How do you clean your equipment?

[catgirldiver]

I am a fairly new diver, so please excuse my ignorance. Please explain in detail what you mean about pressurized regulators and cleaning the inside of the BC? I know this may be common sense, but I want to make sure I am on the same page as you.

Thanks for your help,
catgirldiver

 

[Uncle Pug]

catgirldiver once bubbled...
Please explain in detail what you mean about pressurized regulators and cleaning the inside of the BC?

I leave the whole rig assembled... tank, BC (wing and backplate in my case), regulator(s) and I make sure that the tank valve is turned on... this way water cannot enter the regulators and potentially cause damage. With the rig assembled and the tank valve on you just throw the whole thing into a tank or barrel of fresh water.

As for rinsing out the inside of your BC you simple fill it with fresh water from a hose at the mouth piece with the dump button pressed... swish it around and dump it out.

 

[wheezy]

Fill up the ol' bathtub with WARM (not hot) water with a bit of 500psi wash and throw all the gear in.

Suit / BC / Regs still attached to tank /

Let soak for a few minutes.

Let drain... turn the shower on with fresh warm water for a few minutes...

Last step is to rinse out the internal bladder on my wing with warm fresh water... hang it all out to dry..

My gear always looks and works like its brand new

 

[runvus4]

I also toss in some of that enzyme odor eaters into the soak water to prevent any nasty funk.

 

[jbd]

as most of the other respondents although I use Woolite instead of sink the stink and other such LDS products. I turn the wetsuit inside out as well to dry thoroughly.

 

[RICHinNC]

Cat....dont worry about asking any question you are not sure of the answer. Some here will take it as a chance to jump you ...but most remember they were new at one time and will be more than willing to give you "an" answer. There is usually more than one way to skin a cat......which always made my cat nervous!!

Uncle Pug is right on. Take your inflator hose and hold the button down ( the one that lets air out) and run water into the hose...therefore into the bladder. Hold the hose up so gravity can do its thing!!! Swish the water around in the bladder then hold the bc upside down....hose down....(its that gravity thing again)....then press the button like you were letting air out...only this time the water will come out. Do this swish and drain thing several times to get as much water out as possible. The 1/2 inflate the bd and let hang to dry.

Good luck..

 

[RICHinNC]

BTW....what kind of diving is there in your area??? I will be working in GA for 5 weeks this summer (augusta) and wouldnt mind getting in a dive or two.

 

[annie]

catgirldiver


You probably already know this but just in case (you said you were a new diver). When soaking regs not attached to a tank,

- make sure the dustcap is in place on your first stage to avoid water getting in there
- never press the purge on the second stage as water will go up the hose into the first stage.

With torches, I always soak them too and work the on/off switch a few times in case you develop a salt crystal build up there. Same with my uw camera - I press the buttons while it's soaking in warm water.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

annie once bubbled...
With torches, I always soak them too and work the on/off switch a few times in case you develop a salt crystal build up there. Same with my uw camera - I press the buttons while it's soaking in warm water.

Annie doesn't dive with flaming oil soaked rags tied to a stick (I hope ), the term "torch" is another word for dive light.
Ber

 

[Jarhead]

Throw all your gear in the back of the truck and run it through the "drive-thru" car wash.

Jarhead