Knight Safety Gear.