Is pool water bad for rubber and plastic dive gear?

[eth727]

I just bought a brand new scubapro bcd,mask and jet fins. Is the chlorinated pool water bad for all my rubber and plastic dive gear?

 

[Abaco24]

Yes, rinse with a hose.

 

[TMHeimer]

I've heard it's at least as bad as salt water. So all you can do is rinse. Others may have more data.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

No not at all. There is such distortion on this topic it is almost amusing.

We are a very active teaching facility, with classes often five nights a week in chlorinated or brominated pools. The majority of our class BCD's are approaching five years old, and they are as black and flexible as the day we put them into service. And, we never rinse them - never! Use them in class, hang them up in one of our trailers wet, and use them again tomorrow.

The same with our reg's - still like new, hoses hold up fine, not an issue. And, other than servicing them every six months or so, they never get rinsed off.

Our instructors use their own gear in the pools, as do I, and again, there is no damage.

There are some nylons, such as found on the outer layers of wetsuits, or the random piece of webbing on a BCD, that will lose it's color after time in chlorinated water, but that is only the dye leaving the material, and not degradation.

Hope that helped!

 

[Mopar]

I always rinse all my gear after every dive no matter if it is fresh water, saltwater, or pool water.

 

[Web Monkey]

I just bought a brand new scubapro bcd,mask and jet fins. Is the chlorinated pool water bad for all my rubber and plastic dive gear?

Pool water will eat your BCD. So will Salt water and Fresh water.

About the best you can do is rinse it off (and out) to make sure all the salt and sand is gone, since the salt leaves crystals that will damage anything they rub against, as will the sand.

Your mask will last pretty much forever as long as you rinse it when you're done and keep it out of the sun (UV will destroy the silicone skirt and eventually the other plastic parts).

Your jet fins will out last you, your kids and your grand-children no matter what you do to them, although the straps will need replacing now and then.

Terry

 

[Abaco24]

I knew a simple answer would take 20 responses here.

I'd just go ahead and soak your gear in chlorinated pool water, then soak it in salt water, go on an ocean dive and then hang it in the hot sun. But this is just what I do, so it may take 300 more replies to give the pro's and con's of my advice.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

My case in point, which leads me to believe we somehow were lucky enough to purchase the most indestructible BCD's in the world, cause after five years, and maybe 800 to 1,000 swims in the chlorinated pools, they are still looking fine and working great.

Go figure

 

[Booyakasha]

My case in point, which leads me to believe we somehow were lucky enough to purchase the most indestructible BCD's in the world, cause after five years, and maybe 800 to 1,000 swims in the chlorinated pools, they are still looking fine and working great.

Go figure

Don't you have any better data than that. 1,000 swims c'mon what do you know.



B.

P.S. Thanks for the great real world info.

 

[vladimir]

Indian Valley's experience notwithstanding, the ScubaPro manual recommends:

Avoid prolonged or repeated exposure to chlorinated water, such as in swimming pools. Wash your BC immediately after any use in chlorinated water. Chlorinated water can oxidize fabrics and materials on your BC, thereby shortening their life, and cause colors (especially neon) to fade. Damage and fading from prolonged exposure to chlorinated water is specifically not covered under warranty.