cleaning your gear and drying it

[mkskeet50]

hello, im new to diving and i have all my gear. i clean my gear with fresh water and let them dry out of sunlight but it seems like it takes hours for my bcd and wetsuit to dry and it takes a day or two to get the residual water out of the bladder on my bcd

 

[tk trekers]

Hanging to dry is probably the most common method and it will take a little time. I've heard about using a Sham-Wow in a wetsuit to roll it up and help dry it faster (especially when traveling) but I've never done it myself. I put a little bit of air in my BCD, let it sit and then use the lower dump valve to empty it out, a little water usually blows out with the air when you first pull it. I store mine with a little bit of air in it.

 

[Lee Taylor]

A slow drying BC and wetsuit is normal. The enemies are clorine, sand, and salt. It seems BC bladders want to retain a bit of water regardless of ones efforts. Even with excellent maintenance, salt crystals will likely slowly accumulate inside the bladder. They will need to be removed.

 

[spectrum]

mkskeet50

It all sounds like you have it right.


Pete

 

[Orlando Eric]

I have three ways I do it. The worst and laziest way is when I am too tired and I leave it in the back of my truck until the next day then I leave it in the bag for another day then I finally rinse it.

The next to the laziest way is to rinse it with a hose then hang it in the 2nd unused bathroom until I dive it again.

The better way is:

I soak all my gear (except regs and puter) for hours in the tub or a new trash can with a capful or so of pine sol. I soak the 1st stages, gauges and puter in fresh water. If I have nelgected them I add some vinegar to the water.

The BC. I seem to be the only one I know who does this. I unscrew the rear dump and use the hose to add fresh water. I blow it up and swish. I purge water through the auto and manual inflator. I do this at least twice.

I add some nice citrus walmart mouthwash and swish again. Another fresh water purge and swish.

Then after I have emptied all the water I can from it I leave the rear dump unscrewed so air can circulate in and out of it. My BC is always nice and fresh like Scope. I know of others who leave thiers slightly inflated.

 

[SloopCamotop]

You soak the 1st stages in water? I am new to the sport but thought that those needed to stay out of submersion when not hooked to a tank?

I do a lot of dives in swimming pools to do repairs for work - what does the chlorine do to regs? Any basic cleaning maintenance I can do to the 2nd stages?

 

[mkskeet50]

thanks lee taylor spectrum and orlando eric. those all helped

 

[amajamar]

You soak the 1st stages in water? I am new to the sport but thought that those needed to stay out of submersion when not hooked to a tank?

I do a lot of dives in swimming pools to do repairs for work - what does the chlorine do to regs? Any basic cleaning maintenance I can do to the 2nd stages?

It's fine if you have the first stage capped and you don't press the purge buttons.

 

[Hatul]

Hanging to dry is probably the most common method and it will take a little time. I've heard about using a Sham-Wow in a wetsuit to roll it up and help dry it faster (especially when traveling) but I've never done it myself. I put a little bit of air in my BCD, let it sit and then use the lower dump valve to empty it out, a little water usually blows out with the air when you first pull it. I store mine with a little bit of air in it.

It's not a good idea to expose your wetsuit and rubber parts to the sun. The UV destroys rubber and neoprene.

As far as drying the inside of a BC, it's just not practical to do that.

Adam

 

[pickens_46929]

The better way is:

I soak all my gear (except regs and puter) for hours in the tub or a new trash can with a capful or so of pine sol. I soak the 1st stages, gauges and puter in fresh water.

The BC. I seem to be the only one I know who does this. I unscrew the rear dump and use the hose to add fresh water. I blow it up and swish. I purge water through the auto and manual inflator. I do this at least twice.

I'm pretty retentive when it comes to this stuff. If I am diving the next day, it's a quick rinse but at the end of the trip, it's rinse-rinse-rinse-rinse.

I too soak my gear for a while. Regulators and computer and camera in the sink. Wetsuits, BC fins, boots mask, etc in the tub. Let it soak while I shower and eat dinner that last night.

BC gets rinsed rinsed rinsed inside like Eric says. If you can't drink the water that comes out of it after you've swished it around... rinse it some more. Inflate it, drain it, inflate it drain it, inflate it and let it sit up right with the elbow down at the bottom... final drain the next morning.

I hang stuff up to drip dry over night usually and avoid the sun. In a pinch I will use the power of the sun and breeze.

I've been known on occasion to wash and tumble dry on low the wetsuits and booties if it's a particularly long journey back home. Usually hanging up and drip drying works fine. Sometimes help the wetsuit out by rolling it up in a dry towel and gently wringing some of the water out.

Boots / booties get the newspaper treatment... over and over again. On the way home, I swipe a couple of the small bars of soap, open 'em up and wrap in newspaper and stick them in the boots.