Removing paint marker from dive gear?

[flspy]

I have several pieces of good quality dive gear I want to sell. However, I have also put my name or initials on many of them.

What is the best way to remove paint marker, with the least amount of destruction to the rubber, neoprene or plastic?

Because of the activity in South Florida, losing, and finding, dive gear is commonplace. Without your name and phone number on your gear, it's gone.
Someone may keep it anyway, but at least it might make their conscience nag them!

Chris

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

Have you tried acetone or non-acetone nail remover? I am not sure how that will affect plastic; but, I have used it on a couple of fins with success and also on a neoprene dive computer cover. It did leave a faint paint mark on the computer cover though. May want to try it on an area that can get discolored before using it all over.

 

[flspy]

Have you tried acetone or non-acetone nail remover? I am not sure how that will affect plastic; but, I have used it on a couple of fins with success and also on a neoprene dive computer cover. It did leave a faint paint mark on the computer cover though. May want to try it on an area that can get discolored before using it all over.

Wanted to try the least destructive method to move my way up. I've seen everything suggested from hairspray to goof off. Nail polish remover has also been suggested. But that seems like it would be quite aggressive. Thanks for the tip.

 

[tbone1004]

rubbing alcohol should always be the first thing you try. It is the solvent for most paints as well as sharpy.

 

[rhwestfall]

and here I just put a paint marker line through the initials, and put "R.I.P." next to it....

 

[Dhboner]

Hand sanitizer works perfectly. If the ink/paint is stubborn I put a little hand sanitizer on a kitchen "scouring" pad.

 

[cb5150]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

 

[boulderjohn]

I wouldn't worry about it. Over the years, I have sold a lot of used equipment, every piece with my name on it. No one has complained. If the purchaser wants to take your initials off, that person can ask the questions.

They might not care, in which case, you have gone through the effort for nothing. A friend of mine did a lot of diving with a used argon bottle he bought from someone else. It sported the name IRVINE in big letters, and that always unnerved me a little when I was diving with him. (Google George Irvine for an explanation if you don't get the reference.) That name was probably a good deterrent to thieves, come to think of it.

They can also get creative. A couple of years ago I retrieved a derelict dive flag off of a Florida shore. The name of the dive shop that owned it was on it, with its initials in big black letters on the side of the Styrofoam ball. They were a good distance away, though. I gave them a call, and they said they lose one a month, and I should just keep it if I needed one. It did not take much creativity for me to convert the shop's initials to my last name, and you can't tell it ever said anything else.

 

[divad]

rubbing alcohol should always be the first thing you try. It is the solvent for most paints as well as sharpy.

This should be true, ie, default to the original solvent. Acetone is good if you want to clean and scarify in one quick swipe. I do believe that acetone has the more fragrant bouquet.

 

[ams511]

Wanted to try the least destructive method to move my way up. I've seen everything suggested from hairspray to goof off. Nail polish remover has also been suggested. But that seems like it would be quite aggressive. Thanks for the tip.

I have used nail polish remover to remove markings on a Scubapro R-295 octopus and on a Halcyon pocket. It did not damage either.