Gear maintenance question

[DeputyDan]

I own three full sets (kits) of gear.
A kit for me and a kit for each daughter. Both daughters have over 150 dives.

One daughter and I continue to dive on a regular basis, but the third has basically moved on from diving.
I have the two kits that see dive time maintained on a regular basis.

I intend to keep all three kits.

So my question is how should I keep the third set maintained and in good working order?
I have nieces and nephews coming along in a few years.

 

[tbone1004]

use them in rotation if they're the same. The BC doesn't need much, just keep it out of the garage and away from sunlight. Regs I'd just use in rotation

 

[fjpatrum]

If it's in good working order now, store it in a place that doesn't get a lot of sunlight and has relatively constant temp/humidity. Other than that there's nothing that needs to be done.

 

[Bonuss]

I have the same situation (3 boyd, now 2 "grown up"), total of 4 kits. 1 boy took his kit and is in charge of it. Only two of us diving currently. I am not having the "spare" kit service, but store and care for it with others. Hope one day I will need for other adault son or family and will just get serviced then.

Bob in CO

 

[snowdog61]

I'd use them in rotation unless you absolutely can't afford the 2 yr regulator service costs - which, you will have to pay anyways when it comes time to put them back in use. I have 2 full reg sets including computers that are exact equivalents that I use this way. It's always nice to have a backup that is on-hand and good to go

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Echoing what has been said above, use the equipment in rotation and service as you would with everything else.

 

[TMHeimer]

Need explanation... Why use them in rotation instead of properly storing one kit? That's a lot of service costs for the 3rd kit--year after year. How much can go wrong with a properly stored regulator (or BC, etc.)? I would guess a reg. stored for 10 years would not incur any more service cost to get it up and running than a normal regular cost. No sand or crud to enter it while stored, maybe some o ring replacements?....may cost less after 10 years of non-use?

 

[tbone1004]

it would have to go thru service, but it depends on why you choose to service the gear. I service when it fails, i.e. IP starts creeping, or something starts leaking *though if IP is stable and it's just an O-ring, I'll replace the o-ring and keep going until the HP seat fails. If you rotate everything out then you get extend duration of service for all of the regulators.

 

[glassbottom]

use them in rotation if they're the same. The BC doesn't need much, just keep it out of the garage and away from sunlight. Regs I'd just use in rotation

Curious what is wrong with keeping your gear in the garage?

My garage is insulated just like the rest of my house. Sure it gets hotter in the summer and cooler in the winter but the temperature changes are relatively gradual over time and don't have huge fluctuations. I keep it on a hangar next to my wetsuits. Haven't really had a problem quite yet.


My wife wont let me keep the gear in this house (though our next one I likely will). But im curious what is harsh about keeping it in a garage so long as its not bunched up in a corner collecting cob webs.

 

[tbone1004]

ozone if you have a beer fridge and fumes from the exhaust break down o-rings, diaphragms, neoprene etc very quickly