Why should I clean my gear?
You’ve invested a small fortune on your scuba equipment, so why wouldn’t you spend the time to clean and maintain your gear properly? It’s essential to keep it properly maintained. If you cleaning your gear correctly it will keep it reliable and in good condition for a couple years.
Scuba gear maintenance can actually save your life!
By maintaining your scuba gear, you’ll be reducing the odds of equipment failure during a dive that would lead to an emergency situation underwater. Carelessness with scuba masks, tanks and regulators should be considered at the same level of importance as the training that is required before you ever actually use that equipment.
Be an example
Your gear always should be clean, well maintained and fully functional. This way you show other divers that you’re a conscientious serious diver and demonstrate the importance of well-maintained diving gear.
The basic points:
Each piece of SCUBA gear has specific maintenance needs, however as a minimum these basic rules should be followed:
- Rinse off all of your gear with fresh water
- Put the gear in a safe place where it can dry off
- Avoid laying your equipment in direct sunlight over long periods, sunlight cause materials to crack, fade and degrade.
These are the basic rules, but we have more exclusive steps to keep your gear in top notch working condition.
Let’s start with an easy part….
How to clean and storage your mask and fins?
To get rid of salt water, rinse your scuba mask after each use with fresh water. Sand and oil can create streak marks that make it difficult to see clearly underwater. Put your mask in a hardcover box to avoid scratching it. Maintain your fins the same way to avoid discomfort. Store in a dry, cool place as this prevents cracking and warping. Never store fins by standing them on their tips because this causes damage. It’s better to place them flat.
How to dry a wetsuit and avoid it from getting moldy?
Use fresh water and clean it with soap products designed for neoprene to make sure the wetsuit doesn’t become a stinky item. Wash and rinse the inside and outside of your wetsuit, hood, gloves and booties. You can also put special wax for dive gear on the zippers. Never ever pack any neoprene gear away when it’s not completely dry. To dry them quickly they have to hung. It’s best to use wide hangers for wetsuits cause regular hangers can cause creases in your wetsuit which makes them uncomfortable.
Travel tip: Roll your wetsuit for short periods rather than folding it.
How to clean your regulators and avoid them from being wet?
Your regulator needs to be thoroughly rinsed off in fresh water. Before you start on the regulator, use compressed air to shoot any moisture out of the dust cap. Then secure the dust cap to the regulator. Just rinse in fresh water, don’t soak. This way you prevent water sitting past the dust cap. Scrub the mouth pieces with a sponge and soapy water. After rinsing the regulator, allowing it to dry off completely by hanging it. You can store it when it’s completely dry.
Additional to maintaining your regulator, they need regular servicing, usually outlined by your regulator’s manufacturer. To find out when it’s time for a check, follow the instructions on your regulator’s packaging, or have a look on the brand’s website.
BDC – storing and maintaining
If you want to keep your BC in good shape, you need to really pay attention to both the exterior and interior of the device. Saltwater can leak into your BC while diving through the low-pressure inflator and dump valves.
Rinse the exterior of your BCD with fresh water first, then drain the interior. Flush as much fresh water into the bladder as possible trough the inflator valve. It is way easier to do this if you hold the deflate button. Orally inflate the BC and shake it to circulate the water inside, making sure the water gets to each part of the jacket. Let the water drain out through the dump values, then rinse these. Repeat the whole process. Don’t add anything to the water unless it’s a commercial BCD cleaner. Chemicals can damage the bladder! Pull the deflate cord and drain the water through the dump valves. Inflate the BCD and deflate it as quickly as you can to push out as much water as you can. Before storing, partially inflate the BC to prevent the inside pieces from sticking together. Make sure you hang it to dry in a cool place.
By giving it a good rinse and flush with fresh water after each dive, and making sure it’s serviced annually, will keep your Buoyancy Compensator working exactly as it should for many years.
How to Take Care of Your Scuba Tank?
You shouldn’t forget bout your scuba tank during your post-dive routine. Your tank needs to be rinsed with fresh water as well. In that way you prevent any salt from building up in the cylinder and causing corrosion. You can also get rid of any sand and grit that has got stuck on the tank valve, as it can eventually make it harder to turn the air off and on. Don’t store your cylinder when it’s either full of empty. The lack of pressure while it’s empty will make it easy for contamination to occur. Always store your tank with at least 200 psi of pressure. If the cylinder is stored when full, it can eventually lead to cracks. Also, store your cylinder in a secure upright position or lying down horizontally.
Don’t forget about your other gear:
Underwater Cameras
Make sure any underwater camera equipment is thoroughly soaked and rinsed. Make sure that there are no sand particles in or around moving parts.
Dive Knife
Your knives have to be rinsed in fresh water before storing, no matter if they have titanium blades or not.
Dive Computer
Gently rinse your dive computer after each dive with fresh water and a mild soap. While holding it underwater, press all of the buttons at the same time. With this trick you will flush salt from the diving computer. Pay attention to the water contact sensors and depth sensors that are located on the side of the dive computer. These can be cleaned using fresh water and a soft toothbrush. Store in a dry place after washing and drying.
Our team at KDC takes very good care of the equipment. Most of the guides have their own gear and with taking care of it, it last them a long time, even if they have around 3 dives a day on 6 days of the week. We always make sure that our equipment is in the best condition because safety is our highest priority. Don’t worry if you dive with us, we wash and clean the equipment for you, in the mean time you can enjoy some awesome sunset on top of the boat on the sundeck.
The time taken to properly look after your scuba equipment will maintain its quality and increase its lifespan. But of course it’s still necessary to always check and test the gear before every dive.
