Oil, tar, and other stuff & your gear

[red_infinity]

I go to University of California, Santa Barbara...and around here, there's quite a bit of tar and other stuff in the shore. There is also a seep field spewing (on a daily basis) 40 tons of methane, and 19 tons ethane, propane, butane, and other hydrocarbons, plus 100-150 barrels of liquid petroleum (where the tar comes from). I've done a few shore dives in the area, but not exactly where there is much tar or these seep fields. My dive buddy had this idea of checking out some of these methane seeps...some of them are as shallow as 30 feet so they're in easy reach.

I'm just wondering if these hydrocarbon seeps would pose any danger to our gear. I know that some research divers have done dives here...but I don't know how it affected their gear. I also think there's a bit more oil in or around the seep field after looking at some pictures, but I'm not completely sure about that. I can imagine some oil/tar going into my wing...or my second stages...

-Francis

 

[JMdiver]

When we were up there for the Reef Check class we went to a beach call Oil Field Point or something like that & I can't believe how must oil was on the beach it got all over my feet. I can't believe that people actually dive there.

Happy Diving
John

 

[Code4medic]

John,

You were at Coal Oil Point...near Sands Beach. People use baby oil to clean off their stuff after a day at these beaches. The tar stains your skin and that can't be good for you! A few miles to the north and south are some great diving/ tarless sites. sbdiving.com has a growing list of Santa Barbara area dive sites and buddies.

Francis,
Those seeps are fun to look at, but I wouldn't try to do a "seep to regulator exchange" on one...not even on a bet...that's for sure.

 

[red_infinity]

Yeah, that seep field is in Coal Oil Point, which is a site that i've been wanting to dive for a while. That's it though? Baby oil? What's the exact procedure...do you just cover everything in baby oil and rinse?

-Francis

 

[Empty V]

I think the proper procedure is stay away if you're smart. If you have to question it, it's probably not a spot for you.

Billy

 

[red_infinity]

I think the proper procedure is stay away if you're smart. If you have to question it, it's probably not a spot for you.

Billy

Well, researchers do dive it...and I will go into research diving too (being an Aquatic Biology major), so...I think i'm gonna end up diving it eventually. Plus I really wanna check out the seeps...it sounds like an interesting dive, since it's not really something you find everywhere.

I already know it's doable, I just want to know how to do it right.

-Francis

 

[LAJim]

I wouldn't dive there unless I had a very compelling reason to, and I'm a chemistry professor if that tells you anything.

Jim

 

[Bob3]

Drysuits made of trilam (or bi-laminated materials for that matter) may be a poor choice to use if you're going to be regularly getting into any tar / oil areas ; the outer nylon layer can get the stuff into the fabric & seams. Same for BCs. OMS makes a chemical resistant "rubber" wing & you may want to consider a suit made of similar material, or the fabric used in the Viking Xtreme can be wiped down with more aggressive solvents, like enamel reducer, toluene, gasoline, diesel fuel, etc. Those solvents would kill a laminated suit pretty quickly.
As already mentioned, baby oil (or just straight mineral oil) can be used on the latex parts of a suit & other gear with little danger of it degrading the material.
You have to watch out for soap though, as oil + soap = "something that eats rubber & silicone". Dish detergent is particularly nasty, with DAWN being singled out in particular. (I don't know the particular details of why though)

 

[Diver_Jan]

Baby Oil, I would think that would be a poor choice, since it is still an 'oil.' Any agent that you use, will most likely have to be oil based. I go the more natural route and have used Peanut Butter to get the tar off my feet and boots.

 

[Empty V]

One more vote for peanut butter!

Billy