Maintenance after 1st Dive Trip with New Gear

[Rob9876]

Just got back yesterday from our first dive trip with our own BCDs and Regs in the Caribbean. I know the dive op rinsed out our equipment every day and after our last dive (I did see them rinsing them with a hose). It will probably be a couple of months before we dive again. My question: what maintenance would you do? Just go with the dive op rinse, soak in my own tub, etc., etc.?

 

[tbone1004]

spend the $100 and get a small tank to keep reg pressurized. soak in bathtub.
buy a cheap $20 fish tank pump like this
https://www.amazon.com/MarineLand-P...sh+tank+pump&qid=1553554840&s=gateway&sr=8-22
and let it go for a while. Need the water moving to make sure there's no salt.

alternatively, go diving in a local quarry/lake/etc. and everything is rinsed

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

Rinsing it with a houes from the outside is nice but it does not get rid of all the salt built up inside the BCD.

I just take a hose and fill the BCD with water through the inflator hose, shake it around to make sure the water gets everywhere and than flush it out.

Regs make sure you move the hose protectors and rinse them because salt will also build up under them and most people i know forget about that part.
Also soaking the reg would be good every once in a while (Dust cap on!)

 

[Manatee Diver]

alternatively, go diving in a local quarry/lake/etc. and everything is rinsed

Dive the ocean, and then go up to cave country to clean your gear.

 

[TGIF]

Rinsing it with a houes from the outside is nice but it does not get rid of all the salt built up inside the BCD.

I just take a hose and fill the BCD with water through the inflator hose, shake it around to make sure the water gets everywhere and than flush it out.

Regs make sure you move the hose protectors and rinse them because salt will also build up under them and most people i know forget about that part.
Also soaking the reg would be good every once in a while (Dust cap on!)

Agreed! I use one of the black and yellow bins that you can get from Costco or Home Depot. I add warm water, BCD shampoo, and Lemon Grenaide (Seasoft Pro BC Vests) to the water and mix. I then soak everything for a good 20-30 minutes to allow the salt crystals time to dissolve. I dump out this water, refill to rinse and then hang dry for longer than you would expect. I wash wetsuits inside out, and dry both inside and out. Storing wet or damp gear is really bad for it. I also second

 

[Diver below 83]

spend the $100 and get a small tank to keep reg pressurized. soak in bathtub.
buy a cheap $20 fish tank pump like this
https://www.amazon.com/MarineLand-P...sh+tank+pump&qid=1553554840&s=gateway&sr=8-22
and let it go for a while. Need the water moving to make sure there's no salt.

alternatively, go diving in a local quarry/lake/etc. and everything is rinsed

What’s the smallest tank you’d recommend?

 

[tbone1004]

What’s the smallest tank you’d recommend?

AL40 since it is useful for other things, but if you're going to do it in a bathtub, used AL80's or LP72's are cheap enough.

 

[Diver below 83]

AL40 since it is useful for other things, but if you're going to do it in a bathtub, used AL80's or LP72's are cheap enough.

So get a 40 and build it out as say a pony bottle but use it as a cleaning bottle for regs as well type deal?

 

[In2theabyss]

My pool is unchlorinated so I usually swim my gear around in that. I also use my pony for the reg as tbone mentioned...

 

[tbone1004]

So get a 40 and build it out as say a pony bottle but use it as a cleaning bottle for regs as well type deal?

correct, there should be enough used tanks on craigslist/facebook marketplace in your area that the cost will be quite small