How do you clean your equipment?

[DevilTron]

Hi!

I ordered my gear few weeks ago and haven't got it yet.
My equipement is:

- BC
- Regulator, computer and octopus (with 1st stage)
- Drysuit
- Dry hood and gloves
- Wet boots
- Bottle
- Weights

Question 1- I want to know how to store all this gear for drying and for storage. Should i buy hanging supports/bags?

Question 2- With which product and how do I wash the gear? (drysuit, gloves, hood, BC, 1st and secong stage, boots, weights, ?bottle?)

Thanks in advance!
P.S. Be CLEAR in your explanations since my English isn't the best (im French Canadian)

 

[Green_Manelishi]

store? huh, my gear merely gets removed from the drying rack
and placed in the gear bag for the next dive which occurs
every weekend (weather permitting)

my "drying rack" consists of a squat rack with many heavy-
duty plastic clothes hangers on the olympic bar.

absent a 'cleaning agent' (wet suit shampoo or whatever that breaks down salts) the BEST thing for the gear is:

1) rinse with warm water

2) long soak in warm water (might want to 'swish' stuff
around a bit, open/close bolt-snaps, activate light
switches, etc)

3) drain water away from gear

4) rinse again with warm water

5) drip dry out of the sun etc

 

[turnerjd]

Originally posted by DevilTron
Question 1- I want to know how to store all this gear for drying and for storage. Should i buy hanging supports/bags?

Question 2- With which product and how do I wash the gear? (drysuit, gloves, hood, BC, 1st and secong stage, boots, weights, ?bottle?)

P.S. Be CLEAR in your explanations since my English isn't the best (im French Canadian)

OK, in french......

Question 1

C'est pas important! garde sec apres une petite rinçage de l'eau.

Question 2

rincer tout! (le 1er etage avec prudence!)

(bouteille = tank)

(Appologies if my french isn't upto much, I've only lived here for two months!)

Jon T

 

[DevilTron]

Hehe you weren't forced to say that in French you know
Just keep the English crisp and clear

(Question 1 related)
What kind of hanging should I buy? (to keep the gear dry)
I bring all the gear to dive sites in boxes? or in bags?
(Right now, I have 2 plastic boxes (Rubbermaid style))

(Question 2 related)
So how do you wash the first stage?

Originally posted by turnerjd


OK, in french......

Question 1

C'est pas important! garde sec apres une petite rinçage de l'eau.

Question 2

rincer tout! (le 1er etage avec prudence!)

(bouteille = tank)

(Appologies if my french isn't upto much, I've only lived here for two months!)

Jon T

 

[turnerjd]

Originally posted by DevilTron
Hehe you weren't forced to say that in French you know
Just keep the English crisp and clear

(Question 1 related)
What kind of hanging should I buy? (to keep the gear dry)
I bring all the gear to dive sites in boxes? or in bags?
(Right now, I have 2 plastic boxes (Rubbermaid style))

(Question 2 related)
So how do you wash the first stage?

I am having french lessons through work, and trying to use the language!

It doesn't really matter how you store it, Neoprene drysuits are best hung up on a strong hanger. Crushed neoprene, or membrane suits can be folded gently and stored in your plastic box. - everything else can go in the box no problem!

1st stage - Dust cap ON, then a QUICK (10 seconds) rinse in fresh water - under a tap is good. ( you can get the second stage as wet as you like)

Thats all there is to it!

a bientot, - I have a french keyboard without an o and an ^ at the same time!

Jon T

 

[DevilTron]

Hehe you mean you can't do this: Ô ô Ô ô

So there isn't a danger of having water entering the little hole in the first stage?
Rinse means putting all 1st stage in water or...?

Originally posted by turnerjd


I am having french lessons through work, and trying to use the language!

It doesn't really matter how you store it, Neoprene drysuits are best hung up on a strong hanger. Crushed neoprene, or membrane suits can be folded gently and stored in your plastic box. - everything else can go in the box no problem!

1st stage - Dust cap ON, then a QUICK (10 seconds) rinse in fresh water - under a tap is good. ( you can get the second stage as wet as you like)

Thats all there is to it!

a bientot, - I have a french keyboard without an o and an ^ at the same time!

Jon T

 

[scubabunny]

Sorry, I don't know french...except for a few phrases that I will NOT say in public!

One of the best tips I ever got is to add some vinegar in your fresh water when you are rinsing. It gets rid of any little corrosion problems caused by salt build up (even gets rid of the green ickies!) and it is the BEST if you are going to be storing your gear for any length of time.

And, the little holes you are talking about in your first stage...I think you have a piston 1st stage...where the water actually flows through it. Its fine to get water in there (cleans out the salt and slug), but if you have any port plugs missing...then thats a different story. If it looks like something is meant to be screwed into the hole..go to your nearest dive shop and have them look at it before you put it in anything. If they are just little tiny flat holes, then water is supposed to go in there.

When you are storing your BC for a long dry period, inflate it about half way...keeps the insides of the bladder seperated, to prevent mildew and other nasty things.

 

[turnerjd]

Originally posted by DevilTron
Hehe you mean you can't do this: Ô ô Ô ô

So there isn't a danger of having water entering the little hole in the first stage?
Rinse means putting all 1st stage in water or...?

DevilTron,

Which little hole? the air-in hole?

Almost all A-clamp reglators come with a little plastic cap / ball that goes into the A-clamp covering the air-in hole. Use this to cover it, and then wash quickly.

If You have a DIN regulator, you can get little plastic SCREW ON caps (not the little plastic push on ones the manufacturers give you with the reg) in this case screw one of these on before you wash it.

There shouldn't be any other holes in the 1st stage! (unless you have a sherwood!)

Jon T

 

[DevilTron]

I have a Aqualung Titan 1st stage and an Aqualung Glacia 2nd stage. (check the link for 1st stage http://www.aqualung.com/catalog/prodpage/regulate/titan1.htm#tcoldfirst)

By the little hole, i mean the one where little bit of air escapes to check the ambiant pressure and give the good ammount of pressure... you know what I mean? (I dont mean the hole covered by the cone cap in rubber)

Originally posted by turnerjd

Originally posted by DevilTron
Hehe you mean you can't do this: Ô ô Ô ô

So there isn't a danger of having water entering the little hole in the first stage?
Rinse means putting all 1st stage in water or...?

DevilTron,

Which little hole? the air-in hole?

Jon T

 

[turnerjd]

I think that you can safely wash this. If you are worried, just put the reg back on a tank, and open the tank valve.

I think that the Titan doesn't have the same bleed system as the sherwoods, and that there is a diaphragm inside the first stage to keep the water away from the working bits. This hole is, as far as I know, just for the water to get in to the diaphragm.

Jon T