Same cold, different water

A deckhand’s winter looks a lot like a snowmaker’s

We started selling Joka in 2005 for snowmakers, who spend the coldest nights of the year handling wet hoses, hydrants, and snow guns. So when barge and tugboat companies started ordering Joka for their crews, it made sense right away. The jobs have a lot in common:

• Hands are wet for hours, from spray, rain, sleet, and ice.
• Freezing wind, with nowhere to warm up until the job is done.
• Wet steel cables, mooring lines and winches that need a grip you can trust.

Built for wet, not just cold

What makes good tugboat gloves

Plenty of winter gloves are warm until they get wet. Then your hands are cold for the rest of the shift. Joka is made for exactly that problem.

• Waterproof triple-layer vinyl keeps hands dry through slush, sleet, and water.
• Stays flexible down to -58°F, so the gloves don’t stiffen up on a frozen deck.
• The granulated surface grips in cold, icy, and wet conditions.
• The fleece liner comes out, so it can dry overnight or be replaced.

Tip from the snowmaking side: keep a spare liner in your bag. Swap in a dry one partway through a long shift, and you’re back to warm hands.

Gloves or mittens

Which one is right for your crew?

• Joka Polar gloves for handling lines, shackles and tools, where your fingers need to move. Sizes M(10), L(11), XL(12).
• Joka Therm mittens for the coldest shifts, when keeping your hands warm matters more than finger movement. Sizes L(9), XL(10).

Not sure about sizing? Check the Joka size chart, or text the office at 208-817-0033, and we’ll help.

Our story with Joka · Since 2005

Made in Finland, shipped from us

Joka gloves and mittens are made by Jokamuovi Oy in Finland. Jason found them in 2005 while searching for the best winter work gloves, and today CHS Snowmakers is an official Joka distributor for North America.

Whether you’re on a snowmaking crew or a tugboat crew, you’re buying from people who know these gloves, and the people who make them, very well.

Quick answers

Tugboat gloves: common questions

Are Joka gloves waterproof?
Yes. Joka Polar gloves and Therm mittens have a waterproof triple-layer vinyl shell, so hands stay dry through slush, sleet, and water.

How cold can they handle?
The vinyl stays flexible down to -58°F (-50°C), so the gloves keep working on the coldest days on the river.

Can I replace the liner?
Yes. The fleece liners are removable, and replacement liners for Polar gloves and Therm mittens are sold by the pair.

Do you sell to companies?
Yes. If you’re outfitting a whole crew or fleet, email us with sizes and quantities, and we’ll put together an estimate.

Where are Joka gloves made?
In Finland, by Jokamuovi Oy. CHS Snowmakers has been selling them since 2005.