The Breakdown: waterski gloves!

Five minutes on waterski gloves with Reuben, filmed at the glove wall. Everything below follows the video.

Gloves are a small part of a ski setup that has an outsized say in how long you last on the water. Get the fit right and you ski until the light goes. Get it wrong and your hands give out three sets in.

Most of what follows is about sizing, because sizing is where nearly everyone goes wrong — and it goes wrong in one specific, predictable direction.

1. Sizing

A ski glove should be a firm, snug fit. Specifically:

• Little to no bunching in the palm.
• Your fingertips right at the end of the glove — not short of it.
• The wrist strap done up securely.

A loose glove will not do its job. So the rule is simple: always take the smallest size you can comfortably get your hand into.

The tensioned-handle test

This is the check to do before you buy, and it takes ten seconds. Put the gloves on and grab a tensioned handle. Lean back against the rope and the handle so you are loading it the way you would on the water.

You are looking for two things:

• No slipping.
• No bunching in the palms.

That simulates being out there skiing far better than standing still with your hands open, and it is the difference between a glove that fits and a glove that feels like it fits. If you are buying in person, ask us to set a handle up for you.

There is a full walk-through in how to fit your new waterski gloves. Worth watching before you decide a pair is the wrong size — a lot of what gets sent back for exchange is a fitting-technique issue rather than a sizing one.

2. Full finger or three-quarter

Full finger

The design we sell most of. Warmer, and commonly built with precurved fingers.

The precurve is not cosmetic. Your hand is already in roughly the shape it holds the handle in, so it reduces the muscle strain through your forearms when you are holding the handle out in your fingertips. It simply becomes a more natural grip.

Three-quarter

A little more comfort, and noticeably more dexterity — and there is one very specific reason people buy them: doing up your ski boots. If you find yourself pulling your gloves off every set to deal with laces and buckles, a three-quarter glove solves that.

Beyond that it is personal preference. Neither is better.

3. Clincher gloves

If you want the ultimate support, this is the design to look at, and it works differently to everything above.

A clincher runs a short strap from your middle two fingers back to your wrist. That strap forces your hand to close around the handle rather than relying on your grip to do it. The load then transfers out of your hands and into your forearms.

4. Wrist straps and construction

Strap thickness

Basic gloves run a thinner, lighter wrist strap. Move up the range and you get a thicker, heavy-duty strap.

That is not just a price marker. Higher-end slalom skiers put far more pull and tension through their hands and through the handle, and the heavy strap is there to carry it. The rule of thumb: if you ski aggressively, take the thicker strap — it gives you more support through the wrist.

Inside-out construction

On higher-end slalom gloves you will see the seams and stitching sitting on the outside of the glove, and the whole thing looks big and bulky on the rack.

That is deliberate. They are inside-out constructed — turned inside out so every seam and stitch line ends up on the outside. Put your hand in and there is nothing rubbing against your palm at all. If you have been passing over these because they look chunky, that bulk is the feature.

5. Palm material: Amara or Kevlar

Amara

What most ski gloves use, and the default for good reason. A soft Amara palm is padded and comfortable, it reduces blistering, and it gives you the closest feel to the handle along with the best grip of the two.

Kevlar

Some higher-end slalom gloves work Kevlar into the palm, and it is a straight durability play. Kevlar is harder wearing than Amara, so you get a longer life out of the glove.

The trade-off: Kevlar palms are thicker, with more padding, so they can feel a little bulkier on the handle. If you like that feel, take the Kevlar. If you want to feel the handle, stay on Amara.

Browse the full waterski glove range, or go straight to mens or womens.

Common questions

How tight should waterski gloves be?

Firm and snug — little to no bunching in the palm, fingertips right at the end of the glove, wrist strap done up securely. Always take the smallest size you can comfortably get your hand into, because a loose glove will not do its job.

My new gloves are really hard to get on. Are they too small?

Probably not. A higher-end precurved glove should be quite difficult to get into brand new and dry. Ski gloves are neoprene with an Amara or Kevlar palm and both stretch with wear and in the water, so a pair that goes on easily when new and dry will be loose on the handle after a couple of sets.

How do I check a glove fits before I buy it?

Put them on and grab a tensioned handle, then lean back against the rope the way you would on the water. Check for no slipping and no bunching in the palms. Standing still with your hands open tells you very little; loading the handle tells you everything.

Should I get full finger or three-quarter gloves?

Full finger is the most popular — warmer, and usually precurved, which reduces the muscle strain through your forearms when you hold the handle out in your fingertips. Three-quarter gloves give more comfort and more dexterity, which matters most if you struggle to do up your ski boots with gloves on. Beyond that it is personal preference.

What is a clincher glove?

A glove with a short strap running from your middle two fingers back to your wrist. It forces your hand to close around the handle, transferring the load from your hands into your forearms so you can ski longer. They suit the last ski of the day and anyone who struggles to hold on after several sets.

Do I need a thicker wrist strap?

If you ski aggressively, yes. Higher-end slalom skiers put much more pull and tension through their hands and the handle, and a thicker heavy-duty strap gives more support through the wrist. Basic gloves use a thinner, lighter strap and that is fine for social skiing.

Why do some gloves have the stitching on the outside?

They are inside-out constructed — turned inside out so all the seams and stitching sit on the outside. It makes them look bulky on the rack, but it means there are no seams rubbing against your palm. The bulk is the feature.

Amara or Kevlar palm — which should I choose?

Amara for feel: padded, comfortable, reduces blistering, and gives the closest feel to the handle with the best grip. Kevlar for durability: harder wearing so the glove lasts longer, but thicker and more padded, so it can feel bulkier on the handle.

What you are holding matters too

Gloves and handles are one decision, not two. A brushed rubber handle is the best performing grip we sell and it goes seriously tacky when wet — but it is hard plain rubber, and it is the one handle you should assume you need gloves for. There is more on that in the water ski ropes and handles breakdown, and on the course side in tournament ropes and handles. The handle range is here.

If you are building a setup from scratch, start with choosing a slalom ski and the slalom range, and make sure everyone on the boat has a properly fitted life jacket.

Or come to the shop at Moorooka, Brisbane and try a few on the handle. Ten seconds pulling against a tensioned rope will tell you more than any size chart.

Presented by Reuben at Waterskiers World, Moorooka, Brisbane. If a pair does not feel right, watch the fit video first — and if it still is not right, give us a call.