For Glove Fiends! The Differences Between Showa 660, 460 and 490 gloves

The problem with Gloves of pretty much all types - if you go up sizes is that the fingers get longer - both on the Kubis and the Showas. That just makes for a pain because you have flappy ends of fingers that all to easily get caught in bolt snaps. However if you buy the right size in a different model of showas - e.g. the 460 (albeit they are orange!) you don't get this issue. I struggle to get santi liners in a size 9 showa 660, but in a size 9 460 its not a problem. If you want to go even bigger - showa 490s are bigger still (but because they are triple dipped they are less dextrous).

So why the fuss over Showas, they seem really bulky? Interestingly I thought the same, but until you dive them with a bit of water pressure you don't realise how good they are. They are thicker, so both more durable and warmer. Great for signalling - I used to turn my Marigold G17k inside out so they were white on the outside and and a less 'sticky' surface. Showas are bright - great for caves and dark wrecks, and great for teaching, they also are less 'sticky' than rubber Marigolds becuase of the smoother surface.

Ahem enough of the sales pitch. Try them, you will be surprised.

660s are great for when you don't need really thick liners, and 460s for when you need something thicker...... 490s for when you really want to roll out the thick gloves.

Incidentally 460s are available with the liners already removable - these are called 465s, and the same applies to 490s with 495s (the actual gloves DUI use). However these are a lot more expensive and more difficult to find.