Storing gear in an unheated Storage facility

[swimmer_spe]

For the next 6-12 months, I will be storing my dive gear in a storage locker. Part of my concern is that it is unheated, and I live in Northern ON now where the temperatures plummet to below -40C/F!

I would take them home, wash/rinse, then let dry before putting it away.

How bad will this be?

 

[WeldonDowd]

I bought a whole storage locker filled with dive gear years ago. It was not a climate controlled facility and was in a local that gets over 100° in the summer and freezes every winter. The lady said the gear had been there over five years. All the plastic and rubber parts on the regs were still in what i'd call great condition (Conshelfs, various Sherwoods, lots of Dacors, and some nimrods; I dive with the ones I kept. The jet fins were toast (I don't know what they looked like before they were stored) but all the dacor, mares, wenoka, and some other fins were good. The masks that were clear silicone had yellowed bad. Bcd's looked terrible but all still held air. Nylon webbed plastic backplates were perfect. The hoses on the double hose regs were shot. Tanks were of course fine. Cheap rubber like knife sheath straps ect. didn't make it. From that experience I wouldn't and don't worry to much about how I store gear.

 

[rhwestfall]

I'm not as far north as you, but I do store most of my gear in an unheated/uninsulated garage. The only issues I have had is (1) cocoons in various places that has been mitigated with putting things like regs in large zip-loc bags, and (2) I speculate that the temps got so cold last year that the valves on my tanks leaked (always kept steel tanks inside, these were aluminum). ALL Tanks are now stored inside.... Haven't really had any major problems.

 

[FoxHound]

Im in Canada, def had some very cold weather conditions. That being said, all my gear is stored in bins in my non heated garage. Never had a problem, everything was still in the shape it was when I stored it. No ill effects from the cold. I was worried about condensation in the regs but turned out to be a non issue when I serviced them.