After the dive and getting ready for the next day question

[shadling]

We're thinking about staying at one of the diver friendly hotels in town and I have a question. After the dive is over, do divers typically strip out of their wetsuits at one of the piers, rinse off, and carry their gear back to their hotel? By gear I'm referring to wetsuits, gear bags, cameras, etc. My experience in post dive gear care is limited as in the past we've stayed at an AI where we wear our wetsuits back to the room, rinse them out in the tub, and hang them outside overnight to drip.

My OCD is kicking in and I'm wanting to know how divers staying at the in-town hotels are handling their gear after the dive; where are they rinsing their suits, where are they hanging them up, are they walking thru the hotel lobby in their drippy suits making a mess on the way back to their rooms?

I realize that there will not be a one-size-fits-all answer, but any thoughts or insight on how this is managed at the hotels would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nodakdive]

It really depends on where you're staying. Where I stay, I can rinse it in several places. Personally, I take it off as soon as the dive is over. The quicker you get it off, the quicker you dry, the quicker you warm up. Some shops will take your wetsuit, rinse it and dry it. That's a service I don't want.

 

[Saboteur]

I've usually taken my gear back to the condo and rinsed and dried everything myself, even if the Op has "valet" service. Has any had bad experience with valet service?

 

[mediumone]

It really depends on where you're staying. Where I stay, I can rinse it in several places. Personally, I take it off as soon as the dive is over. The quicker you get it off, the quicker you dry, the quicker you warm up. Some shops will take your wetsuit, rinse it and dry it. That's a service I don't want.

That's a service that is absolutely mandatory and essential to us.

We can't imagine going back to the old days when we schlepped our wet gear to and fro....

Different strokes.....

 

[wheeledgoat]

Some shops will take your wetsuit, rinse it and dry it. That's a service I don't want.

While I've never been anywhere that offers this service, I think I share your hesitation. Though I'm not sure why.

Surely they wouldn't do anything that would harm the wetsuits (right?) - but what exactly is their drying method?

 

[mediumone]

While I've never been anywhere that offers this service, I think I share your hesitation. Though I'm not sure why.

Surely they wouldn't do anything that would harm the wetsuits (right?) - but what exactly is their drying method?

Been with two shops who offer this "valet" service. They both hung the wetsuits up on the proper hangers and placed them in a room with a couple big fans going 24/7, and they're ready to go, i.e. completely dry for the next day. Yes, of course, they were rinsed first.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I guess it depends on where you are staying AND who you are diving with. We stay at Casa Mexicana and dive with Aldora. Aldora takes care of all gear except wetsuits. We strip out of our wetsuits on the boat and put on our street clothes on the way back in. once back to the hotel, wetsuits get rinsed and hung on the balcony to dry.

The wetsuits are usually mostly drip free by the time we get to the hotel. Dive skins are usually almost dry. A good wring out on the pier takes care of most of the water. We walk through the lobby as usual. I don't remember dripping really being an issue.

Several ops use the Aldora Pier and I don't think I have ever seen a hose to rinse gear or yourself there.

Post who you are diving with and where you are staying and I'm sure someone has done the same dance before.

Safe travels,
Jay

 

[MMM]

It will be a hot walk in a wetsuit back to your hotel unless you are staying at a hotel right beside the pier. And if you are carrying wet, heavy gear, also an uncomfortable one, again unless it's a very short walk.

If you aren't using an op that takes care of all this stuff for you, I have seen it done both ways: people wearing their wetsuit to their room, or, more commonly, carrying it back and then rinsing in their room and hanging to dry on a balcony.

 

[DjDiverDan]

This is probably one of those things where everyone has their own routine, and depends a lot on where you are staying, who you are diving with, what wet suit you are wearing, and personal preference. My last several trips have been group trips where we all stayed at Casa del Mar and dove with Dive with Martin, and DWM picked us up and dropped us off at the Casa Del Mar pier. My routine was to take down the top part only of my skins plus (a Henderson with fleece lining and .5 mil neoprene - I’m pretty cold tolerant, that’s all I’ve ever needed in Cozumel), tie the arms around my waste, put on a T-shirt, and walk back to the hotel room that way. DWM took care of all equipment other than wet suits. Then I’d jump right in the shower to rinse both my wetsuit and myself, and hang the wetsuit out on the little patio off my room to dry. It didn’t get completely dry by the next day, but a little damp (and a little stink) didn’t really bother me, since I was only about 5-10 minutes from jumping back in the ocean before I put it on the next day. Up to you. Would I use a dive op that rinsed and dried my wetsuit? Sure. Would I pick a Dive op based on that service or pay extra for it? Nope. Up to you.

 

[nodakdive]

That's a service that is absolutely mandatory and essential to us.

We can't imagine going back to the old days when we schlepped our wet gear to and fro....

Different strokes.....

I want my gear for shore diving and there are lockers and rinsing facilities on the dock where I stay so it's convenient. My schlepping amounts to a mesh bag holding camera gear, dry bag, dry box and a little bit of neoprene which I can rinse on the dock or in my room easily.

If I were staying somewhere that didn't have the same facilities, I'd have the shop take everything but the neoprene (and cameras, etc). The type of neoprene I wear only needs fresh water rinsing, it's minimal, and it acts as great padding for the other gear. They'd take my stuff, it's just that I often need my stuff and it's so easy to keep it that I don't want or need to have them take it.