Fungus on my fins?

[Jamdiver]

Ok all this is a strange question I suppose and no the topic isn't some wierd double entendre .
I've noticed that after a few weeks, perhaps 2 or 3 that these weird yellowish spots appear on my fins.
They're small, circular and wipe off easily with some water.
Generally they're found on the slightly more pliable black section of my fins.

Just took a look at my fins don't see anything now, dove last week so perhaps that's why.
Any ideas guys, have you ever heard of anything like this?
BTW it's very warm and very humid here so that might contribute to the fungal?? growth?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Jamdiver/Posts/DSCF0070Small.jpg
Can't get the

 

[archman]

I don't see anything on the photo. But small, circular growths that smear off easily sound like mold.

 

[KidK9]

Srry, nondiagnostic

 

[aquaoren]

Can't see anything on the pic but it's still better than if it would be in your mask.

 

[Jamdiver]

Sorry those are old photos of my fins, so the fungus isn't on them.
It's not on them on now either, but it's something that I've noticed in the past that I've been curious about..
It's sort of a yellowish/orange coloration, like curry + yellow maybe in terms of color.
I have a B.Sc in Zoology, so all you mycologists out there can drop your fancy terms on me!

I've never heard of fungus growing on plastic or plastic like compounds before this though!

 

[Jamdiver]

I don't see anything on the photo. But small, circular growths that smear off easily sound like mold.

Oh just saw your post about the mold.
Hmmm it's a possibility perhaps.

 

[archman]

Ha ha, mold is fungus. But I doubt you're going to find any mycologists on scubaboard. I took a fancy class in it years ago, but my text and notes are in the lab. They wouldn't be too helpful for this anyway.

That dull yellow growth is a common one that I've seen on test cultures in freshman biology. I don't think I've seen growths on scuba gear, though. That's kinda gross.

 

[_Bella_]

I've had mold spread in my gear on trips home. It has happened in foot pockets and around my mouth piece of my reg. Warmth and high levels of moisture are a nice breeding ground for a mold to start spreading. I've only had it in my reg once and soaked it in a very diluted bleach solution for about a day and cleaned out my fins footpocket. Make sure they are completely dry before storage or in a well ventilated place between dives. As I wrote it has only ever happened returning from a trip where gear is packed away before being 100% dry.

Do you perhaps leave your fins in a bucket or bag between dives?

 

[Jamdiver]

Ha ha, mold is fungus. But I doubt you're going to find any mycologists on scubaboard. I took a fancy class in it years ago, but my text and notes are in the lab. They wouldn't be too helpful for this anyway.

That dull yellow growth is a common one that I've seen on test cultures in freshman biology. I don't think I've seen growths on scuba gear, though. That's kinda gross.

Ok hahaha, yes it is a type of fungus. Got me there smarty-pants
Cough, cough I forgot :11doh:.
I suppose any substrate if it's damp and warm enough will support some sort of fungal growth, it just suprised because I never thought I'd see it on my fins!
A friend of mine has a veritable ants' nest that has colonised his BC.

I've had mold spread in my gear on trips home. It has happened in foot pockets and around my mouth piece of my reg. Warmth and high levels of moisture are a nice breeding ground for a mold to start spreading. I've only had it in my reg once and soaked it in a very diluted bleach solution for about a day and cleaned out my fins footpocket. Make sure they are completely dry before storage or in a well ventilated place between dives. As I wrote it has only ever happened returning from a trip where gear is packed away before being 100% dry.

Do you perhaps leave your fins in a bucket or bag between dives?

Well I only store my fins and my other dive gear for that matter when it's bone dry and after it's been rinsed by fresh water. The spots only develop or are apparent to me after a somewhat extended period of time. I guess the spores landed on the fins and found it suitable for growth...

Between dives on the same day my gear is in a bag or someone's trunk..
But like I said the air is humid and warm + darkness under the bed, so I guess that's perfect for fungi.

 

[dbg40]

Kind of hard to tell, but it may be some kind of mold release agent. Fins, for some reason, seem the most prone to odd stuff leaching out of them and looking off color for some time. My old jets still, from time to time, leach a little residue from the rubber. Just throwing it out there.