Scuba Diving Equipment
Your equipment is vital to your survival underwater so we cannot stress enough how important it is to ensure you clean and care for your kit properly. Salt water crystallises when it dries and will damage seals, threads, etc which will cost you money to repair / replace. I don't know about you, but I would much rather take a few minutes after each dive to ensure I avoid some manic moments underwater. If you've ever had a problem with your air supply underwater and realised your buddy is too far away then you'll understand how serious it is, and how hard it is not to panic. Especially when your lungs are empty...
We've put together a brief equipment guide for you so you can make informed decisions about your kit when you're thinking about either buying new, or replacing old gear. It's broken down into the following categories...
1)
Mask
2)
Snorkel
3)
Wetsuit
4)
Fins
5)
Knife
6)
Computer
7)
BCD
8)
Tank
9)
Regulator
There's also a brief packing guide so that you can pack your kit more efficiently and avoid having it strewn all over the beach as you try and get kitted up before your dive.
As a general rule always rinse your kit in fresh water rather than use a hose. It's gentler on your kit and gives the salt chance to dissolve rather than be blasted off (which can damage your reg's, seals, etc)
Remember to rinse inside your BCD as well and keep rinsing until there's no more salt inside. How do you tell? Taste the water and you'll immediately know if there's salt left in there.
It's worth putting your BCD and reg in to soak first and then move on to your wetsuit, fins, mask, etc. By the time you've done those your BCD and reg should have had time to dissolve most of the salt away. Rinse them off and soak them again to make sure they're all salt-free.
Oh yes, before you start rinsing just make sure that there is actually fresh water in the rinse-tank. If you're the 20th person to rinse your kit in the tank then there's a good chance the water's full of salt so check first and if necessary change the water.