When I was looking for winter gloves for obstacle racing, I needed something to keep my hands warm even when wet, surfers gloves seem to be the best idea. Surfers spend hours out on the water with wet hands, and need grip to push up off their boards when catching the waves. So they will have come up with something ingenious that would be suitable for obstacle racing.
Neoprene works by trapping a small layer of water / sweat inside the glove next to your warm skin and because neoprene is a rubber based material it is very well insulated and the thin layer of water remains nice and warm. This means it is essential to get a tight fitting glove other wise each submersion will simply flush the glove with cold water and chill your hands.
At the 2014 Tough Guy 15km obstacle race in late January I wore O'Neill 2mm SLX neoprene gloves. The weather consisted of a constant drizzle and temperatures in the single digits. The course is famous for its sub zero water obstacles and huge punishing obstacles.
The gloves were outstanding, not once did my hands feel the cold, every other part of my body took serious blows delivered by the aggressive cold water. My fingers maintained their dexterity for hand over hand rope crossings and so many climbs up cargo nets and greasy wooden A-frames. The surface on the palm and fingers added incredible grip and confidence when climbing and crawling. 2mm of neoprene is surprisingly cushioning when crawling and using my hands on tree trunks to slow myself when running down steep hills. But they never felt bulky or clumsy
Neoprene is very tough wearing too, after wearing these gloves at 6 obstacle races over the last 12 months the gloves look exactly the same as the day I purchased them. I can't recommend these gloves highly enough for cold wet obstacle races.
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