Darkfin Paddling Gloves
21 comments| by Avillax
Darkfin Gloves on and ready to go.
I saw the ads of Dark Fin gloves in many surfing websites, they seemed an interesting option to catch more waves and paddle faster. I wanted to buy them, the price was good (about $30) but after see some online comments about them "tiring fast", changed my mind. Following a discussion about wave catching gloves over on the forum, I was offered to review a pair for Surfing Waves, who kindly sent me a pair in ML size (they fit well, as the photos show).
In the instructions Darkfin recommend to use calcium powder to put them on, unfortunately I don't have calcium powder at hand. So I took them to the beach, put them on and the first thing I noticed is that they are not that easy to put on. They feel like regular latex gloves except that the material seems far more resistant.
Paddling with them was immediately uncomfortable; some water and air got inside the gloves and paddling felt unnatural and my hands felt bubbly and heavy. They definitely don't feel natural like they advertise. I believe there's little to do to avoid this as you can see in some of the pictures the wrist part of the gloves do not stick completely to the skin leaving a gap where water could come in, wearing the wetsuit on top of it helps a bit but you still get water and air inside the glove, I don't know if using calcium powder could have prevented this.
They of course, allow you to move more water thus giving more speed to the board. Unfortunately I got tired in 10 minutes, and my arms and hands felt incredibly heavy, that plus lifting the water-air filled gloves was a true ordeal. The grip on the board is also not that comfortable or natural.
I tried to catch a wave hoping they would give me incredible speed but to my surprise I was slower than normal because now I was paddling in slow motion because my arms felt so heavy and missed the wave.
View of the gloves palm up
They also feel invasive and don't allow you to feel the water, I've never used gloves when surfing before and didn't know they could steal so much from the sensation of surfing, I do wear boots sometimes and they don't feel that invasive.
Then I felt incredibly anxious about taking them off and waited for a wave to take me to the shore, didn't care about standing up on the board, I just wanted to be pushed to the shore. I took them off (which is not that easy) and went on again, and was able to catch 3 waves before having to leave since I just felt extremely tired after trying the gloves.
There was no way I would want to try them again but did do in order to give them a fair review. I went surfing the next day without the gloves at first and was able to catch some nice waves, then decided to try the gloves again. This time they material was really stiff and were almost impossible to put them on, took me like 5 minutes and hurt my fingers, then got tired right away, was able to catch a wave, didn't feel particularly fast at catching it because they tired me up when paddling, and just went straight to the shore and took them off.
In summary, they actually don't feel like they're designed for surfing, they're just too invasive and don't feel like they improve your surfing skills. Perhaps if I were to use them for many many sessions so my body would develop the strength and stamina to paddle with them then they could be used to catch more waves and swim faster, but even so they would still feel a bit invasive IMO.
Gloves with fingers spread showing webbing
A better application would to use them just for swimming, I'm pretty sure you would develop strength and stamina and some amazing fat triceps, I'm actually going to give them to a friend who does swimming and see if he can develop a stronger upper body by swimming with them. That being said, I don't recommend them for surfing.
About the Author
I've been surfing on and off since I was 13 but never really got into it until two years ago that I dedicated myself to dominate the basics and continuously improve my surfing. I'm currently 30 years old and consider myself an intermediate-level surfer, I dominate the basics, can handle myself in the lineup, can do turns, and I'm starting to try more advanced movements such as 180s, ripping the wave off the lip etc.
Thanks to Colleen @ Darkfingloves.com for providing the gloves featured in this review. Thanks also to avillax for taking the time to review them on our behalf. avillax is a regular over on the forum.
Have you tried these gloves yourself? if so let us know how you got on with a comment below.
SW.com
Just a quick thanks to avillax for the review. It's unfortunate that you did not get on with them.
Let's here from others who have also used the gloves.
I used a pair of paddling gloves (not Darkfin) and found they really worked well. The webbing was shorter, only coming half way up the fingers. Perhaps that made a difference.
I wanted a pair of these but I'm thinking twice after reading this.
Dark Fin Gloves is very helpful for swimming, increase your speed and providing 70% more surface area.
I got a pair. I do not have a problem with water as mentioned as mine are tighter at the wrist and as well I use a wet suit with the sleave rolled over the glove.
They totally rock and I would not go out without them. I do not get tired or experience any pain. I surf a beach break with short interval swell and these gloves really assist in getting out thru the white water.
I am very familiar with these gloves. The pictures above actually show a terrible fit, they are supposed to be tight around the wrist and not two sizes too big. There is not meant to be any water in the glove when paddling. You put them on with talc when dry, or in water if wet and its easy. As for the surfing experience, they are super hard on the arms. Is it surfing, or a gym session ? Its like paddling around with a 5 pound dumbbell in each hand.
I tried these a few years ago hoping it would make ,earning to surf easier. My mate told me that they' jut rip my skin off when I went to brush the water away from my eyes. They did make paddling harder and I got tired quicker. Cut the finger tips off to let water in and out more easily to drop the weight, still got tired too quickly. And they ripped the skin off my face and forehead when I went to brush the water out of my eyes. Shame, it seemed like a great idea.
Webbed gloves tired me out too quickly. However, they are great for body surfing and along with flippers you can get a real buzz & a workout at the same time. (66 years old now & have been surfing since I was 14.
I use the H2Odyssey Max gloves- they have a lycra back and a neoprene/pvc front. I have used different versions of this glove for more than 10 years and they are really good. Give me the power i need. Yes, you do tire more easily, but once you are used to them they are super. I feel naked w.o. them in the water. They also dont hold water at all, b.c. the lycra just lets it all out.
uwe
From the pictures, the gloves are too loose. They have to fit your hands like a second skin, and they literally do feel like that. I get no leaks, tactile feel is great - i.e. I can pick up a penny or a dime with the gloves on. I use corn starch instead of talcum powder, like my very first wetsuit. The thrust from these gloves is best so long as your paddling technique is good. You will "feel" like you are paddling slower, but in fact you are moving the board along, including against a current. Used correctly, the gloves will give you a workout - at least that's what I get from them. upper shoulders, upper body, muscle groups along the side of my body - but again... its all technique.
I have used paddle gloves since the early 90's. I currently use the H2Odessy gloves . I have both kinds the heavier palm and the thinner pvc with lycra on the back.
yes when you first start to use them you have to work into it.As you will be increasing your palm area approx 70%.
I am currently 66 years old living in the philippines and surfing just about every month. When there are no waves I just go out and paddle for a bit. I don 't like surfing without the gloves. But if I do I notice the extra power I have. When surfing with the gloves. I can easily make it out and beat the larger waves..
For the life of me I don't understand why more people aren't using the gloves. I get improved paddle power, and a good workout.
So my advice is to try a pair.
Be Well
Marc
por las fotos te colocaste una talla que te queda grande, por eso te entro agua y se te pusieron pesados.
I have both H2Odyssey gloves (with the lycra back and neoprene/pvc front) as well as the Darkfin gloves.
After a couple weeks of using the H2Os, the stitching started to come apart - though they worked fine otherwise... however my hands did feel somewhat heavier due to the lycra absorbing some water, but not enough to bother me... they were slightly annoying in that it was difficult to do certain things while wearing the gloves - ie. I need to put them on last, otherwise putting my legrope on can take a little messing around - and sometimes having to take one off while in the water etc ;)
The first time I use the gloves, I made the mistake of not pacing myself and actually paddling as hard as I normally would - I ended up wearing out my shoulder that badly that I couldn't surf for at least a week while my shoulder recovered ... I had the misconception (as I'm thinking many others also have) that it would make it EASIER to paddle ;)
Note: these gloves will allow you to get that extra burst of paddle power - but DO remember to pace yourself, use the power when you need it (caught inside etc), then take it easy with a slow pace - you don't need to paddle as hard when wearing webs - let your body build up and get used to the gloves and I guarantee you will improve your paddling - but it's something you will need to work towards before you see the full benefit of wearing webs. Remember, you're using a bigger paddle, so pace yourself ;)
In the end, the stitching coming apart was the main issue with the H2Os and the reason I was looking for a better glove - that's when I came across the Darkfin.
The Darkfin in this review - first thing I thought when I saw the pic was: Way too big for his hand - but then if he found them difficult to put on, the smaller size would be even harder... I do find them a bit of a pain to put on, but then that's usually if I've been lazy and haven't used any powder after rinsing them out ;)
Water getting in etc has never been an issue with my Darkfins... also durability is also great - mine have been through a lot and they're still almost like new - no seam issues like with the stitched ones.
I don't use these all the time, but when the bigger swells come and/or there's a lot of water moving around, they make a huge difference - many times they've been the difference between getting out or not.
My favourite board is also the hardest to paddle, so whenever the waves are good enough for that board to come out - I need the Darkfins, otherwise I feel like I'm going backwards ;)
Getting tired isn't that big a problem to fix. You have to remember that you're moving more water with the gloves on so you literally have to paddle more slowly. But because you're pushing more water you're still moving faster by paddling slower. Also by looking at the pictures I think your gloves might be a little bit too big. Mine were great I love my DarkFin gloves.
Your gloves were to Big! The gloves are supposed to feel like a wetsuit. if water was getting in them then they fit you to big. You should have ordered the next size down.
why is Whiney Willy making reviews if he dont bother to give the product in question a chance (for starters, getting a pair that fits will remove 80% of his grounds to complain) I dont even surf, and have no intention of getting me swimming gloves, just stumbled upon this review by chance, but cant help whining about it. Any of the commentarys below is a better, more informative, and more objective review.
Darkfin gloves are actually pretty good for surfing in my opinion, especially if you are needing to do quite a bit of paddling. They make paddling into waves a breeze, which can make a real difference when the waves are big or difficult to get into. It is a bit more of a workout than normal paddling, but once you get used to it it's not bad - especially since you're getting out the back quicker and avoiding getting as many waves on the head! My only real complaint is they are not good in the barrel, as they create too much resistance for effective hand dragging/slowing down. A few times I've wasted good tubes by putting my hand into the face of the wave and forgetting I was wearing the gloves!
I have been using Darkfin power gloves for years now. I'm 72 and need all the wave catching help I can get, ha-ha. I always cut off the fingertips of the glove (right where the webbing starts) and put the gloves on using spray silicone lubricant.With the fingertips removed I have better board grip and the gloves don't hold the water and get heavy ... as noted by the reviewer.
Hurt my shoulders with these! I did try the gloves and they do increase paddle power 100%. The problem is that they put a tremendous strain on the tops of your shoulder which resulted in injury. That is, it provides so mush resistance when paddling to catch a wave that when your arm is fully extended with so much resistance it all and on your shoulder.or the axis or top of you shoulder. Probably excellent for diving and casual swimming to get places faster under water but not for surfing. They also feel bulky and you do lose the" feel" and touch of the board when grabbing the rail to stand up. Storing them for a year they melted together. Not sure how you should store them.
67, I surf every day here in so. Mexico, I surf waves that roll then break fast, I'm catching 50% more waves. the second day I realized you paddle at 50% for transportation and 100% for the last 5 paddles to catch waves they are falling apart but I've surfed a 100 days out the last 120, whining doesn't help the products efficientcy
67, I surf every day here in so. Mexico, I surf waves that roll then break fast, I'm catching 50% more waves. the second day I realized you paddle at 50% for transportation and 100% for the last 5 paddles to catch waves they are falling apart but I've surfed a 100 days out the last 120, whining doesn't help the products efficientcy