Rinsing regulators

[pilot fish]

Oh, would a diluted rubbing alcohol solution work too?

 

[The Kraken]

Probably, but I figure if I can put it in my mouth and it won't do any harm, then I can put it in my wing bladder.

I'd prefer not to put rubbing alcohol in my mouth. . . . .

Plus, the mouthwash would leave you with that fresh, minty feeling !!!!

 

[utnapistim]

DO y'ALL SPIT INTO YOUR MASK?

Damn!

And here I thought you were supposed to pee in your maks and spit in your wetsuit!

I guess I'll have to ask m y instructor again ...

 

[Derek S]

Well, here's the answer. Forget the bottle of water, just pee on your reg to rinse it off.

 

[pilot fish]

Probably, but I figure if I can put it in my mouth and it won't do any harm, then I can put it in my wing bladder.

I'd prefer not to put rubbing alcohol in my mouth. . . . .

Plus, the mouthwash would leave you with that fresh, minty feeling !!!!

Brought my reg in for yearly maintenance yesterday,[ forgot my air2 reg in inflator hose so I have to bring that in this week] I asked around the shop if they rinsed their regs in the rinse tanks after diving. The uniform response I got was, do you know what goes into those thank? Would you wash your reg in a communal toilet? groannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Why wasn't I told this before, I asked? Common sense, one instructor said. If you had taken my course you would have been told, quipped another. I looked at my PADI OW book and found no reference to that.

As I was leaving the shop one instructor said - rememebr, if it goes in your mouth, don't rinse it in the toilet. No wonder I'm coming home with colds all the time. Could have been worse.

 

[JustinW]

This thread sure got stretched. I avoid using the "rinse tank" to rinse my gear. I'm not all that worried about bacteria, after everything dries its hard for bad bacteria to live long on a silicone mouthpiece. What most concerns me is the salty water in the rinse tanks. In Mexico last year I rinsed all of my gear out in the rinse tank, then let it dry on the balcony, when i got home and was messing with the gear, i put my mouth on the reg and it was salty. So I know that salty water sat and dried in my first stage. This sort of treatment repeated over and over is sure to reduce the life of your gear, cause premature failures (heaven forbid underwater), and just all around cost you more money. I will never again rinse my gear in a rinse tank provided I have access to water that is cleaner.....err more free of salt and other corrosive elements.

 

[pilot fish]

This thread sure got stretched. I avoid using the "rinse tank" to rinse my gear. I'm not all that worried about bacteria, after everything dries its hard for bad bacteria to live long on a silicone mouthpiece. What most concerns me is the salty water in the rinse tanks. In Mexico last year I rinsed all of my gear out in the rinse tank, then let it dry on the balcony, when i got home and was messing with the gear, i put my mouth on the reg and it was salty. So I know that salty water sat and dried in my first stage. This sort of treatment repeated over and over is sure to reduce the life of your gear, cause premature failures (heaven forbid underwater), and just all around cost you more money. I will never again rinse my gear in a rinse tank provided I have access to water that is cleaner.....err more free of salt and other corrosive elements.

I now think that it is a waste of time to rinse your gear after 2nd dive of the day, if you are doing a 3rd dive.

So, what you are saying, hump your gear back to hotel room each day, all of it?, to rinse in the shower? That's more trouble than it's worth. I can see a thorough rinsing at the end of the dive week but hauling all your gear back to the room seems like unnecessary labor. Reg to the room? Sure, each day too, but not all of your gear.

 

[scubapro50]

I now think that it is a waste of time to rinse your gear after 2nd dive of the day, if you are doing a 3rd dive.

So, what you are saying, hump your gear back to hotel room each day, all of it?, to rinse in the shower? That's more trouble than it's worth. I can see a thorough rinsing at the end of the dive week but hauling all your gear back to the room seems like unnecessary labor. Reg to the room? Sure, each day too, but not all of your gear.

After 3 or 4 days of not rinseing your gear it may start to smell rather ripe ...... better to use he freshwater hose either on the boat or at the dock before storeing the gear in a locker if provided. The only problem with that is the wetsuits, gloves, BC, ect., type of gear doesn't get a chance to air dry which is one reason your dive bag may start to smell. Besides don't you just love to see wetsuits hanging off your baconey back at the hotel ? Anyway I would still take my regulator back to the room for a good cleaning each night no mater what.

 

[pilot fish]

After 3 or 4 days of not rinseing your gear it may start to smell rather ripe ...... better to use he freshwater hose either on the boat or at the dock before storeing the gear in a locker if provided. The only problem with that is the wetsuits, gloves, BC, ect., type of gear doesn't get a chance to air dry which is one reason your dive bag may start to smell. Besides don't you just love to see wetsuits hanging off your baconey back at the hotel ? Anyway I would still take my regulator back to the room for a good cleaning each night no mater what.

I totally agree, reg back to the room each night. I do that anyway, to read my dive info, log and make notes but I always used the nasty rinse tanks to soak my reg. I will contunue to rinse my other gear, bc and wetsuit, in the rinse tanks, hose when I can, but never again will I put my reg in the rinse tank. I can't believe I've been that stupid for that long.

I don't mind seeing wetsuits hanging off the balconey. Gets all the pee smell out

 

[scubapro50]

DO NOT RINSE ATOMIC 2ND STAGES UNLESS UNDER PRESSURE ....... reading the owners book you'll find out that the T1 and T2 are designed so that you must keep them attached to the tank under pressure ...... soaking the 2nd stage without pressure may cause damage to your regulator . Atomic makes some of the best regulators but this design could cause you trouble if you are not aware of it ...... I don't know if the M1 or Z1 have the same design and may have the same problems if soaked or rinsed when not attached to a tank.