Where to wash gear and how often?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

U

Upwelling

Guest
Messages
349
Reaction score
0
Location
Orlando, FL
# of dives
50 - 99
What do people typically do, if they're not using one of the dive ops that keeps and washes your gear for you everyday? In Florida I would go through an hour long process every day of washing, shampooing and repacking the gear every day. I would like to spend less time on this in Cozumel if possible since it's my vacation! Is it necessary to shampoo a wetsuit/BC after each use in salt water? thanks
 
junko:
What do people typically do, if they're not using one of the dive ops that keeps and washes your gear for you everyday? In Florida I would go through an hour long process every day of washing, shampooing and repacking the gear every day. I would like to spend less time on this in Cozumel if possible since it's my vacation! Is it necessary to shampoo a wetsuit/BC after each use in salt water? thanks
Click to expand...

Rinse yes, shampoo, no. I shampoo my wetsuit at the end of the trip.
 
junko:
What do people typically do, if they're not using one of the dive ops that keeps and washes your gear for you everyday? In Florida I would go through an hour long process every day of washing, shampooing and repacking the gear every day. I would like to spend less time on this in Cozumel if possible since it's my vacation! Is it necessary to shampoo a wetsuit/BC after each use in salt water? thanks
Click to expand...
Most ops (at least the good ones) will have a nice big freshwater rinse tank and lockers for your gear. When you get done diving give everything a rinse, hang your wetsuit and throw everything else in the locker (take a lock with you but be prepaired to throw it away when you get back, salt wipes out locks pretty quick.) When you get home, then spend your hour cleaning everything.

James
 
You'll find you get your "rinse hang and throw" down to a very quick routine on vacation especially at a place that is all set up for it.
 
I always rinse my gear after the day's diving is done, then store it in a locker or gear storage room at the hotel or dive shop. Once I get back from vacation, I don protective headwear and gloves and carefully open my toxic suitcase, handling the ultra-stinky dive gear carefully with tongs. I then dump everything in the tub and thoroughly clean it with Salt Away, enzymatic stink stuff and applicable shampoo. I usually soak everything at least twice (ie. fill the tub, let it sit, swish, drain, repeat) before actually washing it. The less salt you have to deal with, the better.

Basically, you'll be fine just rinsing your gear and washing it once you get home. You're on vacation--who wants to deal with all that? :)
 
the hotels i've stayed at, (La Ceiba and The Grand Oc.), have a outdoor showers and I rinse my gear after every days diving. if i don't do it at the dock because of a crowd, i'll take it back to the room and do it in the shower, either way, do it every day then hang the regs from the shower rod and everything else i put out on the balcony trying to keep it out of direct sunlight as possible.
then when you get home use an anti-funk rinse from your local dive shop on all neoprene and spray all rubber with silicone spray to keep it alive...take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
my regulator, bc and fins are 22 years old and in great condition although some think i should donate them to the Smithsonian i wouldn't dive without them.
 
If the gear is in use every day and is staying wet, I don't see much point in doing anything with it until the end of the month. I just rinse my computer and regs. My knife has a vaseline coating so I only wash it if it has been used (to cut something).

Maybe the boots get a bit stinky and need shampooing once per week.

When I get home it all goes into big tubs for a 3 day soak.
 
This is a big relief--I hate washing gear. Before I thought you had to shampoo daily or the salt water would corrode it.
 
miketsp:
Maybe the boots get a bit stinky and need shampooing once per week.
Click to expand...
Just a quick rinse works for almost everything, except boots. They seem to take forever to dry and quickly get pretty rank in humid places like Cozumel.

I take two pairs and swap them out so they can occasionally dry out fully.
 
Here is my take from diving for a living.

Washing gear is good but is not needed every day.

When I was working I would dive every day during the week. Each day I would do a quick rinse and DRY. Once a week I would do a more detailed wash and DRY.

If you get your gear to dry each night then it won't get all smelly.
If it stays wet overnight it is stink city.

I use a fan driven dryer for my booties.
My wet suit would dry quick if hung in a location with good airflow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom