Waterproof G1 7mm Three-Finger Mitt Review

The last time I wore wetsuit mitts with a drysuit was way back in February, 2001.   I came out of the water, my fingers, as always, painful and cold, and knew something had to be done.  I went home, packed up the suit, and sent it in to have dry gloves attached.

Problem solved, right?  Wrong.  In the 13 years since, anytime water temps dip down into the 30s, my fingers are only marginally less cold than they were with the wetsuit mitts: not exactly the great leap forward I’d hoped for.  There just isn’t enough room inside dry gloves for sufficient insulation to keep fingers warm. 

Obviously, after 13 years (13 YEARS!), it’s time to try something new.  And that something would be the Waterproof G1 7mm three-finger mitts. Technically, these aren’t wetsuit mitts.  They’re semi-dry mitts.  By definition, though, semi-dry means wet, but … whatever.  When you’re desperate, you’re desperate, and coming off the coldest diving winter I can remember, I’m desperate.

I’ve now worn the Waterproof G1 7mm mitts on four dives, all in the 60-minute range, all in water hovering around 38 degrees, and I have to say that I’m speechless.  I am without speech.  At all times during these dives, my hands were very comfortable.  Had I made these same dives with my old dry gloves, my fingers would have been stingingly cold.

These are sensational mitts and a quick look will tell you why.  They’re as well made as a glove can be, with well-stitched seams that are in no obvious hurry to unravel, tough neoprene seals that minimize water flow, and soft, flexible lining material that makes them easy to get on and off.

Not only were my hands comfortable, but I had enough dexterity and tactile sense to operate all camera controls.  Working the shutter release and various dials is a no-brainer, but even pushing the focus selector buttons on the back of my housing – five small buttons arranged in a circle approximately 1/8 of an inch apart, is not a problem.

If you’re a northeast diver, you may not be familiar with this company, Waterproof.  I know I wasn’t.  And that’s a shame.  There seem to be only two shops in the New England region that carry their line.  Please … this has to change.  Few things will consistently keep a diver out of the water like being cold.  Conversely, few things will consistently keep us in the water like being warm.  Waterproof’s G1 7mm mitts are a huge step forward in this direction and I can’t wait to try more of their stuff.  Next up in a week or so, their G1 5mm 5-finger gloves.

The G1 7mm mitts come in six different sizes and retail for about $80.  I highly, highly recommend them for cold-water diving.