Diving Equipment – Buy, Care, Keep
Diving Equipment – Buy, Care, Keep
All right now you have all the diving equipment you need to fully enjoy the sport, in the ocean, rivers and springs. Let’s take a look at how to get the most use out of what you have and how to keep it for years to come.
I always say the best way to get through to people in regards to explaining what they should do is tell them what you do with your equipment.
To start out, my first regulator was a Dacor double hose regulator that I purchased in 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio. I dove with that regulator until 1975 when I was transferred to Florida where I was forced to replace it due to the type of ocean diving requirements as well as no one wanted to buddy with me.
What I’m trying to get across is that I never had anyone look at my regulator for 19 years because there was no repair facilities available. Every winter, in between some cold water diving, I would dismantle the regulator and clean it as much as I could preparing for the next summer’s diving season.
Let’s face it, I treated that regulator as though my life depended on it because I knew the importance of it supplying me with as much air as I needed while underwater. I never placed the regulator in a situation where it was vulnerable to damage and kept it out of the sun whenever possible.
Now, as I had mentioned, I moved to Florida and shortly after had to put my double hose regulator on the shelf and search for a new single hose model. I ended up purchasing a U.S. Divers single hose model along with a spare octo regulator. In addition I had to purchase two of this combination because my son Gary was already diving at 14 and was also previously using a double hose model.
Remember this was in 1975 and it wasn’t until I retired, in 2001 and was working part time at a local dive shop that I replaced those regulators. No, they had not failed I had just been able to get a great price and felt it was time to move up to what the regulator manufacturers had developed over the last 25 years. To be honest there really wasn't that much difference, in fact there was a lot more plastic where there used to be metal that I felt protected the components better, but it did the job. The comparison follows with the old on the top and the new on the bottom.
How did we manage to use these regulators for such a long time? It wasn't that we didn't dive that much because in Florida we not only had a great selection of dive locations but most were close by. We could get to all the off shore diving charters we wanted down the East Coast in a matter of a couple of hours. If the ocean was not accommodating we could drive an hour or so up North and dive anyone of 20 to 30 springs with crystal clear water.
We would also go on an away dive at least once a year and dive for a week at a resort or on a live aboard dive boat where you could dive up to 25 dives in the week you were on it.
I'll tell you what kept those regulators, and the rest of our equipment functioning for 25 years it was preventive maintenance or what's known as just taking care of it.
Now lets get specific!
Regulator: Obviously this is the most important and expensive piece of diving equipment you own, especially if you include the Octo, Air Gauge, BCD connection and Computer that are usually all attached together.
Probably the first thing to be considered is how to store your regulator while waiting for that first or next dive. Some divers purchase one of the regulator bags but it's important you select one that has sufficient room to house all those components, mentioned before, that are attached to your basic unit.
It's not a good idea to cram your regulator into a small bag because what takes the most abuse are the hoses. When you curl up all those hoses in order to get them into the bag it puts a lot of strain on the hose connections especially where they attach to the regulator. OK, so you purchased hose protectors to keep the hoses from bending at their regulator connections, well think about that reason for installing the protectors "to keep them from bending" which also keeps them from bending enough to get them into the bag.
So just how do you store your regulator in order to keep this from happening, just place it on top of your other equipment in your dive bag with the regulator at one end and the hoses stretched out along each side of the bag. This way there is no strain on any of the components. If you haven't purchased a dive bag yet, just hang the regulator by the tank yoke on a closet coat hook, allowing the hoses to hang free.
I hope you caught that portion of the advice as to where you should hang your regulator. A closet hook, not a hook in the garage because you don't want your regulator or any of your other equipment exposed to the outside elements. Change in temperature is never good for rubber, plastic or even metal so keep your equipment inside when you're not using it.
Now let's go on charter boat for a two tank dive in the ocean. You've just finished your first dive and are changing tanks in preparation for the second dive. As you're transferring your regulator to the second tank be certain that no water enters the back of the regulator before clamping it to the second tank. If you get even a small amount of salt water into that opening when you turn on that tank there will be 3,000 lbs of pressure blowing that salt water into the high pressure workings of the regulator. Sound OK, Nooooo!
Now forward to having finished the second dive and it's time to put all your gear in the bag. As you take the regulator off the second tank hold your dust cap in front of the tank valve and allow a blast of air to blow out any water that may be in the cap before attaching it to the regulator. I have seen so many divers blowing out the back of the regulator and paying no attention to the cap that may be holding water.
Oh darn, the dives are over and your back at the dock. Everyone is headed to the rinse tanks to wash the salt water from their gear. This is a very good idea for everything but your regulator considering that everyone is throwing their wet suits, BCDs, fins and mask into this rinse water.
Now you know that while diving most people have the call to relieve themselves in their suit so you can imagine what is in those rinse tanks. If there's a hose nearby where you can separately rinse your regulator this is the best option. And when you arrive home I would advise you to rinse everything again and hang it up to dry before storing.
Buoyancy Compensator Device: The next most expensive and important piece of equipment is your BCD. Let's go back to the rinse tanks at the conclusion of the boat dive. It's a very good Idea to rinse this item in order to wash the salt water off the outside but don't neglect rinsing out the inside. I don't care how much you feel that no salt water managed to find itself into the interior of your BCD, I guarantee there will be some in there.
Water gets in through the various valves the BCD has. There are usually two dump valves, one at the shoulder that you can pull a cord to allow air to escape, one at the bottom with a pull cord and the one at the end of the inflator hose to release air to control your assent. These valves can allow a small amount of salt water in before they close tightly also as the BCD gets some age on it the seals tend to dry out and lose some of their sealing ability.
Case in point, I have had BCD's come into the dive shop that the customer is complaining of leakage and when I pull the valves out they are not only corroded from the salt but I have also found hunks of salt inside the vest itself.
Once again, if there is a rinse hose at the dock, you could direct some water in the inflation hose while holding down on the purge button. After that swish the fresh water around so it gets into all the inside and then dump it out the purge hose. Upon completion of the rinse, inflate the BCD so the internal air will dry it out.
If you plan to arrive home in the next couple of hours it won’t matter if you wait because as long as the salt water inside stays moist it can easily be rinsed out when you get there. The more you let salt water dry on your equipment the harder it will be to remove it by rinsing.
I recommend rinsing all your equipment shortly after you get home to make certain there is no salt water hiding in the various cracks and crevices of the BCD, wet suit, regulator or even mask and fins. This applies to even fresh water dives because you really don't know what organisms lurk in inland waters as well as the ocean.
A good investment for carrying your gear on and off the boat would be a large mesh bag so the water will drain out after the dive and rinsing. If you can purchase one that has two straps to carry it on your back that would be a plus if the boat is a distance from the parking lot. Finally, spring for a couple of large contractor type plastic bags for when you return to the car with the wet gear you can just slip the wet gear bag into the plastic bag and eliminate any drainage or odor in your vehicle.
General Care: I mentioned the importance of rinsing out and hanging up your gear when you arrive home. This is a valuable part of extending the life of all your equipment. Your regulator should be sprayed with fresh water overall with extra attention made to the mouthpiece area of both the primary and secondary mouthpieces. In this way you are eliminating any salt water that you may have missed on the initial rinse.
If for some reason you did not rinse your regulator and you see some white residue forming around the connections you can submerge the regulator in a sink or bathtub with water and add about a half cup of vinegar. Only leave the regular in this solution for about 15 minutes and then rinse with fresh water. Don't get in the habit of using this method to clean your regulator because after awhile it will begin turning the metal components black.
Your BCD should be rinsed out, as mentioned before, with about a cup or two of water introduced into the end of the inflation hose really shaking it around and up ending it to make certain the water enters both sides of the bladder. Then dump some of the water out of each of the dump valves so you clean out any salt water that may have collected there. Finally, once the water is out, inflate the vest and hang it up to dry in a warm temperature for about 12 to 24 hours.
Wet suits are another piece of equipment that should be thoroughly rinsed out both inside and out. Even if you dipped it at the dock remember how many people did the same thing and that's only those that were on your boat, there may have been other charters before you and you don't know how often the water was changed. Wet suit boots can be dried by overturning a lawn chair and putting them upside down on the legs. This allows the air to enter the entire inside. A simple device to accomplish this is by taking two pieces of thin wood and cutting a slot in each to fit together and inserted into the boot.
If you have a safety sausage rolled up be sure to unroll it, rinse it and hang it up to dry because it probably still has salt water among the folds.
Don't forget to rinse and dry the knife or scissors if you were carrying them because I have not really seen so-called stainless that fully resists rust. If you see rust starting to build on these items use some mild steel wool to remove it and coat the surface with a thin layer of silicone or Vaseline.
Finally we arrive back to square one which is to store all of your gear inside where the temperature and humidity don't vary to the extremes. If you leave your gear outside, in the garage or the trunk of your car you will be reducing the life of everything. The extreme heat and cold as well as changes in humidity will show up with the diaphragm in your regulator loosing its elasticity and your wet suit material beginning to stiffen. Fin and mask straps will eventually dry out and crack.
Finally, hang up your wet suit on a wide based hanger, don't stuff it into a dive bag because when you take it out a month or two later you will have a permanent crease in the arms and legs that will resist you getting into it on the dive as well as create a weak point that may later begin to wear.
Did I have any problem at all with my 25 year old regulator? Yes after about 20 years I had to have the first stage replaced but other than that, no major problems. My son however, had no major problems at all with his regulator which was a carbon copy of mine but he dove about a third less than I did.
How often do I have my regulator serviced? My quick answer is not very often. It all depends on how many dives you do and if you're noticing any abnormalities in the way your regulator is behaving. If you take reasonably care of your regulator it should not develop any serious problems.
Free Flow: This can occur due to two things, the most common being the wearing of a small round rubber seat in the mouthpiece end. Over time it gets more and more of a dent in the seat to the point that it allows air to escape. The second reason for free flow is more serious in that for some reason the first stage, attached to the tank, begins to send more pressure down the hose that should only have about 200 pounds in it and this extra pressure forces the air past the seat. This is not as common as just the seat wearing so as soon as possible you should take your regulator in to a shop to have the seat replaced in the mouthpiece which should solve the problem.
Keep an eye on your regulator hoses to look out for any leakage from the connections. This is a good job for your buddy while diving to let you know if they see bubbles.
Another sign you will need a new high pressure hose is if you see small bubbles forming along the hose. This is an indication that the rubber is breaking down and sooner or later the hose is going to fail.
If for some reason your tank falls off the bench, while on the boat, make certain that none of the connections are bent especially on the first stage attached to the tank. This can be a serious situation that could stop you from diving with that piece of equipment.
Remember, your equipment will serve you well for a good number of years if you don't drop it, don't bake it, don't freeze it, don't cram it, don't fold it, and most of all, don't neglect it. It doesn't know any better so it relies on you to take care of it.
George