Protecting your rig from sun on a live-aboard...

[Chummer]

After years of diving, Im doing my first live-aboard trip in a few weeks.
As I understand it, our gear is to sit in the same spot all week at a bench, bungied in I assume.
Is it a valid concern to not want your gear out in the Caribbean summer sun every day for a week?
Does anyone have a technique or use a cover to shade their rig in this situation?
Or am I being ridiculous and shouldnt worry about it.

 

[jbd]

Never have been on live aboard trip(might go in 2005 though). Just a suggestion. Put a towel over the gear after its stowed for the day or in between dives.

 

[NINman]

Never have been on live aboard trip(might go in 2005 though). Just a suggestion. Put a towel over the gear after its stowed for the day or in between dives.

To be honest that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I myself have never been on a live aboard either, my wife doesn't dive so unless I am bargin her to go to LasVagas and for me to go diving I don't see one in my future either. =(

 

[Brian1968]

After years of diving, Im doing my first live-aboard trip in a few weeks.
As I understand it, our gear is to sit in the same spot all week at a bench, bungied in I assume.
Is it a valid concern to not want your gear out in the Caribbean summer sun every day for a week?
Does anyone have a technique or use a cover to shade their rig in this situation?
Or am I being ridiculous and shouldnt worry about it.

Making it unanimous so far here. Keep it covered with something. I've had that same Caribbean summer sun burn me right thru high-test sunscreen in very short order (ouch). I can't imagine that much UV not wreaking havoc with your gear in short order.

 

[headhunter]

Even though I have not spent any time on a live-aboard, it does seem to make sense that UV rays would wreak havoc on some of the materials used on your rig.

I'd think that a simple solution would be to take a nice fluffy beach towel, fold it in half and sew up the sides to create a big sack to pull over the whole rig.

I guess this could also be done with a big piece of canvas which might take more abuse, but you could actually use the towel as a towel as well.

I'm not sure if that suggestion even qualifies as a full 2 cents on the matter, but it might get you or someone else thinking about something that would work.

Hope someone with real experience in this area responds to your thread. I'm curious about what a decent answer to the question would be.

Where's Dandy Don, the master greeter? Doesn't he spend half of his life here on SB and the other half of his life on live-aboards diving?

Christian

 

[pbr]

After years of diving, Im doing my first live-aboard trip in a few weeks.
As I understand it, our gear is to sit in the same spot all week at a bench, bungied in I assume.
Is it a valid concern to not want your gear out in the Caribbean summer sun every day for a week?
Does anyone have a technique or use a cover to shade their rig in this situation?
Or am I being ridiculous and shouldnt worry about it.

Can't say since I've never been on a live aboard. That said, I too am going on one in a couple of weeks. I was told that the crew rinces down your gear at the end of each day and covers the gear if you are not diving.

Just curious, which boat are you going on?

 

[diver_paula]

Are you sure your gear will be in the sun? I've been on several live aboards and sun exposure to gear hasn't been a problem. The dive deck is usually covered as it is on the first level. Above it as a ceiling is typically a sun deck with lounge chairs.

Also, several times there are spots on the outside of the gear deck and spots on the inside. If it is a concern for you try to get an 'inside' spot.

Usually you'll have a bin or something similar that everything but your tank/bc will go into. Therefore sun exposure isn't a problem. & BCs rarely dry out given all the diving you'll probably be doing.

I find a bigger problem is keeping your booties from getting funky! LOL They just never seem to get dry. Make sure to clean them out with soap or listerine part way through the trip.

My 2 cents.
Paula

 

[coreypenrose]

If you're worried about it, break down your gear at the end of the day, wash it, then throw it in a tub. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. Assuming you keep your gear a good state of repair when it isn't in the water (i.e. dry, out of the sun, ect) IMO, throwing a towel over it at the end of the dive seems like a waste of time.

 

[Seadeuce]

Having been on a number of liveaboards I have come to believe in the following:
1. Bring a pair of light wool socks to wear inside your bootees. All that finning over many dives can make for sore toes by week's end.
2. Apply a few drops of Swim-Ear, or even mildly diluted vinegar at the end of EVERY day's diving. Helps avoid Otitis Externa (outer ear infection).
3. Bring spares - mask strap/fin straps/high-pressure hose/O-rings, sizes other than tank-fitting ones.
4. Two swimsuits needed to alternate. First dive 'suit is dry for the third dive etc.
5. Bring your OWN First Aid box! Dioralyte/Cortisone/Sudocrem/Plasters/et al
6. After diving, rinse gear if possible, but don't worry if you can't. Have had dive gear hanging up all week on a Red Sea (high salinity) and a high-Arctic liveaboard without any problems.
7. 'Tween dives, relax and rehydrate with non-fizzy drinks.
8. Do your peak diving on the third and/or fourth days. By then you are well-dived-up, and know who to dive with.
9. Do NOT assume the DM knows it all! Keep an open mind, and look upon him/her as a guide.
10. Take full control of your dive profiles - it's your life.

Enjoy!!!

Seadeuce

 

[Damselfish]

The liveaboards I've been on the dive deck is under cover and the gear doesn't get that much sun (when it's not underwater!) Never saw it as something to worry about.