BC Storage

[michaelp68]

I recently bought a new BC.

Is there any particularly preferred way to store it?
What do you do with it after a dive and how do you store it?

Just wondering. Thanks.

 

[GotAir]

michael
I was getting ready for a dive tomorrow and i just bought my first new to me but used equipment. and i was checking out my bc and inside one of the pockets it gave cleaning and storing directions. to my surprise they recomended to put fresh water into the bladder thru the inflater hose and use the purge valve to get the water out. wash completely with fresh water and hang dry. hope you find these instructions somewhere on yours ?. Mike

 

[DandyDon]

On ocean dive trips, rinse well in freshwater every day and hang up to dry overnight. Let freshwater into bladder every day and drain. Buy and take a BC hanger from your LDS.

On return, or after freshwater diving:

(1) Soak completely submerged in water with mild soap or shampoo, scrubbing debris from velcro, creases, etc;

(2) Add soapy water to bladder, shake it around well, drain;

(3) Rinse well, inside out - draining bladder well;

(4) Inflate bladder halfway and hang up to dry well in shade, draining any additional from bladder;

(5) Thump a few times upside down to get the last of any water inside to the hose, and drain well.

(6) Hang in closet, partially inflated.

Once a year - when I get my reg serviced, I let my LDS ultrasound it to kill anything growing inside.

This is one of the most important pieces or gear you'll own, and your want it to work well for safety.

don

 

[iflyprops]

I was taught to rinse the bladder out in my ow training, kind of suprised me too! However, every bc I have dove, including my current Zeagle, lets some water in during the dive. Is it ok not to rinse your gear after a spring dive? I never do because I figure the water in the spring has few chemicals in it than what comes out of the tap...is that ok?

-Adam

 

[michaelp68]

Thank you.

 

[DandyDon]

iflyprops once bubbled...
I was taught to rinse the bladder out in my ow training, kind of suprised me too! However, every bc I have dove, including my current Zeagle, lets some water in during the dive. Is it ok not to rinse your gear after a spring dive?

I never do because I figure the water in the spring has few(er) chemicals in it than what comes out of the tap...is that ok?

-Adam

Well, the spring water could be really "clean," but then again it could have any of a variety of minerals in it, and/or traces of urine and amonnia from divers, and/or microscopic organizisms. Perhaps the little bugs could find enough to live on inside the humid bladder, whether aerobic or anaerobic...?

Urban water supplies usually have just enough sterilizing chemicals to disinfect the bladder, espeically with mild soap or shampoo, so I'd play it safe and follow the wash & rinse, inside & out suggestions.

that's my two pesos worth, anyway: don

 

[iflyprops]

oops, never thought of that! Guess I better get rinsing!

Thanks,
Adam