Hello,

My husband and I will be making our fourth trip to Bonaire on Jan. 30. We have had the best diving experiences in Bonaire.

My question is this: I tend to get cold while diving. I have very poor circulation in my hands and have found (diving in Utila, Coz, etc.) that neoprene diving gloves really help me stay warmer, longer. Are there any circumstances in which the use of diving gloves is permitted? I never touch the reef, nor would I be tempted to with gloves on.

Thanks for any info.

Not sure if it is a rule...but gloves are discouraged.

Welcome to Bonaire Talk, Catherine ! Check with your diveshop when you do your orientation and check-out dive, but it's doubtful they will let you wear gloves. Do you wear a hood? If not, you should try that, even just wearing a little "beanie" helps keep a lot of warmth in.

Besides, the problem is not that YOU would touch the reef, but the next guy who thinks gloves are OK because they see you with them. Kinda sucks that this een has to be an issue, hey?

Catherine, it is against marine park rules to wear gloves. The only occasion that you may wear them, is diving the hooker, to decend down the mooring line as it gets covered with things that hurt when you touch!

Here are the rules:

Bonaire Marine Park Rules

Besides, the problem is not that YOU would touch the reef, but the next guy who thinks gloves are OK because they see you with them. Kinda sucks that this even has to be an issue, hey?

OOPs double post when trying to correct a spelling error. Moderator, please delete this post, and my first in this thread. Thank you.

OOPs double post when trying to correct a spelling error. Moderator, please delete this post, and my first in this thread. Thank you.

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. As this will be my fourth visit to Bonaire, I do understand that the rules dictate no gloves. I was wondering whether exceptions to that particular rule can be made, but I will conclude from your posts that the answer is most likely "no". However, I will try a beanie or a hood--thanks for the suggestion.

Thank you all again and happy diving!

The rules as listed in Cynde's link may have been modified a bit-- Kalli DeMeyer is listed as Park Manager and it has been a few years since that changed. I thought that the use of one glove is now ok while doing a safety stop on a dive site mooring line, to prevent coral/shell cuts to hands.

That said, I have a similar problem with a damaged hand that turns blue in minutes and have taken a letter from a doctor down and been allowed a glove on that hand. You might try that.

Four exceptions to the no glove rule:

1) Diving on a wreck - can use two gloves (one per hand)
2) Ascending/Descending on a mooring line - one glove
3) Doing a clean-up dive - one glove (but two okay if the circumstances are correct (big trash))
4) If you have a note from your doctor indicating you require them to dive AND you've cleared it with the Marine Park by paying them a visit at Barcadera with note in hand.

Jake

TKS, Jake. That makes sense.

The process is explained here: http://www.caribinn.com/Gloves.html