Gear Care Question

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mohave_steve

Contributor
Messages
315
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Location
Dayton, WA
# of dives
100 - 199
Hello All,

After diving in Lake Mohave on Sunday I followed my standard routine and laid all of my gear out on my patio and grabbed the garden hose to rinse it off. It was 90 degrees outside and I was thirsty. Without thinking I took a drink from the garden hose....YUK!!!...

I know better than to drink the tap water here. Our water is extremely high in manganese, iron, calcium and sulphur dioxide. That is why I spent $2700 on a water treatment system. This reduces the mineral levels somewhat but does add salt in the process. As a result the water is not fit to drink and is not the best for washing. I cannot wash my truck at home because of the mineral content.

I would much rather drink the water from the lake than at home. The question is:

Is my gear better off if I rinse it in the lake before returning home? What do you think?
 
High mineral content or not, the hose water probably has fewer microorganisms in it than the lake water. It's the critters that stink, not the minerals (other than sulpher, of course).

If the hard water content seems to be leaving visible marks on your gear, I'd stop using it and bring your gear inside to wash in the shower (presumably also filtered). Otherwise, don't sweat it.
 
But it does contain salt which isn't the best thing for dive gear. The other minerals I wouldn't worry about. Personally if there was a way around it I would do it.

Just a thought..get a 30 gallon trash can and fill it with water from someplace that has decent water. Keep the lid on it and you should be able to use it most of the year. They even make cans with wheels.
 
Just a thought..get a 30 gallon trash can and fill it with water from someplace that has decent water. Keep the lid on it and you should be able to use it most of the year. They even make cans with wheels.

At 250lbs (30gal x 8.33lbs/gal) not sure what good the wheels will do ya!

:D
 
Thank you for the recommendations.

Unfortunately the water inside is no different than the water outside. As poor as the water is here I had my outside faucets plumbed to treated water just like the inside fixtures.

The tap water does leave spots on my gear. Worse than the lake water.

The question remains: Which is easier on my gear? Purgatory tap water or Lake water?

PS: I can get descent water a couple miles away for $.25 a gallon but carrying enough home to rinse my gear would be difficult.
 
At 250lbs (30gal x 8.33lbs/gal) not sure what good the wheels will do ya!

:D

First of all you wouldn't fill it to the top or it would over flow. I think mine is about half. AND, the wheels work great. I've had mine for 4 years and still like new. :D


I fill it once a season (about 6 months) for a dunking my gear and it works. If it gets a little funk then add a couple caps of mouth wash.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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