From experience, this is a list I've compiled to serve as a guide and reminder to keep your diving fun, exciting, and most of all safe.
Gear Bag: This is most important in keeping your gear clean and mobile. Having wheels or straps and being durable is a must. Straps come in handy when you are doing alot of diving from a boat, used as a back pack it leaves your hands free.
TIP; Get a big enough bag to handle all your gear without having to stuff, creating damages. And don't get a bag with any type of logo advertiseing scuba equipment. That's kinda like leaving your keys in your New Mercedes (Steal Me.)
Mask: Don't throw away the hard case your mask came in, its perfect for transporting and storage. Your mask, and actually all your gear as a rule of thumb needs to be cleaned with fresh water immediately after each use. Certain oils and residues are processed into the materials that your mask is made of, cleaning preserves these, something to do with defog. TIP; During cleaning it's ok to use toothpaste that does not have any pumice abrasives, this works quit well. There's several products on the market that produce good results for cleaning and defogging, use these if you wish just before a dive and before storing.
Regulator: First stage regulators should be left on a pressurized tank while cleaning. It's very important to prevent water from entering while soaking. During soaking, work buttons, control levers, knobs or any other moving part to remove particles and debris.
Second stage regulators can be removed and soaked in fresh clean water. After drying with a clean towel, store in a plastic bag making sure the hoses are in a relaxed position. Have your regulators serviced at least once a year, or more often according to use.
TIP: Take plenty of bottled drinking water along so you'll have water to spare for cleaning purposes. Take along a big zip lock bag and put your 2nd stage and hose ends in the bag with clean water and sloush them around, empty and rinse a 2nd time, use the rest of the water for drinking and rinseing your hair and eye brows.
Snorkel: After cleaning, inspect purge for good seal, put in mouth, and place your hand over the top and suck. You shouldn't get air in from the purge or around the flex tube.
TIP: Never spray silicone on the valves or snorkel housing, it makes for valves getting sticky and the snorkel housing sticking to the side of your diving hood.
Weight Belts: Before cleaning and storing, remove weights from pockets, this will allow for drying. Store weights in Gym weight bag seperate from belt. This keeps the pockets from getting damaged in storage and transporting.
TIP: Check weight pockets and quick release system for obstruction or damage. If damaged, replace.
BCDs: Just like regulators BCDs should be soaked and rinsed in clean fresh water. If water was allowed to enter the BCD, make sure you rinse the inside of the air bladder.
TIP: Fill the bladder half full of clean water while depressing and holding down on the Oral Inflator button, release and sloush water around and drain completly by depressing the oral inflator button while upside down. Leave upside down and partially inflated during storage.
Wetsuit, Booties, Gloves: After cleaning, apply conditioner too materials found at your local supply store. This help control ordors and help from fading and cracking.
TIP: To prevent sticking of zippers, apply a light coat of beeswax by rubbing back and forth. Hang your wetsuit, gloves, booties on some type of hanger that eliminates folding or creasing, and allow to dry before storage. Store in plastic bag.
Lights And Cameras: Water, sand and salt are hard on lights and cameras. Cleaning by soaking in fresh water can add to the performance and lifespan. While soaking, work all moving parts back and forth to release any salt or sand.
TIP: Allow to dry, loosen all connectors, because they will freeze up and disallowing proper usage.
This doesn't cover all your diving equipment, but I think you get the general idea as to what I'm trying to relate. Keeping your gear maintained will give alot more enjoyment to your diving adventure, than getting to the diving site, and everything goes wrong. Makes for a dull day, huh.
If any of your equipment is worn or damaged, do yourself a favor and replace or have repaired by a qualified tech.
If your looking for alot of tips and professional advice on Scuba Diving, Trips and locations, visit me at www.scuba-pro-tips.com Alot of good advice for the Young Divers and Old, and also Women Divers. Tips for purchasing gear, used and new. Darrell Young
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