ginmill01 wrote:
> That is right NO GLOVES UNLESS YOU HAVE A DR PRESCRIPTION FOR MEDICAL
> REASON!!!!! Plus, the water is about 80* so you don't need them.
Yes, it is true that there's a >>general<< glove prohibition.
But, egads, use some common sense.
Just keep in mind the general intent of the Bonaire Marine Park's
briefing and guided dive (that is supposed to accompany the Marine Park
purchase): it is fundimentally to make you aware of your damage
potential and to try to prevent you from being a reef-crasher by
fostering good buoyancy control skills and a generally hands-off
attitude.
For example, some shore dive site have ironshore formations which
merits protecting the hands from laceration, just like those feet for
which people recommend hard booties. Sometimes its hard to tell before
getting in.
There's also some sites that have very shallow passages through
(sometimes fire) coral, and a brief purposeful touch-down due to surge
will cause significantly less reef damage than a full blown body crash
because you refused to fingertip-touch. "Karpata" was one such
example; I'm not sure if it still is.
Similarly, if you go on a boat dive and your dive skills are such that
you rely on using a down line, you do have to watch out for stinging
hydroids on the fixed mooring lines if the diveboat lacks a temporary
drop line.
Finally, gloves are specifically allowed when diving on the wreck of
the Hilma Hooker.
If you think you might need a pair of gloves, just keep them in your BC
pocket as much as possible, until you know for sure that you can do
without. Unless you go waving them around during a pre-dive, you're
not likely to get a TSA pat-down, especially if its a self-guided shore
dive. If you're on a diveboat, gloves are IMO not going to be required
unless the boat doesn't use a drop line (and you need one), which is
information usually covered in the pre-dive briefing; plan accordingly.
-hh
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