Seeking advice on basic care of gear...

[cindycycle]

...if this has already been addressed somewhere else, please send me the link. I purchased older, used equipment which I use to dive in a very clean, spring-fed lake (freshwater). I haven't been really cleaning anything since the water is so pure. When I dive, I wear a tank, BC, regulator, wetsuit, mask, fins, snorkel, and a webbing weight belt with pockets holding soft weights. When I get home from a dive, I turn the wetsuit inside out and hang it up to drip dry. Sometimes I leave my tank attached to my BC and regulator, standing up in my garage, if I know that I'm diving again within the week. I am getting the tank and reg inspected annually. Should I be doing more to take care of my gear? Thanks in advance.

 

[redacted]

After diving Aquarena Springs, wetsuits get a good rinsing but everything else gets dried and hung up. Hot garages are not good places to store BCDs and regs but probably OK in the cooler months. I would at least make sure the reg is dry if you leave it on the tank. Some regs may hold water in the ambient chamber.

Even if you did not soil the wetsuit, there is plenty of organic matter in Aquarena Springs that may make your unrinsed wetsuit an unpleasant experience.

 

[cindycycle]

Awap, thanks. I have some wet suit soap that came with the wet suit that I can use. But tell me more about cleaning out the regulator. And I agree about the hot garage - luckily mine does not get too hot due to the way the house is designed, but I am going to have to figure something out for storing my gear next summer.

 

[redacted]

Awap, thanks. I have some wet suit soap that came with the wet suit that I can use. But tell me more about cleaning out the regulator. And I agree about the hot garage - luckily mine does not get too hot due to the way the house is designed, but I am going to have to figure something out for storing my gear next summer.

You don't indicate what regs you are diving, but piston 1sts have an ambient chamber that can hold water unless it is allowed to drain through the ambient chamber holes. It comes out fairly easily, depending on specific design, as long as the reg is oriented to allow it to drain. Mostly a consideration with balanced piston 1sts. If you layed the rig down in your car on the way home, it probably drained fine there. But the Sam Marcos is fairly hard water and can leave deposits on the ambient chamber surface where the piston must ride.

 

[Doc Harry]

If you're diving in freshwater, you can transfer organisms (such as invasive algae) to other fresh water bodies via your gear. You've got to thoroughly wash and rinse your gear (inside and out) if you go diving in a different body of fresh water.

 

[cindycycle]

I'm gratified that so many divers are aware of the hazards of spreading invasive species! Many thanks.

 

[Drewdy]

There isn't a clear yes or no to this. The point about invasive species is a really good one. As divers we should be concerned with it and rinsing you gear is important to not spread them. Of course, if your gear sits in your garage for a while most likely whatever you might have would be dead and shriveled up, but maybe not.

Also, how sure are you that the lake water is that pure? Their could be plenty of things in the water that will reduce the lifetime and functioning of your gear. Things that are hard to measure such as fine sedimentation silt or chemicals, nutrients, metals.

Either way you should probably start treating your scuba equipment like underwater life support equipment, not scuba 'gear'. Who knows what might happen to it on its own in the garage.

The o-ring in between your tank and regulator first stage will function better if it is not left under constant compression by leaving things connected. It can deform over time when left in one position under compression and be less likely to keep is 'o' shape. That goes for a number of other o-rings in your setup that, if you are leaving them under pressure, get pushed or smushed into gaps to create the seals that make all your gear work properly.

Sometimes small leaks develop in your gear and all the air could leak out of you tank leaving it open to moisture, corrosion, and failure (assuming you are leaving the valve open as well).

Garages are generally full of lots of bad chemicals and solvents that don't mix well with scuba gear.You might accidentally get them on your gear. Also, I do a lot of work in my garage and wouldn't want fine dust/sawdust, etc getting onto/into my gear.

That being said, dive equipment is built well and will likely function even under the added stresses you are subjecting it to.

Personally, I would give it a quick rinse and hang it up somewhere. It's a good practice to treat your equipment as best you can. Probably will save you money in the long run. I doubt you would ever have a problem with your gear the way you treat it but that isn't the mentality we should take toward our equipment. We should assume their will be a problem with it and do our best to minimize that chance within reason. With respect, I think you could be doing maybe a bit more for your equipment then leaving it in the garage like you described.

 

[Couv]

...Even if you did not soil the wetsuit....

Soil the wetsuit? Please expain.