Swimming pool bad for gear?

[GFuterfas]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll be sure to rinse the gear thoroughly afterward. Didn't figure it would do too much damage since OW classes start in the pool.

Thanks,
-Graham

 

[TSandM]

Chlorine WILL bleach anything dyed, no matter how careful you are to rinse. And it appears to accelerate aging on neoprene, judging from my husband's wet suit and booties (used for teaching).

 

[alex.hennen]

Graham,

Looks like a good reg set. Are you going with the long hose setup?

I'm pretty busy the rest of this month and the beginning of the next, but I was planning on taking my sister to the Catalina dive park sometime next month for her birthday. She hasn't gotten to dive since her checkout dives. I'll let you know when we decide on a date. Let me know when you're going and I'll see if I can make it.

Thanks!
Alex

 

[rk288]

My gear came with detailed care and maintenance instructions including a 1 hour soak in warm water with tank attached. This makes sense since city water is also chlorinated and allowing a 1 hour soak would give the chlorine a chance become inactivated. So after diving I try to fill the bath tub and in goes all the gear...
When we get back from ocean diving I make sure this is done...

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I can attest that a saltwater pool twice a month and a pool with high chlorine content is tough on your gear. I'm in the pool for at least an hour once a week and then once a month or more in our saltwater dive shop pool.

I have a Knighthawk that I bought new five years ago. It has about 500 pool dives with very few fresh water rinses. Some of the material has turned from black to brown and it's getting a little dry rot, crispy, in a few places.

I have gone through a couple of wetsuit and several pairs of booties. They turn brown, get stiff and fall apart.

If you rinse your gear with fresh water you will never know you've been in a pool. A pool is a great place to do gear checkouts and work on skills. Rinse or soak and you should have no problems.