How do you maintain your gear?

[Darin]

Even my firefighter and medic gear :cop_2: . When the instructors kept saying and cramming the words LIFE SUPPORT GEAR, THE GEAR THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO BREATH AND STAY ALIVE UNDER WATER. KEEP IT CLEAN AND TAKE PROPER CARE OF IT aranoid: :eyecrazy: . We do. We keep and maintain it as such, life support gear. Every time we go diving I always say lets just wash it and hang it, but it never works out that way, it gets to be a pain in the *internet edit* but we would not have it any other way. When we start doing trips for diving and not staying at a friend or relatives place I’ll probably have a stroke not knowing what to do with out washing the gear the anal retentive way.

I agree with you on this. That's the way I see it too. I guess 'cause I'm a former FF/EMT also....

I see the need to maintain my gear also. The last thing I need is my reg crapping out at 100' or my wing blowing a hole in its' self sending me down like a rock. I don't want my tombstone to read "If he had only taken care of his gear."

I guess the responses are all good ideas. I'm just anal also.....I'm just looking for ideas for speeding up the process.

Darin

 

[SHARKBAIT94]

To rince my gear I converted a new plastic trash can into a washing machine. I used PVC with holes in it which I connected to my hose to create water jets to clean my gear and freshen the water. At the bottom of the can there is a drainage hole where I connect a hose to dump the water off in the street. I let this run for about a half hour. Then I wash out the inside of my BC and take out my regs. After that I stop the draining water and pour some mouth wash into the can of water.. I let that soak for a few minutes then drain the can. After this I hang everyting to dry. The nice thing about this system is that the washing is automatic. I can wash my gear for as long as I want without any extra effort.

I also would love to see pics of your washer. In both my washer I have “racks” built in. I took metal racks and bent and cut to fit in the can so I can rest the gear on individual rack with a threaded plug in the bottom for drainage. The jet washer sounds like a great addition to my already pretty good washer. I suppose with a jet washer I could leave it running. Add over flow holes at the top with ring going around under the holes to catch the overflow and have a drain to remove it down a hose to the street. Or better yet make a jet that goes into the washer can from the bottom pointing up in the middle and one to the sides to make a whirlpool type washer and as it over flows out the holes into a catch all ring that has a threaded drain plug for hose to run out to the street. :33: Hhhmmmm I have to rethink my washer cans and make them more user and time friendly .

 

[D_B]

I purchased one of those 30" wheeled Stanley tool boxes to hold and transport my gear, I can even put two Al 80's on top of it (rubber door mat under tanks to prevent slippage and a ratchet tiedown around the tanks/lid) it is water proof so it doesn't drip or let stuff dry out before I get it home to wash , just fits in the hold of the Catalina ferry. supports my BC/tank while I get into it, a place to sit, most handy thing to have and only $49

After dive routine: stop at fast food (starving)
Carry (!!) box up stairs to apartment , fill bathtub with warm water, add generous amount of Pantine ProV shampoo after tub is full , rinse fins, mask, and anything else not going to soak , and put in sink to drain
add wetsuit, boots, hood, gloves, BC, empty weight pockets and soft weights, swish around.
go eat fast food
come back and remove wetsuit,boots,hood,gloves and fill-inflate-swish-repeat, BC and hang on "broom stuck out of heater closet" on balcony , Dump water in Stanly box out into tub
Got it down to about an hour or so

DB

 

[lissette]

I found that one of those little plastic kiddies pools is brilliant for soaking my gear in after a dive as they are quite wide and i can soak everthing at once without it piling up on top of each other.

I also bought one of those small kids trampolines to dry my gear on, because it drys flat without putting pressure on any of my gear by hanging it up. It seems to dry my wet suit quicker because all the water drains evenly instead of down to the legs.

The trampolines legs fold up so it can be stored flat against a wall (plus it keeps kids occupied when not in use...)