Stohlquist Contact Gloves - Good Kit, get yourself a pair.

There are some bits of kit that really impress you. The first time I picked up my Werner Cyprus paddle was one of them. The first time I paddled a Nordkapp was another. This time it was a simple pair of gloves. In the summertime my hands get fried. No matter how much sun block and zinc cream I plaster on, it just comes off and the backs of my hands end up looking like the Chinese flag.

Most gloves I've worn have either left me feeling clumsy with no real feel of the paddle. There are some sun protection gloves that just cover the back of your hand but these feel awkward to me, loose and floppy. They're held on by little elastic loops and I feel them all the time between my fingers. I still end up with sunscreen all over my hands and that makes the paddle slippery and feels awkward. These gloves though were a revelation to me.

You can't really see it in the picture but the whole palm is a thin rubber membrane with no bulk at all. This and the fingerless design gives a great grip on the paddle and yet remains completely unobtrusive. You forget that you're wearing them. Skulling, bracing, rolling it doesn't matter, paddle control is not compromised at all. They let you do the paddling as if they weren't there.
The back of the glove is thin stretchy neoprene protected by a nylon gauze and the index finger is topped with a little terry towelling patch for absorbing stray moisture or that drop of sunscreen and salt that just ran into your eye. The Contact gloves are also comfortably pre-bent to reduce hand fatigue, you don't have to exert effort to keep the fingers curled around the paddle. They're well made and good value for money.

Highly recommended.