Introduction: Aquaglove

On a sunny summers days, what can be more fun that inflating things with water. This instructable shows how to create a massive water filled aquaglove. We then introduce a Dachshund and watch the Aquaglove burst.


There's a longer video in step5, and also more freeze frame images showing the aquaglove shaped tube of water collapse.

Step 1: What You Need

To inflate your own Aquaglove you will require;

  • Rubber gloves
  • Hose pipe and water
  • Plenty of outdoors space, well away from doors/anything electrical/sunbathers
  • Strong reinforced tape. Duct tape is ideal
  • Dachshund (optional)

Step 2: Construction

It only takes a few minutes to set up an Aquaglove. A well attached glove is the secret to a large Aquaglove.
  • The glove needs to be attached to the hose securely. When inflated to four feet long it will be heavy and under pretty high pressure. Use plenty of tape.
  • Between 1" and 2" of glove needs to be wrapped around the hose end. Do not wrap too tightly. Place the hose in the middle of the glove opening and carefully wrap the two sides of rubber around it. Wrapping both sides of the glove opening in the same direction maintains the shape of the glove.
  • Tape tightly around the twisted glove first, ensure the tape is smooth and then extend the tape down the hose about 2" to create a seal.
  • Check the glove is not snagged on any loose tape and place on a large piece of lawn.

Step 3: Inflation

Turn on the tap and let it fill up

  • Start off slowly, you may need to pick up the glove and untwist it once water fills it out
  • Once underway the tap can be turned to full flow

You can see how successful the seal is. It should allow the glove to inflate evenly, while holding in all the water.

Step 4: How Brave Do You Feel? Play With the Aquaglove!

Keep on adding water. It will get bigger and bigger.
Eventually it will burst.

Aquaglove games
  • Taunt the glove - as the Aquaglove reaches maximum capacity take turns to approach and taunt the glove. Slap it, sit on the ground next to it or mount it. Dare the glove to burst
  • Attack the glove - The glove is tough, and stronger than you would imagine. Balls and sticks will bounce off, but a well thrown spear will kill it. KILL IT HARD!
  • Aquaglove Baiting - See step5 for an example. We were lucky enough to have an excited Dachshund to hand. Wait until the glove it at maximum inflation, then release your slavering hunting beast. The glove will twitch and move in response to their aggression, this increases the attacks frenzy.

Step 5: The Optional Dachshund Step

Aquagloves can get very large. They shimmy and wobble as the water moves about. This seems to entertain our Dachshund Zak as much as it does us. First he was confused by it, then he attacked it.

Watch him go!

The glove is under massive pressure and stretched to it's limit. All the elastic energy is released when Zak bites it, the rubber retracts around the mass of water too fast to see.
The result is a perfect Aquaglove shaped blob of water in mid air, amazingly captured at just 15 fps.
See the intro step for a slowed down video of the burst, and below for individual freeze frames.

An alternative glove option - Purple Nitrile Laboratory glove