Cleaning equipment used in saltwater

[GSDMan]

I don't know if this is a goofy idea, or not, but it just occured to me that Volvo Penta has what they call a Nutri-Salt system for use in their marine engines intended for salt water use. Basically, it's supposed to dissolve and flush away salt deposits in the engine. Has anyone looked into using their chemicals for rinsing their gear?

Jim

 

[diver 85]

Dive enough that your gear never gets dry? I finished my 140th dive this year yesterday, woohoo!

you are exactly correct...when our son worked as an instructor/UW videographer for 3.5 years on Roatan, he never rinsed his stuff---never had any problems with doing that either....When you make 3 to 4 dives per day/365(made over 1000 per year), nothing ever dries out....Now saying that, they went thru wetsuits like crazy.......

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

I try to work my offshore dives with spring dives. I take a shower with my gear when I get to the hotel and hang it all out to dry. Then hit the springs the 2nd day of diving and that usually gets all the salt out of everything! I soak all my gear when I get home, except regs, in a tub with a little febreeze and woollite. The regs I soak in freshwater separately. So far things have held up and smelled great! I do try to put my booties out in the sun to dry, otherwise they tend to really get a stink going if I don't!

Happy diving!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[paradicio]

Depending on what time I get back from a dive I will either just hose off thoroughly and hang dry our bc, boots, gloves, wetsuits, and fins. Regs, mask, and other small items get soaked in the sink overnight, have the water drained and then soaked some more before being put out to dry. If I get home late then I will fill my Divebox with freshwater and let everything soak over night and rinse in the morning. Camera gear is another story. We bring some bottles filled with water to give camera gear a preliminary rinse at the dive site, then a more thorough rinse, dry with a microfiber towel, and lube for the O rings when we get home.

It's kind of fascinating (and educational) to read everyone elses gear rinsing routine.

 

[Charlie99]

My secret is to never let saltwater dry out before rinsing gear in freshwater.

A simple freshwater rinse does a good job of removing salt-WATER, but once salt crystals have formed, it takes a long soak to get them dissolved.

I've also heard that a touch of vinegar helps dissolve salt crystals, but haven't had to use it because so far a freshwater soak of a couple hours has gotten rid of salt crystals and the white film the few times I let the gear dry before rinsing.

 

[bisugo767]

After a saltwater dive, I soak everything in our tub in fresh water mixed in with a little shampoo. I soak them for a few minutes and swish them around before I take them out to dry. Works quite well with soft tap water. If the water is hard where you live, you may want to use some of the cleaners that some of the board members mentioned to help minimize or eliminate the build up of calcium deposits in your gear.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I wash everything in warm, fresh water in the bathtub then hang dry. I use the faucet to flush out the regulator and other valves. I'll use some gentle non-detergent and unscented hand soap to clean the drysuit wrist/neck seals to remove body oils.

 

[Air On]

My LDS sells 2 types of enzime cleaner thats supposed to be good for salt or organic materials too. Don't forget the other things besides salt that gets into your wet suits eventually.

I rinse my gear as soon as possible after the dive, be it salt or fresh. Then once to the hotel or home I fill the tub and add a cap full of the enzime cleaner. I'll toss in my wet suit, shorts, dive skin then drop in my BC then fins and weights to get everything under the water to soak.

I'll manually rinse and clean my regs and power inflator air source, mask... If I'm on a trip I'll soak them like that untill I get back from dinner etc. Then I'll rinse and hang them to get as dry as possible before the next day. The Henderson wet suit wool lining dries pretty quickly.

Once I get home everything gets a good 24hr soaking and rinse then hang dry in the bath tub without direct sun light.

I had a couple 50-cent brass gate clips that had crappy springs that reacted to the salt but all my other gear looks like new. I also rinse the air bladder with a little of the ensime solution. It supposedly has some platstic/neoprene conditioners in it that hels too?

Hey I'll use deluted baby shampoo as defog but I'm not going to half ass el cheepo out on cleaning and maintaining my equiment.

 

[lazyturtle]

Salt X and nutrisalt and the like (salt removers) are expensive and unnecessary. Even the simple green, while it will make everything smell nice, is not necessary (unless the water you're diving in is oily). You're gear just has a litte salt on it which will dissolve readily in freshwater. So a bucket of warm water works just fine, soak it for a while then let it all dry out. If you have the ability leave a bucket in the sun near where you're boat docks/car is parked and it'll be just ready when you return.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Wetsuit and anything neoprene gets a touch of simple green in an old washtub in the garage (even after a few freshwater dives) Regs/computers and lights get freshwater nothing added. Just soak for a few beers (for me not the gear) then rinse andd hang in garage to dry.