What should I use to disinfect effectively my gear ?

[socc]

Hello everyone,

What should I use to disinfect my diving gear (BC, regulators, suit, etc.) ?
I have read listerine is one option but I am not convinced and also Dettol liquid soluton such as http://www.dettol.co.uk/products/pourable-liquids/dettol-disinfectant-liquid/.
what do you think ? Are they effective, dangerous for health and do they harm the gear ?

Many thanks,

socc

 

[dreamdive]

Hello Socc,

I am not sure that you need to disinfect your entire gear. I.e. we soak our gear in BC cleaner. McNett makes an excellent product that will prevent your gear looking cruddy from salt/chlorinated water. It will also prevent the usual stink of your suit.

If you want to disinfect (fungal, bacterial, viral) your regulator (or hose/counterlungs if you are a rebreather diver) there are many products out there. Steramine is one, DuPont Relyon is another.

Hope this helps

 

[rivers]

freshwater soak after a dive in the sea. after a dive in freshwater, i just hang it up to dry

 

[socc]

Hello Socc,

I am not sure that you need to disinfect your entire gear. I.e. we soak our gear in BC cleaner. McNett makes an excellent product that will prevent your gear looking cruddy from salt/chlorinated water. It will also prevent the usual stink of your suit.

If you want to disinfect (fungal, bacterial, viral) your regulator (or hose/counterlungs if you are a rebreather diver) there are many products out there. Steramine is one, DuPont Relyon is another.

Hope this helps

Hi dreamdive, and thanks for the reply ! Well I suppose the BC, and regulators definitely need a disinfection because you have mouth contact with them. Just rinsing the suit might be fine. I do not think I will be able to find the products you mentioned easily in the UK. I thought that I could buy something that is being sold in the Supermarket but probably this is not true, or at least I will not try anything until I get some more info !

Thanks,

socc

freshwater soak after a dive in the sea. after a dive in freshwater, i just hang it up to dry

Hi rivers,

I am not sure if not disinfecting your gear at all is a good thing. I rinse my gear well after any dive anyway as soon as I go back home !

Thanks,

socc

 

[Hickdive]

Unless you are knowingly diving in polluted water I see no reason to disinfect conventional open circuit scuba.

In fact, I would avoid doing so unless I knew that the product I was using was safe on the rubber and plastic components (the classic example of incompatibility is silicone spray and silicon second stage diaphragms).

A good soak in fresh water (making sure no water enters first and second stages of your regulator) followed by a further rinse and hanging up to dry should suffice.

If you're concerned about bacteria then a few drops of ordinary dish soap in a bucket of water, slosh everything about in it then soak in fresh and rinse then dry. Don't go overboard with the soap and rinse thoroughly - lemony fresh scent is fine in the kitchen but not so pleasant underwater. Soap is great stuff, kills ebola and pretty much everything else .

 

[tbone1004]

I don't disinfect anything, but steramine is what is used in CCR diving and that is probably the best/cheapest option

Amazon.com - Steramine Quaternary Sanitizing Tablets - (6 Bottles of 150 Sanitizer Tablets each) - Multipurpose Cleaners

1 tablet in a gallon of water, dunk the regs and pour some into the wing and slosh around, don't even have to rinse it. It is what I use for P-valves, and what we use to clean the breathing loop on CCR since that can grow some nasty stuff being warm and moist.

 

[socc]

Unless you are knowingly diving in polluted water I see no reason to disinfect conventional open circuit scuba.

In fact, I would avoid doing so unless I knew that the product I was using was safe on the rubber and plastic components (the classic example of incompatibility is silicone spray and silicon second stage diaphragms).

A good soak in fresh water (making sure no water enters first and second stages of your regulator) followed by a further rinse and hanging up to dry should suffice.

If you're concerned about bacteria then a few drops of ordinary dish soap in a bucket of water, slosh everything about in it then soak in fresh and rinse then dry. Don't go overboard with the soap and rinse thoroughly - lemony fresh scent is fine in the kitchen but not so pleasant underwater. Soap is great stuff, kills ebola and pretty much everything else .

I don't disinfect anything, but steramine is what is used in CCR diving and that is probably the best/cheapest option

Amazon.com - Steramine Quaternary Sanitizing Tablets - (6 Bottles of 150 Sanitizer Tablets each) - Multipurpose Cleaners

1 tablet in a gallon of water, dunk the regs and pour some into the wing and slosh around, don't even have to rinse it. It is what I use for P-valves, and what we use to clean the breathing loop on CCR since that can grow some nasty stuff being warm and moist.

Hi guys, thanks for your replies ! Since everyone tells me that I do not really need to disinfect my gear then I will probably do not, or at lease not do it often.
@Hickdive, what do you mean "(making sure no water enters first and second stages of your regulator)" ? I mean on the first stage of course you should be careful, but what is the matter with the first stage if water enters ?

Many thanks,

socc

 

[DivemasterDennis]

There is a product designed for neoprene soak and preservation called "Sink the Stink" available at many dive shops or on line.
DivemasterDennis

 

[tbone1004]

water is non compressible, so it can cause serious havoc to some first stages. Second stages are the same, they don't like water inside of the regulator itself. The case is fine, but it's recommended to have the regs pressurized when you're soaking them. A good rinse is good enough, but I don't know anyone that truly disinfects from normal diving other than CCR divers doing the loop because it can actually get you seriously sick due to the environment the breathing loop creates.

 

[socc]

water is non compressible, so it can cause serious havoc to some first stages. Second stages are the same, they don't like water inside of the regulator itself. The case is fine, but it's recommended to have the regs pressurized when you're soaking them. A good rinse is good enough, but I don't know anyone that truly disinfects from normal diving other than CCR divers doing the loop because it can actually get you seriously sick due to the environment the breathing loop creates.

Hi tbone and thanks for you answer. So what I do after a dive, is putting the whole regulator system into my bath tub and then I get the water hose and rinse it well. This includes aim inside the mouthpiece of the second stages of course without holding the exhaust button. Is that safe for my regulator ?

Thanks,

socc