Best way to store my gear?

[jsado]

I really don't plan on doing much diving between November and March. How should I store my gear? I recently stopped folding my wetsuit, now I hang it. Should my BC have all the weights removed from it and be filled halfway? Should my mask get anything special? What about my regs? Tank?

Thanks for the help here. I want my gear to last as long as possible!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Remove the weights and keep some air in the BC. Store them all inside in a dry place. Keep atleast some gas in the tank.

 

[Tim Greaves]

I really don't plan on doing much diving between November and March. How should I store my gear? I recently stopped folding my wetsuit, now I hang it. Should my BC have all the weights removed from it and be filled halfway? Should my mask get anything special? What about my regs? Tank?

Thanks for the help here. I want my gear to last as long as possible!

After cleaning and letting it dry throughly I would store it in sealed plastic tubs.. This is the way that I store all of my dive gear and it works great.. Also its easy to load up when you do want to go diving and you never forget anything..

 

[Homunculus]

definitely keep air in your tanks (under pressure, i mean). don't bend neoprene products (wetsuit). i've been using very small amounts of silicone grease for rubber hoses and fins but my LDS told me that was not necessary. keep everything away from the direct sunlight.

 

[JRScuba]

Do Not store you gear in a hot or cold environment!!!!!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Gear storage is not a problem other than I have too much. ALso I dive year around so that takes care of one issue. But in general store tanks with a minimum or 100 -300 psi, BC hanging and partially inflated, regs can be hung also there are hangers made for them. Fins I lay flat and mask gets in it's case or box opened and out of direct sun.

 

[Ted S]

Since soft weights never seem to come clean I tend to store them separately in the garage. Everything else gets a good cleaning and a day or two to dry. For the wetsuit, mask and booties this means a little shampoo to get the smell out as well. The regs go into the reg back and stay in the house where the temperature doesn't get too high, everything else is neatly folded and put into the dive bag. Mask and lights go in a plastic tub on the side just to keep them from getting bumped around.

One thing I've forgotten to do in the past but recommend... wash out your storage bag/ bin if it's been used to hold the gear previously. All that cleaning doesn't do much good when the gear is sitting in old water!

 

[muddiver]

I use a large tupperware plastic storage bin with wheels to store my stuff. Keeps the spiders out. Never had a problem with folding my wet suits and they make good packing material around the masks, regulators, lights, etc.

I store weights seporatly just because they are heavy.

Just don't leave any of it outside, and make sure it is all dry before you pack it away, unless you like the smell of mold.

 

[jsado]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Hank49]

Do Not store you gear in a hot or cold environment!!!!!

Funny you mention that. I've been told that the rubber bands for spear guns last much longer if you store them in a freezer. If this is true, would it be ok for fins and masks? and the rubber bladder inside the bcd....o rings for regs?