Post dive care of equipment

[Divescape]

Can I chip in here? After a series of dives during the Christmas break, i took the presure washer to all my gearwith the exception of my reg.. wetsuit, bc fins, mask and bag. could this dammange a wetsuit or BC over time?

 

[Aquabot]

Can I chip in here? After a series of dives during the Christmas break, i took the presure washer to all my gearwith the exception of my reg.. wetsuit, bc fins, mask and bag. could this dammange a wetsuit or BC over time?

I think soaking in warm water is the best thing you can do, pressure washing could damage something if you get to close and doesn't get into those nooks and crannys of the gear like soaking does.

 

[theduckguru]

Can I chip in here? After a series of dives during the Christmas break, i took the presure washer to all my gearwith the exception of my reg.. wetsuit, bc fins, mask and bag. could this dammange a wetsuit or BC over time?

+1 on soaking. I have never had dive gear that need pressure washed.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I clip everything to my doubles rig after diving, drop em in the tub, and set the dive bag with the mask, fins, boots, and wetsuit next to em.

Take the OPV off the wing and the cave rings/diaphrams off the second stages, and set them on the backplate. Fill the tub with warm water, make sure the wing and inflator hose get filled, and let the whole mess soak overnight.

Swish the second stages and OPV around a bit, then reassemble. Remove, break down gear, shake the wing up before getting all the water out and adding some air, and let everything dry. All done, unless a drysuit was involved, which is a whole extra set of annoying steps.

 

[Divescape]

Thanks All

 

[spectrum]

No offense, but that's a bunch of nonsense. The dust cap is specifically designed to keep water out. If yours leaks, get a new one. This topic comes up frequently, it's too bad there's so much misunderstanding about it. There's a simple test to see if the cap is sealing. Put it on, try to suck some air out of a 2nd stage. Can't get any? It's sealed. If you can, the issue is likely with the 2nd stage; some fancy-smancy 2nd stages with seat saver features will allow air to be drawn in through the mouthpiece, down the hose, into the LP chamber of the 1st stage, and back out to the other 2nd stage.

Getting back to the OP's questions, I'm not sure I see the need for vinegar. Just a nice soak in clean fresh water is fine. As long as the vinegar solution is very weak I don't imagine there'd be much harm in it, though. If the "XS air" is oceanic's octo-inflator combo, I honestly don't know if it's okay to soak it but I'd be surprised if it's not. It is, after all, a 2nd stage and LP inflator, and those get flooded all the time.

I wouldn't spend any money on a specific rinse for BCs, but if you want to do that it's certainly not going to hurt anything. I just flush out the bladder with water, fill it with air, and wait a bit for the little bit of remaining water to drain to the bottom, then flush it out the OPV. If you're really, really wanting to be ultra-clean, you should use scuba air to fill it post-rinse, meaning use the LP inflator hooked up to a tank. Scuba air has no moisture and will help to dry out the bladder. It's definitely not something to worry about, though! Just store the BC with some air in the bladder.

I don't know about running the wetsuit in the washer. I wouldn't do it, I'm not sure what the advantage would be. It probably wouldn't hurt it. I just hang mine up and let it drip dry.

Positive pressure trumps a dust cap any way you look at it. Yes, some dustcaps are water tight but it still opens the door to inadverdent purge activation or weeping past something like a Sherwood dry bleed. Connected to a cylinder and pressurized all concerns are mitigated.

Yes in the right situation and the right hands a dust cap is sufficient however as blanket guidance it dose not fly.

Pete

 

[robertarak]

Just to add to the already mentioned, soak in warm water...no vinigar or bc cleaner needed....though it will not hurt anything. Exercise all the bottons and zippers, EXCEPT PURGE VALVES. When done, hook your regs back on to a tank and purge them a bit to dry them out just incase there was water intursion, and and let dry. The biggest issue with wetsuits drying is the salt crystals that form when saltwater dries on them. To be honest, if there is not time to dry between dives there is not much need to be that concerned. A quick fresh water rinse and use the next day, just make sure you get a good soak when you know everything is going to dry before it gets used again.

 

[mikeycanuk]

Pressure washer? Yikes!


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[tphelps]

I rinse all my gear with fairly warm fresh water, especially my dive computer and regulator. Yeah make sure to thoroughly rinse out the inside of your BC bladder. I've heard stories of guys taking a breath from their BC jacket through the oral inflator (I dont know why) and the mold that grew inside entered the lungs and was pretty nasty. Just remember, dust is the "worst thing" for your gear, fun dive often to avoid!

 

[Aquabot]

I rinse all my gear with fairly warm fresh water, especially my dive computer and regulator. Yeah make sure to thoroughly rinse out the inside of your BC bladder. I've heard stories of guys taking a breath from their BC jacket through the oral inflator (I dont know why) and the mold that grew inside entered the lungs and was pretty nasty. Just remember, dust is the "worst thing" for your gear, fun dive often to avoid!

It's funny you say that, I read somewhere (honestly don't remember where now) that putting a little bit of mouthwash in there will help prevent that. I would thing leaving the dump valve off so it could air dry would be just as effective.