Where do you store your gear?

[plclark196]

My house is small and lacks storage so I've been storing my gear in a tool shed . I've recently talked to others that have advised against this as the changes in heat , humidity etc. can be hard on the gear , especially 0-rings . Any opinions?

[Trixxie]

currently keep my BC/Reg and wetsuits hanging in a closet. All the small stuff - mask, booties, defog slates etc etc I have a wheeled rubbermaid tote, don't remember the size exactly but everything fits nicely in there. I personally would not keep any of my gear out doors, even in a shed. I have stored them in a basement before but still inside the tote.

[DiveMaven]

I store my gear the exact same way (except my tote doesn't have wheels). If you're lacking closet space to hang your stuff, put everything into a tote somewhere in a climate controlled environment. I agree about not storing stuff outside, you're asking for mold, mildew, and rust.

[Skeeter1097]

I have a large cooler that barely fits in my SUV. After leaving the dive site I put the wet gear in it. Soak in simple green and when dry It makes grate storage. Does not get hot and ready for the next dive. Just grab the cooler, tanks and go.

[djb_1965]

We have a dedicated room in the basement. The basement is finished off and dry, hang the suits and BC's and the rest in totes.

[NWGratefulDiver]

In my garage ... which is unheated.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/NWGratefulDiver/Miscellaneous/Garage.jpg

I don't see how changes in heat and humidity can be all that hard on scuba gear ... think about where you use the stuff

Keep it clean, dry it before storing, and maintain the stuff that requires maintenance, and it should be fine. I would recommend keeping neoprene and latex away from sources of ozone (like furnaces and how water heaters). Other than that, I don't see a problem.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[robint]

ditto what everyone else says.... need to move it all to a climate controlled environment.
We have all our gear in our guest bedroom spread out on the bed (regs, masks, fins) and hanging on a rolling hanger rack (wetsuits, bcs) and in plastic bins (misc small stuff, drysuits).

robin:D

[seaducer]

I store my stuff in my garage also, with my wetsuits hanging in a closet. Most all my stuff is in a large tote. Never had any problems with anything...

For washing and drying I just have an extra shower curtain rod to hang suits and bcd, leave it there to dry with fan on over night and put away...

[Bratface]

I live in a very small cottage with little closet space. I have a rack to hang BC, wetsuits, regulator on. I keep dive lights, small stuff in my large regulator bag, fins, mask, dry bag, etc. on shelves in the closet. I'm going to move to a little larger place but only one closet there, so the rack will have to be in the spare bedroom. It would be great to have a room or closet dedicated just for gear. Dive Instructor boyfriend has similar situation. Housing in Key West is limited by price and hard to find. Extra closet space is a true luxury.

[Buoyant1]

In my garage ... which is unheated.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/NWGratefulDiver/Miscellaneous/Garage.jpg

I don't see how changes in heat and humidity can be all that hard on scuba gear ... think about where you use the stuff

Keep it clean, dry it before storing, and maintain the stuff that requires maintenance, and it should be fine. I would recommend keeping neoprene and latex away from sources of ozone (like furnaces and how water heaters). Other than that, I don't see a problem.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Ok, why would you keep the latex and neoprene away from furnaces and hot water heaters? thanks....

[Going The Distance]

Its always been stowed in the boat. Never had a problem, 15 years of it being in the boat bathroom and I finally had to toss the bc for a small leak in the bladder.. As long a you clean everything and dry it well it should be ok.

[Bratface]

After seeing Grateful Diver's gear storage twice, I'll have to say, I'm pretty jealous.

[ClayJar]

Ok, why would you keep the latex and neoprene away from furnaces and hot water heaters? thanks....Furnaces and water heaters (basically, anything with a flame) as well as electric motors (basically, anything with a spark) and copy machines and laser printers (basically, anything with coronal discharge) all produce ozone. Ozone is highly reactive and will oxidize the neoprene and latex (basically, think of it as *very* strong, but rather dilute, bleach).

The higher the concentration of ozone, the more rapid the deterioration of the neoprene and latex (and other things, as well, but those are the most obviously affected materials). Storing the gear away from any sources of ozone means you have the least exposure, which means the gear will last as long as possible.

(If you have a membrane nitrox system, I guess you could use the relatively oxygen-depleted "waste" side to provide a storage atmosphere with reduced oxygen concentration, or you could simply store your gear in a pure nitrogen atmosphere, as the lower oxygen concentrations would keep your neoprene and latex in pristine condition even longer, but that's probably going just a bit overboard. :biggrin:)

[ianw2]

So rapid changes in temperature and humidty are bad for Scuba gear?

Dang...Southern California diving in summer is out then, I guess. Jumping from the deck of a boat at +95ºF and humidty in the low 20% into water that is about 65ºF-ish and, well, HIGH humidty must really wreck havoc on the gear.

I agree with Clay...


...(Don't store your gear around) anything with a flame...(or) anything with a spark...(or)anything with coronal discharge...(because they) all produce ozone. Ozone is highly reactive and will oxidize the neoprene and latex (basically, think of it as *very* strong, but rather dilute, bleach).means you have the least exposure, which means the gear will last as long as possible.

Ian

[b1draper]

I keep all my stuff in this with the exception of my wetsuits (in a hall closet) weight belt and tanks in my garage.

Real Deep See Excursion Roller Backpack reviews in Gear Bags - Buzzillions.com (http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_158201_deep_see_excursion_roller_backpack_revie ws)

[SlowRain]

All of my stuff is indoors. I live in Georgia and during the summer the humidity is through the roof on many days, and then in winter it can get very cold (as it did this winter some days) so I don't put it in the garage (not climate controlled). Wet suits and dry suit are upstairs in an open closet not exposed to sunlight and away from any sort of "ozone producer". BC and BPW hang in the same place. Booties, gloves, etc are in a soft travel bag on the closet shelf. The rest of the gear I keep in travel bags. Tanks are kept upstairs as well.

[TravisD]

During the diving season, our gear has been living in the garage. North side of the house, with a gable and ridge vent so it never gets too hot in there. I put up a hanging bar for suits.

For the winter, I took a surplus 4-shelf "baker's rack" and zip-tied a piece of wooden clothes-rod to the top -- suits hang from either end, enough space for 3 hangers worth so one of the boot/glove/hood hangers plus two suit hangers on each end. The racks are where everything else goes, including the rubbermaid bins we use to transport things locally. The bins also work great to catch runoff water from the suits when hanging then up after washing. The rack currently lives in the (finished) basement.