Rinsing dive gear

[rob.mwpropane]

Or you can visit Ginnie or Little River and let the pressurized fresh spring water clean your gear.

I agree, a local fresh dive clears all that crap right up

I was told to fill the bathtub with warm water, soak for an hr, drain and do again for an hr (honestly after the second soak I forget and deal with it later). Dust caps on for the soak and then once home leave the dust caps off for a ~ week and let the internals really dry out.

Works for me, and no worries about any solutions taking the finish off the regs.

 

[the other lincoln]

I bought a used wing, the previous owner did not rinse the inside very well. When I was checking it out I found a couple of salt crystals in side the bladder. The biggest one was almost 6 mm square.

 

[johndiver999]

I bought a used wing, the previous owner did not rinse the inside very well. When I was checking it out I found a couple of salt crystals in side the bladder. The biggest one was almost 6 mm square.

If the BC is handled roughly, those crystals can be sharp and cut the bladder. It is beneficial to first purge all the remanent salt water from the BC and then rinse it.

 

[TMHeimer]

If the BC is handled roughly, those crystals can be sharp and cut the bladder. It is beneficial to first purge all the remanent salt water from the BC and then rinse it.

Yes. I have rarely heard of someone giving this advice. I don't think many include baby shampoo while rinsing the inside with fresh water either. I read about those 2 things many years ago. I assume they are good ideas.

 

[Hatul]

I'm no expert but common sense tells me that soaking in a chemical whether it's vinegar or Salt Away is creating another problem, for now you have to rinse away the vinegar or Salt Away. I don't let my unrinsed gear dry out.

What I did find makes a difference is when in the rinse tank to press all the buttons of computers and camera housing (and any other devices with buttons) a few times as these do tend to jam up from salt deposits. Also some things that have electric power exposed like batteries for the heating vest and some dive lights should not be soaked for any length of time as any conduction through the water will cause galvanic corrosion --I found this out the hard way.

There are rinsing systems for the BC bladder that keep the inside from forming crystals.

 

[Bubblesong]

An overlooked place to remove/rinse/soak is any adapters, DIN to Yoke, yoke to DIN, that kind of thing.

 

[The Cosmicist]

This is interesting and helpful for me. I'd like some clarification from the OP or others about what you mean by soaking the reg. Do you mean you screw on the cap (DIN) or stupid rubber stopper (yoke) and literally throw the whole reg set, 1st and 2nd stages, into water and let it soak? Doesn't that allow water to get into the 1st stage through the 2nd stage and hose? That seems undesirable to me.

I understand everything else, such as rinsing the wing bladder, pressing buttons, etc., but I'm fuzzy on how to clean the regs. I just bought my first reg set, so I want to make sure I take good care of it.

 

[Belzelbub]

This is interesting and helpful for me. I'd like some clarification from the OP or others about what you mean by soaking the reg.

Well, there isn’t consensus on this, but I’ll share what I do. My first stages are environmentally sealed, so I don’t see a lot of benefit to soaking the 1st.

I fill a large bucket with water and a bit of Salt Away (if the dive was in saltwater). I attach the reg to a tank and turn it on. 2nd stages soak in the bucket while pressurized. I cycle purge a few times during the soak. While soaking, tanks and 1st stages are rinsed well with the hose. After a good soak, 2nd stages are rinsed, then the tanks are turned off, regs depressurized and removed. The regs hang on the hanger to dry overnight after shaking excess water from the 2nd stages.

That works for me. When I get them serviced, it’s not unusual for the tech to comment on them being clean.

 

[Ana]

I guess leaving the gear in the boat for the rain to rinse it untill next weekend may not be what is recommended but it has worked for me.

 

[BoltSnap]

Well, there isn’t consensus on this, but I’ll share what I do. My first stages are environmentally sealed, so I don’t see a lot of benefit to soaking the 1st.

I fill a large bucket with water and a bit of Salt Away (if the dive was in saltwater). I attach the reg to a tank and turn it on. 2nd stages soak in the bucket while pressurized. I cycle purge a few times during the soak. While soaking, tanks and 1st stages are rinsed well with the hose. After a good soak, 2nd stages are rinsed, then the tanks are turned off, regs depressurized and removed. The regs hang on the hanger to dry overnight after shaking excess water from the 2nd stages.

That works for me. When I get them serviced, it’s not unusual for the tech to comment on them being clean.

Where does the first stage fit in this procedure? Do you rinse it at all or you don't rinse and don't soak the first at all?