Embracing the exhilarating rush of speeding across the water on a personal watercraft (PWC) is undeniably thrilling.
However, amidst the adrenaline-fueled excitement lies a common yet often overlooked discomfort: BLISTERS!!!
As passionate riders, we know the joy of navigating the waves, but we also understand the toll it can take on our hands. In this post, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of why we get blisters from PWCs and how to prevent them, ensuring every ride is a smooth and blister-free experience.
What type of gloves should you get?
Anythuing made for…
Will work for your PWC! (Pretty much anything that has handlebars will be similar to “jet ski gloves”. Go with whatever is cheaper and most comfortable for yourself!)
I’m personally a fan of fingerless gloves because they allow me to be able to operate my smartphone without taking them off. If you ask me, the fingerless gloves are the best option you can get for any watercraft.
Here Are The best jet ski gloves
What you need might be different from what I use.
So, I’ve listed off the best 3 gloves below:
1. Jettribe GP-30 Pixel Series
What I like most about this style of gloves is that it’s made with watercraft in mind with its padding. Its reinforced palm is a really nice touch, along with a sticky finger silicone grip too (for the throttle and brakes).
You also have the pre-curved fingers and palm with a more natural feel, which also makes it easier to put on and off.
See Jettribe GP-30 Pixel Series here (Amazon Link Ad).
2. BPS Water Gloves
I needed to add neoprene water gloves to the list, especially if you do any riding in the off-season.
This type of glove is what you want as a general-purpose, but also is the good option if you ride when it gets cold.
An interesting thing about neoprene gloves is that they will feel better just by the nature of neoprene.(I cover this a bit in the life jacket post when talking about neoprene)This is the same stuff wetsuits are made of and if you’re already wearing a wetsuit this will be a practical option to go with it.
See the BPS Water Gloves here (Amazon Link Ad).
3. SANTIC Classic Fingerless Cycling Gloves
A personal favorite of mine. While they might not be personal watercraft gloves, they work great with skiing.
They’re built with bikes in mind, but they have the same protection and grip you would expect. Plus, they’re fingerless!!!!!!! Which I love as I can use my phone and get a drink of water more easily. It’s a pain to take gloves off to use your phone, so I go fingerless when I can(((gloves))).
But seriously, I love this style of gloves when I ride. They dry quickly from water or sweat. They’re super easy to take off. And to add to it, they have the soft foam insert to cushion the hands.
Oh, and the price isn’t so bad either.
You can buy them here (Amazon Link Ad).
Why should you wear gloves while on your PWC?
Riding gloves will make sense once you start riding a personal watercraft a few times, but let me list off the main reasons.
- Better grip – PWCs are a wet ride, and you want a lot of grip.
- Less fatigue – People tend to have a death grip when riding, which wears you out, and gloves help.
- Lots of friction – Along with the grip there is frction which leads to sores, so gloves are a must.
- PWC handlebar grips suck – Especially – Older watercraft have horrible grips, or they’re worn out.
- Dock line friction – Having gloves on helps with the rope burn you may get when pulling dock line out too quickly, or it’s getting jerked away from you.
- Everything is hot – People ride watercraft when it’s warm, so everything you touch tends to be HOT!!! Docks, seats, even the handlebars get hot and having gloves on helps.
- Splinters – Getting a splinter is not a common thing, but older docks and even damaged fiberglass can give you splinters, but having riding gloves on provide some protection.
- Gunk – Things get “goo” on them, even dock line can develop goo on them, and having gloves on is nice and gives better grip against the goo
- Better visibility – Riding gloves gives you better visibility, especially when in a riding group, as you often communicate with hand signals.
- Winter rides – If you ride in the winter, you’ll need some gloves to keep your hands warm.
Here is a couple of factors to consider
There are several factors to consider when it comes to jet ski gloves.
- Grip.
- Fabric.
- Quick drying.
- Sizing, not too big or small.
- Easy on and off.
- Coverage.
Using all these factors can help you better find jet ski gloves that fit your riding style.
The needs of someone who races will be different from someone out on a winter ride or a warm Sunday drive.
Fingerless Vs. Full
You can get riding gloves with a full finger cover, or in a fingerless option.
I’m a fan of the fingerless gloves because I can still use the touchscreen on my phone (or PWC) and have more precision when doing things.
If it’s winter time, I go with the full covering as I need the warmth.
At the end of the day, it’s more about personal preference. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Where should you keep them when not in use?
I keep my gloves in my dry bag that I use every time I get on my watercraft.
Before I ever get to the water, my stuff is in my dry bag. Once at the watercraft and sitting, I get my gloves out and start my process of riding.
I don’t keep my jet ski gloves in my craft, mostly because it’s not 100% dry and I don’t want them getting moldy. Also, if I go on a winter ride, I want the gloves to be warm.
When I’m done riding, I put the gloves and other soft items up to let them dry out before they go back in the dry bag on the next ride.
How do you clean your gloves
The label and the packaging the gloves came in will tell you how to clean and maintain your gloves.
What I do is put them in the washing machine with my other similar riding gear and wash them on the gentle cycle.I don’t put them in the dryer as it shrinks them and wears them out, so I let them air dry.
It’s similar to washing motorcycle gloves that this website does a good job explaining.
is there a law that requires you to wear gloves on a jet ski?
Gloves are not required to ride a jet ski, and most rental places are fine without you having them.
While you don’t need them to drive, I highly suggest you get some. After your first ride, you will quickly learn how nice it is to have some hand and finger protection. Plus, the blisters!
You will need a license in most states, so make sure you have that.
I’ve never had the need for gloves…even though the previous owner of my old ski included his when I bought it, so you aren’t alone.
I’m one of those weird guys that doesn’t wear a golf glove either;)