Basic Gear Care for Newbies?

[kidspot]

I don't do squat. Kinda half rinse stuff, throw it in a bag, and wait until the next time. Now, I know some that will say, that's because I own a dive shop... but really, I did it that way before I owned a shop. I just don't think preventative maintenance is that critical. I don't take of my BC, and it still looks good after 4 years... maybe not new looking... but still good. But let's assume that after 4 years of diving every day the stuff just self destructed and needed to be thrown away - not savable. If we look at the instructor that cleans for 20 minutes a day, every day, but let's assume some days he doesn't dive... 20 minutes x 300 days a year that's 6000 minutes, or 100 hours a year... time 4 years - 400 hours. Assuming you make about $15 an hour, that means you are spending $6,000 in labor time to maintain equipment you could replace for about $1,000 or 2. The way I look at that... Not worth while.

Now if you enjoy cleaning your stuff... like touching it, looking at it... if it's fun for you... go for it. But Me, I just rinse and stuff.

Now keep in mind also... I'm not a very organized person. There is stuff on the floor boards of my car, things all over my desk... so really, all the math above is just a way to help rationalize the fact that I'm lazy. But if you are too... feel free to use my numbers for justifying it!

LOL :lol: I like your justification

 

[jonnythan]

When I dive in salt water, I lay everything out, hose it down real well, then toss it all into my Scubatoys mesh bag and set it down on the landing inside.

When I dive in fresh water, my maintenance cycle consists of moving my gear, conveniently stuffed into one mesh bag and one drysuit bag, onto the landing. Most of the time I will take the drysuit out of its waterproof bag and lay it across the other stuff.

 

[VaDiver]

In my third year of diving, I'm just as compulsive (okay, maybe anal) today about cleaning my gear after every dive as I was when I when I started. Even if I have done a freshwater dive in the local quarry, I still follow my salt-water cleaning procedures.

On a dive trip I soak everything in warm water (with a squirt or two of baby shampoo) in the hotel tub to dissolve any salt crystals, then rinse everything under the shower and figure out a way to let everything more or less drip dry. If there is a balcony railing, so much the better. It has always amazed me that hotels catering to the dive trade haven't figured out a way to better equip their rooms so divers can clean their gear without dripping water on their cheap carpeting.

At home, I have installed a wooden rod that hangs over the center of our downstairs tub from one end to the other so that wet gear will drip directly into the tub. I hang all of my cleaned gear - BC, wetsuit, booties, gloves, weight pouches, etc on the rod and turn an oscillating fan on to speed the drying. The fan runs for at least 24 hours and I leave everything hanging there until I get around to putting it all away, or until my next dive trip, whichever comes first.

This works for me but you have to work with whatever you can to extend the life of your stuff.

Good luck, and enjoy your diving!!!

 

[Jarrett]

Despite my big talk, I ended up hanging everything up tonight after I first real dive with the new gear. I spent a bunch on it yesterday, I couldn't just crumple it up and leave it in the bag... at least not for a couple more dives yet

 

[johntt1986]

wow thats intense..i never thought of that before haha

 

[seabat]

anything that has batteries in it should be opened and inspected after you have rinsed and dried it. For some reason lights seemed to get overlooked by me until I get to the dive site, flip the switch for a check and discover it don't work. Either the batteries are dead or there is a mini toxic waste dump inside because it leaked. (See o-ring comment above).

 

[Trisha]

I do the Sterilite box thing (66 quart size) for four divers. The boxes are used to transport the gear to dive sites and make a handy rinse station. We've done this at home, at the campground, and at the beach. As long as we have fresh water, it works.

1st Sterilite box -- Add water, make sure the dust caps are on the regs, add the regs and computers and soak. Do not press the purge valves on the second stages, since this lets water in the hoses and can ruin the first stage.
Add the dive camera and soak. Do not add the masks with the camera, defog is bad for the lens.
Either coil the regs and let them dry in another box, or hang them on the BC hangers. Check the hose protectors for problems near the first stage.
Set the camera aside to dry.
If nothing else gets rinsed, this is the "must do" part.

2nd Sterlite box -- Add water, do a quick rinse of plastics (fins, masks, snorkels, lights, etc.) Set aside to dry.
Add neoprene (boots, beanies, gloves, BC pockets.) Let soak a few minutes, then lay out on box lids to dry. Do not store while damp.
Add a BC (see the following.)

3rd Sterilite box -- Add water and a BC, add water to inflate hose and blow air inside. Soak and slosh to rinse bladder. After a good soaking, hold upside-down and drain water. Fasten the Velcro cumberbund, slide the BC hanger through, and hang upside down, draining more water from time to time. (This is a good time to reattach the BC pockets.)
When completely dry, store right side up with some air in the bladder.

4th Sterilite box -- Same as 3rd box. Continue until all four BCs are rinsed.

After the other gear is clean I add the wetsuits. These can soak as long as they like.
We recently got a $20 garment rack from Wal-Mart. What a relief to have something sturdy to hang the wetsuits on! We can even put a couple of empty Sterilite boxes under them to drip-dry indoors.

So that's what we do, plus taking turns in the shower. It's about 30 minutes, means fewer puddles in the bathroom, and can be done onsite. If nothing else, we get the regs, computers and camera into water for the drive back, then take care of the rest.

Professional follow-up means getting the regulators serviced annually. Also, tanks should be visually inspected every year and hydroed every five years. Keep your stored gear dry and out of extremes of temperature (we converted a closet.)

The worst offenders? Salt water (once it dries the crystals are corroding and abrasive) and chlorine. The dive boat story is that as long as the gear stays wet, the salt doesn't have a chance to damage your equipment. Of course, a little fresh water poured over the first stage and a quick bucket soak of the inflate valve and second stages couldn't hurt.

 

[spectrum]

Despite my big talk, I ended up hanging everything up tonight after I first real dive with the new gear. I spent a bunch on it yesterday, I couldn't just crumple it up and leave it in the bag... at least not for a couple more dives yet

You done good.

If you don't let it dry out between dives and they are nice clean exits and breakdowns you can cut a lot of corners.

Tonight (Friday) my wife and I are doing a Fresh water night dive, followed by a Saturday am Quarry dive followed by a Saturday PM ocean dive. We may rinse Neoprent Saturday night but the rest will just carry forward to after dive 3

 

[Scuby Dooby]

A quick dunk and rinse for most things (fins, mask, wetsuit, boots, computer) but my BC and regs get a bit more attention at the end of a dive trip / weekend. With the BC I don't worry much about the outside but I try to give the inside and the power inflator a good rinse by filling 1/2 way with fresh water and giving it a good shake for a minute or 2, I then hang it upside down by it's D rings on the waist and drain the water through the inflator, once it's empty i blow into it until it's full and leave it to dry. The regs get a good rinsing under a faucet, through the 2nd stages and also pulling back the hose protectors (oh, and thoroughly blowing dry the dust cap before putting it on). Total time for all of this is about 10 minutes, then its just a matter of waiting for everything to dry before packing it back into a travel bag, ready for the next dive trip.

 

[scubapro50]

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