Maintenance after 1st Dive Trip with New Gear

[ibj40]

Dive the ocean, and then go up to cave country to clean your gear.

After a two week trip to Roatan rinsing things off as usual after every dive. The very next Saturday I took all my salt water gear for a 45 minute dive to 50 feet at Ginnie Springs. Ya I know, it sucks to live in North Florida lol. Then hang everything up for Two weeks before I pack it away till my next Roatan or Florida Keys trip.

We're heading down to Puerto Aventuras next week. Our schedule, in this order, is two days of ocean, then one day of cenotes.

Then once home, as pointed out in some of the posts above, a regimented process of soaking/cleaning/drying and storage.

 

[D_Fresh]

You've got some great advice here. I'm curious though (genuinely, not being rude), was post dive equipment care a part of your certification?

When I did open water my instructor from the very beginning strongly instilled in us the value of cleaning your gear after every dive. He would stand over us after every training that involved the gear and watch us rinse. I have a thorough approach to washing up after a dive as a result. Well, that with a dash of OCD thrown in.

By my observations based on the quizzical looks I get when I mention how long it takes me to rinse after every dive, it doesn't seem to be something that is being emphasized a lot in training now.

My instructor did the same. I wish it was more common. I'm guessing that only about 40% (or less?) of cert'ed divers end up buying and caring for their own gear, but I think it should still be taught more heavily than it is now. At least it may help new divers (even using rental gear) learn to respect the gear as truly Life Support Equipment....

 

[Dubious]

This was a great thread. Our instructor did not say much about gear rinsing. We even asked after the first night in the pool. We were told there was no need. Now that we are buying our own gear, I want to make sure we take care of it so it lasts.

This is Bruce from SEASOFT SCUBA. I want to share my experience of cleaning my gear over the last 35 plus years and 6,000 plus dives.

There are TEN enemies that want to kill your dive gear:

1. Rust
2. Bacteria
3. Moisture/fungus/mildew
4. Debris that holds bacteria, moisture and abrasives.
5. Abrasives
6. Salt (and other minor corrosives)
7. The sun and the VHF rays it produces.
8. Extreme Heat
9. Extreme Cold
10. Contact with chemicals

Bruce

Thank you for your detailed reply. I will have to check out that Lemon GrenAIDE.