First Stage: Keeping it Dry?

[Diving Dubai]

I have to admit, I am surprised that because someone chooses to take greater care of their dive gear, it could be an annoyance to someone else

I don't' think that's teh case. I do think there are a lot of old wives tales regarding gear.

If you see how abused rental gear is and how well it lasts you'll realise how resilient it is. But One should look after yoru own investment better than that.

To give you an example: If I'm multi day teaching my gear gets little more than a cursory rinse with a hose. I'll give my reg mouth pieces a good wipe as there's nothing worse than a salty reg in the morning. Likewise on multi week vacations. My gear doesn't' get washed until teh end of a week (if moving location) and before I fly home it again just has a quick rinse.

When I get home or complete my teaching it all goes into one on my two large wash bins at home over night. At least once a month (depending on dive frequency)I'll remove the dump valves and inflator hose off my BCD's, and make sure the BCD is fully immersed and filled I'll do this for my dSMB's too

All my gear gets a wipe over with a soapy cloth to dislodge grime etc.

So two extremes.

My point is that you don't need to keep yoru gear really clean after each and every dive day, but one should clean it to the best of yru ability regularly (especially if you have a dive season) and more importantly inspect it, pay attention to those small but annoying O ring leaks - check hoses have regs serviced etc et.

But that's just my opinion

 

[Storker]

My gear doesn't' get washed until teh end of a week

If my gear will dry up before the next dive, I rinse it fairly thoroughly.

If I'm planning to use it the next day, I just store it wet. The big issue is salt crystals. Same thing if I've been on a night dive and am more in the mood for a decompression beverage than spending half an hour to an hour rinsing the gear: Store it so it won't dry out and rinse it the next day.

 

[Diving Dubai]

If my gear will dry up before the next dive

Not a problem we have here. My gear, hung in the shade will be dry in an hour or so.

Good comment re Salt though.

In the tropics where it's humid I don't find it an issue. Here you can see salt on the outside of BCD's the next morning. Especially in the summer where our water salinity rises significantly inshore

I don't worry about it inside my BCD because it's going to get dissolved again during the next dive. But yes, before I store my gear then I make sure it gets a really good soak and as stated above ensure the BCD sits with water in it (the water here is always warm in the summer)

It's also amazing to some how much salt residue sits on kit after just a soak - especially reg mouth pieces hence they always get a wipe to dislodge stuff that might not come off with just a soak, and are wiped even if I'm diving it the next day.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Question for everyone that has suggested rinsing while attached to tank with air on:
Do you leave your reg connected to tank while departing the dive site and during the ride home or to dive shop with wash basin? Or disconnect it then reconnect it? I don't own tanks so I'd have to bring the rentals home or to the shop just to rinse. What's your process?

If you do not own your own cylinders yet, consider investing in one. Even a small bottle that you get filled now and then to use for soaking and rinsing regs.

And stop using tank air to dry the dust cap. Use a cloth or t-shirt. I've seen regs come across the service bench that have had water blown into them.

Even fresh water has dissolved minerals that can start to corrode the inside of the reg where there are moving parts and tight tolerances.

On top of that the practice is annoying to other divers.

Also when you do that, there is some risk of a pressure related injury by injecting an air bubble under the skin. In the US, OSHA regulations require any compressed air device over 30PSI have a device to allow the air to be redirected should it come in contact with an object such as your skin.

 

[EireDiver606]

I have to admit, I am surprised that because someone chooses to take greater care of their dive gear, it could be an annoyance to someone else, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Don’t get me wrong, I take good care of my gear and treat it well. But there is a line before it gets really possessive and precious.

 

[fisherdvm]

No, not really. At 2 inches the water pressure on the reg is one atmosphere plus 2 inches, or about 1.005 atm. At 24 inches depth the water pressure is about 1.06, or about 6% more, not 1000% more. So, yes, there is more pressure at 24 inches depth than at 2 inches depth, but not enough to make a significant difference.

You are right on the comparation between absolute pressure : atm + ft water/33

You are wrong on the exertion of water pressure on the subject: (atm+ ft water1/33) - (atm+ftwater2/33) - as the difference is still ftwater1-ftwater2.... which still is directly proportional to the height of the water column

Which I still stand behind my understanding of fluid mechanic...


The Hollis manual for maintenance of all regulator is: Keep reg pressurized when soaking if possible. If not, soak only in shallow water. Which implies... the shallower the better.

 

[tursiops]

You are right on the comparation between absolute pressure : atm + ft water/33

You are wrong on the exertion of water pressure on the subject: (atm+ ft water1/33) - (atm+ftwater2/33) - as the difference is still ftwater1-ftwater2.... which still is directly proportional to the height of the water column

Which I still stand behind my understanding of fluid mechanic...


The Hollis manual for maintenance of all regulator is: Keep reg pressurized when soaking if possible. If not, soak only in shallow water. Which implies... the shallower the better.

You are correct on the difference pressure. My comment was that the deeper pressure is not "10" times greater than the shallower pressure, because the shallower pressure is not 2 inches of water but rather 2 inches plus 34 feet of (fresh) water.

 

[fisherdvm]

You are correct on the difference pressure. My comment was that the deeper pressure is not "10" times greater than the shallower pressure, because the shallower pressure is not 2 inches of water but rather 2 inches plus 34 feet of (fresh) water.

I will rephrase.... pressure gradient is 10 times greater.

 

[tursiops]

I will rephrase.... pressure gradient is 10 times greater.

"pressure gradient is 10 times greater" than what?
LOL! Now you are just making stuff up to avoid saying you were wrong.

 

[fisherdvm]

(atm+ ft water1/33) - (atm+ftwater2/33) = ft water1/33 - ftwater2/33

compared to surface... at depth 1, there is a differential of (2 inches/12 inches per feet)

compared to surface ... at depth 2, there is a differential of (24 inches/12 inches per feet)

Ratio of the differential (24 inches/ 12 inches per feet) divided by (2 inches/12 inches per feet).

All the inches and inches per feet cancel out

You get 12 times the pressure differential !

I stand by my numbers. You are speaking of absolute pressure exerted on each cells in the body.

I am speaking of the pressure differential between the inside of the regulator (1 atm), and the water outside the regulator, submerged at 2 inches vs 24 inches.

The differential is what drives the fluid, from area of high pressure to area of low pressure.