Dive gods: How well do you clean your gear?

[Storker]

left over adrenaline from the dives.

Say what?

 

[TMHeimer]

My routine: Takes about an hour. No bin soaking.
Use hose to rinse everything, even weights, tanks. Every nook & cranny.
BCD--inside & out. First empty as much salt water possible (maybe fresh water too as you don't know how "fresh" it is.
A little baby shampoo inside and much water, empty. Continue to empty remains next couple of days (set it down upside down so water collects.
Keep everything out of sun.

 

[Viajobian]

I have big water bins. Fill it up with fresh water. Put all my gear in it, rinse it, clean inside the bcd with fresh water. Put all the gear to hang outside till they are dry.

I do this after all the dives from that day.

 

[sunnyboy]

First, one gripe about the "it's a tool, I don't care what it looks like" camp. You c an tell a LOT about how good a mechanic is by the condition of his/her tools. I've never seen a great auto/truck/heavy equipment mechanic with crap looking tools, if for no other reason that the cost of that particular addiction. :-D

That said, if you rinse your gear off after the dive and store it where it can dry properly and is out of the sun, it should look good for years. The only gear I have that's showing age is my drysuits now that I dive all the time in salt water. The color is starting to fade on the trim.

It's not so much about looking good, as being suitable for the task and ready to go. I knew a diver or two who didn't bother rinsing gear between dives, and guess what - they are the ones who have to call dives because the <insert gear> failed while gearing up or just in the water.

I still subscribe to the theory that diving should be uneventful, with regard to plan, gear and execution. The only surprise should be finding that octo in a new den.

 

[Ojai Diver]

For me, my wife vacates our tub of four year old son and toys, then everything (except my lead weighted belt) goes into warm water in the tub. Reg second stages get dunked but sit on top to avoid purges being depressed.

Four year old son shows great interest in the gear, which allows Dad to tell grossly inflated tales about his "harrowing" dive.

In time, sadly, everything dries and is put away until next time.

 

[myshadeofred]

After a weekend of diving and a simple rinse, I would then put everything in the bath tub for about day with cold water. If I rinsed my gear and hung outside, I hung it in the shade. The regulator I always do in the in sink and then lay on a towel. Now when I come back from trips, I'm back to the tub for a day minus the regulator.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

First, one gripe about the "it's a tool, I don't care what it looks like" camp. You c an tell a LOT about how good a mechanic is by the condition of his/her tools. I've never seen a great auto/truck/heavy equipment mechanic with crap looking tools, if for no other reason that the cost of that particular addiction. :-D

That said, if you rinse your gear off after the dive and store it where it can dry properly and is out of the sun, it should look good for years. The only gear I have that's showing age is my drysuits now that I dive all the time in salt water. The color is starting to fade on the trim.

It's not so much about looking good, as being suitable for the task and ready to go. I knew a diver or two who didn't bother rinsing gear between dives, and guess what - they are the ones who have to call dives because the <insert gear> failed while gearing up or just in the water.

I still subscribe to the theory that diving should be uneventful, with regard to plan, gear and execution. The only surprise should be finding that octo in a new den.

My gear mostly looks old and crappy ... like its owner. And I already know where to find the octo ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[cneal]

Depends on where I'm diving. I usually rinse after each day and a soak with 'Sink the Stink' when I return home. There are a couple of places where the dive op has soaked, cleaned, dried, and packed the gear at the end of the week. A fee is charged, but booties that don't stink when I get home are well worth it.

 

[RayfromTX]

In the regs maybe. But surely you don't need to clean your fins?

Plus, once they dry, it's highly unlikely any water-stuff will live on.

Fins? No. Wetsuit, spool, booties and other fabric type stuff gets the major organisms and organic (think food source) stuff rinsed off. I give it a fighting chance to not stink and not just because it lives in my guest room.

 

[BoltSnap]

I certainly hope you take good care of the little people around you.

They do it because I am beautiful and they love me.

Please don't hate me for it.