Washing Gear

[hedonist222]

So if my dive was a local - 2 dive - trip. I come home, thoroughly wash my gear with the garden hose. Meaning I thoroughly spray my console, reg , octo, 1st stage ,fins and mask. I do the same with my bcd but I also pour water into it through the oral inflator. I then orally inflate it, shake it around , makin sure the water is moved alla round. I then empty out the water, shake off all excess water from the gear and let it dry in the shade.

If its a weekend dive, meaning I dived on Thursday ( 2 dives), I wash it on Thurs as mentioned above, then on Friday I dive twice, then drive home immidiately ( 3 hr trip + 1 hr showering @ the hotel). So about 4 hous after the 2nd day of diving, I will put all the gear into the bathroom tub and let it sit for 4 hours or so. This weekend I forgot to take the gear out, actually its still in the tub right now. Its been 22 hours so far since I submerged it (put the weights on the deflated bcd) in the tub.


Good? Bad? Comments,suggestions? Was leaving it submerged in water for 22 hours (will take it out at night, so total submersion time of 27 hours or so) too much? No need to submerge at all?

How do you guys maintain your gear?

 

[aeroman]

It won't hurt the gear. If your dive was in salt water, it definately couldn't hurt. Atleast the salt will be off the gear. I've heard of people using a diluted bath with woolite in it to clean and sterilize the gear. Cleaner IS better. The gear will last alot longer.

 

[Amphibious]

in an ocean dive the key is to get the salt off. after that it's just apearance work.

make sure after you rinse the inside of your BC you reinflate it.

every now and again I'll dip my gear in a mild mix of Detol and water to kill any funky smells, etc.

(you two should really add a location in you profile.)

 

[Tim1]

I guess weak dettol is OK on the outside of kit, but it is a bleach and may have an effect on the colour of the cordura. At least annually I wash the inside of the bladder with Milton (http://www.milton-tm.com/index.htm).

 

[Amphibious]

never had an issuse with Detol doing permenant color change. it will temp change the color of some rubbers and glues. but effect wears off quickly. good for killing the funky smells that comes with diving in freshwater.

 

[rslomkow]

I used to always soak my wetsuit and BC for 8-12 hrs generally becaue I would drop the stuff of in the tub before going to bed and clean it up in the morning. Never hurt it.

Weighting down the wetsuit or bc didn't make to much of a difference as long as the BC realy was deflated and was at least level with the surface of the water. I have an old Mares BC and it would get some water in it (not a lot) so I was always careful to drain it and let a little bit of fresh water in it, and then poor it out every time I dove.

I think 24-48hr soak is fine (assuming clean water) longer than that you might have a chance of growing something.

I also didn't like weigting my suit, because if I did a beach entry my gear had sand it that would come off an rest at the bottom of the tub. And if my gears was weighted it would collect on the wetsuit.

 

[Hootie]

That reminds me, i gotta wash my gear