So now that I have equipment...

[FettSolo]

I have a set of new gear (BCD, reg, oct, computer, wetsuit), and it is awesome! But I want to do everything right. So-

1) Now that the gear is mine, what immediate things do I need to do in terms of care?
2) What needs to be done long-term?
3) How is gear best carried to/from a boat? And then stored on-board (for reference, talking about day trips, not liveaboards)? I have a mesh bag, but I would love if someone spelled out how best to carry your gear on a nice morning of (in my case, probably tropical) diving. This sounds like a dumb question to me, but honestly, I just want to do it right. Last thing I need is to break something the first dive due to an amateur mistake.

Thanks for the input, guys. It is nice to have a place where I can ask these questions.

(Note: Perhaps this belongs in the Equipment Section. If so, please move it, thank you!)

 

[Doc]

I have a set of new gear (BCD, reg, oct, computer, wetsuit), and it is awesome! But I want to do everything right. So-

1) Now that the gear is mine, what immediate things do I need to do in terms of care?

Save for the next set, upgrades and replacements.

2) What needs to be done long-term?

Start some kind of diet, this will keep you from buying another wetsuit.

3) How is gear best carried to/from a boat? And then stored on-board (for reference, talking about day trips, not liveaboards)? I have a mesh bag, but I would love if someone spelled out how best to carry your gear on a nice morning of (in my case, probably tropical) diving.

Dive at places that will carry it for you.

Okay, I'll quite joking now.

The cleaning and storage depends to a large extent on how often you expose it and to what conditions. I dive a lot (warm water pretty fish type) and really don't do much than fresh water rinse every night and then a good dunk before leaving for the flight home. At home, everything gets bath-tubbed in "sink the stink", the BC bladders get flooded and sloshed several times. I hang it upside down and always keep the bladders fairly full of air. Check every few days for any additional water to drain- should not taste salty. You may learn how to open the larger ports in your BC (the dump valves) for easier access.

Every tropical destination (and any dive op) will entail a slightly different set-up and variation on the way you transport your gear as well as how far you may have to schlepp it. Some places have gear storage so that you only need your traveling suitcase to deliver it to the gear lockers- just once in a week. You might want to always have a small mesh backpack to drag stuff like lights, cameras and computers back and forth to the room.

Best thing I can tell you is to find a very fine mesh bag. Keep your mask in it, stick your second stage in it as well- keep the cockroaches from nibbling at your silicone parts.

 

[herman]

Doc has it covered. I would stress the importance of a good rinse for all the equipment. Both daily and a good soak in warm water after you get back home. Be careful not to allow water into the first stage of the reg so make sure you always install a good dust cap....if you can soak it with a tank (pony is fine) so much the better. Hang your gear in a well ventilated place to dry but out of the sun....for that matter try to keep it out of the sun when you can, UV is not good for dive gear. If my gear is going to be in the sun for an extended period of time, I will cover it with my towel…better a faded towel than UV rotted BC. Be sure to rinse the inside of your BC and allow fresh water to flush from the inside out through any/all of the vents and any other valve in the BC. This removes salt and any other grit. It is esp. important to keep cameras out of direct sun, it gets very hot inside a housing in short order if you don't.

 

[Rhodesaz]

Rinse the inflator hose assembly by running fresh water through it. This rinses the salt water out and will keep the inflator valve clean.
My LDS did not tell me this and after about 50 dives (on brand new BCD's) both my wife and I experienced inflator valve failures while on vacation. While this is manageable, (oral inflate) it changes the dynamics of diving and adds another level of difficultness that doesn't need to be.
Having the shop replace the inflator valve will cost $50 to $75.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Good response to this point, so I want to focus on the idea of a boat bag. For transport of your gear in the car, train or plane, you way a good dive bar that will protect the gear. But when heading to the day boat, leave your hard case or "luggage" bag at the hotel, and use a boat bag. A boat bag is a collapsible bag that can be stored out of the way on the boat, folds up and takes up little space. You should also have a small dry bag for things you want to stay dry-clothes, wallet, etc.
DivemasterDennis

 

[SnorkelLA]

I have a set of new gear (BCD, reg, oct, computer, wetsuit), and it is awesome! But I want to do everything right. So-

1) Now that the gear is mine, what immediate things do I need to do in terms of care?
Well, depending on if you got it online or in shop determines what you immediately do. When I buy ANY piece of "essential" gear(Reg, octo, BCD, computer) online, I immediately have it serviced by my LDS if they support it, and I only buy brands my LDS supports, because I like my LDS and those brands . If you bought it from your LDS, just tell them to give it the once-over. If you bought ANYTHING used, IMMEDIATELY have it overhauled, no matter what the guy that sold it to you told you. If you buy it used from your LDS, tell them you EXPECT for them to service it.
2) What needs to be done long-term?
If in the long-term you don't dive frequently, soak and wash your gear every 3 weeks, if soaking, soak all pieces of gear, from your Reg to your SPG, not your first stage. If after diving in a pool, the chlorinated water really can't do much of anything to it, so just give it a quick rinse. For your BCD, ALWAYS turn it upside down and press the deflator button after EVERY dive! This will insure on your next dive that water in the bladder isn't causing a buoyancy imbalance. Every once in a while, or right after a saltwater dive trip, take your exhaust valves off of your BCD, fill it with water, slosh it around and pour it out. Some BC-Life never hurts. If you know there's sand in your regs, either have it serviced by your LDS or take off the front cover (if you're comfortable with it) and wash out the inside very carefully, making sure not to dislodge anything.
3) How is gear best carried to/from a boat? And then stored on-board (for reference, talking about day trips, not liveaboards)? I have a mesh bag, but I would love if someone spelled out how best to carry your gear on a nice morning of (in my case, probably tropical) diving. This sounds like a dumb question to me, but honestly, I just want to do it right. Last thing I need is to break something the first dive due to an amateur mistake.
Just a big mesh bag that can hold everything comfortably, or a big duffel bag. I use a big Browning duffel bag I had laying around. Fits my fins, mask, reg set and boots perfectly, with room for a towel or a change of clothes, but I always carry my BCD seperate, cause she's a biggin' (Mares Dragon).

Thanks for the input, guys. It is nice to have a place where I can ask these questions.

(Note: Perhaps this belongs in the Equipment Section. If so, please move it, thank you!)

My Answers in bold

 

[electrix]

We needed a soft bag for our dive gear for a week on a live aboard and for the flight there, I went to the Army Navy store and got a big canvas duffel for $20 that was perfect my wife ironed on some decorations to make them pretty.

 

[nimoh]

I have a mesh backpack that is large enough to hold pretty much all of my gear. The backpack straps free up my hands for holding on to hand rails or carrying some extra gear like a camera, the mesh seems to be strong enough to resist tearing, and it drys very quickly.

I generally pack my gear in sturdy suitcases, and pack the mesh bag (doesn't weight very much), and then leave the suitcases in the hotel, and use the mesh bag for the duration of the trip.

 

[DiverBeth]

Everybody above has it covered pretty good. Care is important, every year when I take my gear in for yearly maintenance the shop always compliments me on gear care. As gross, as I think, my o-rings etc. that are replaced get they've shown me other customers' parts, who don't care for their gear, and the difference is staggering. So please take care of your gear so you can dive with it as much as you want.

On gear bags one other thing. There are some mesh style gear bags with wheels. If you dive locally they're great but I found for travel they're too heavy and bulky.

 

[TSandM]

It's not a bad idea to develop a checklist and print it (or laminate it for repeated use) before heading for the boat. There are a lot of LITTLE things in diving, and it's easy to forget one or more of them. NOTHING more maddening than missing a dive you paid good money for, because your fins are at home.

Gear care itself has been pretty well covered. Developing a gear storage system that's organized can help a lot in making sure nothing gets lost or forgotten.

I take a mesh bag and a dry bag onto a boat. I try to organize my belongings so that everything is neat and out of the way of other people -- this has a double function. It makes you a polite passenger, and it also protects your gear from damage (like somebody putting a tank down on your computer, or your mask). The dry bag holds the things I don't want to expose to water -- I used to have my logbook in it, as well as identification and insurance information. If you have any medical history, it's nice to have that information available somewhere in what you brought on board, and also contact information. No, none of us think we might get sick or hurt on a dive boat, but it does happen.

BTW, mesh bags that make up into backpacks are really handy!