Shop Sailing Gloves
Sailing gloves protect sailors’ hands from cold and from injury. Their unique design also aids in the performance of many sailing tasks, such as handling lines, opening a shackle, or operating a touchscreen.
What are sailing gloves made of?
Cowhide: Traditional sailing gloves were made of cowhide which is very effective at enhancing grip on lines. But when it gets wet, it shrinks, and when it dries, it gets hard and curls at the edges. This distorts the fit of the gloves, and the curling separates the leather on the fingers, exposing your fingers to rope burn. Repeated wetting and drying causes the leather to crack and wear out.
Goatskin: An alternative to leather, goatskin dries softer than cowhide and remains supple, even in salt water, but it is less durable than cowhide.
Amara: An extremely abrasion- and water-resistant synthetic material, Amara dries soft and doesn't shrink. Amara and other synthetic materials are rapidly supplanting leather as the fabric of choice for sailing gloves. The modern synthetic materials of which sailing gloves are now made dry faster and offer a better grip than leather.
Neoprene: Neoprene is used for cold weather sailing gloves and for hand protection in cold wet conditions because it is extremely waterproof, flexible and very durable.
Unique Features of Sailing Gloves
Like many other sports, sailing demands specialized gloves to protect the hands. To provide for the dexterity needed to tie knots, most sailing gloves are “fingerless” to the extent that they leave at least the tips of the thumb and forefinger exposed. They are made of quick-drying, waterproof materials and include wraparound palm protection to prevent rope burn and for enhanced grip on lines. The backs of sailing gloves are made of stretchy material and they include adjustable wrist straps with hook-and-loop wrist closures for a snug fit. While the unique features of sailing gloves benefit sailors, they can also be a good choice for general boating, fishing, or for paddling a SUP or kayak.