Scuba Equipment Care and Cleaning
Proper cleaning and routine inspection is the only way to ensure long life and proper operation.
Follow these simple steps to care for and clean your scuba gear:
SOAK, RINSE, DRY, INSPECT, STORE
SOAK
Soaking in warm water will help dissolve salt crystals, loosen dirt and debris, and make rinsing easier and more effective. Soaking can be done inside with a bathtub or outside with a garden hose and sealed container like a trash bucket or planting container. Fill the container enough so you can submerge equipment, but won’t overflow when you put gear into the container. The goal here is to submerge all your gear, either all together or one piece at a time. Adding a small amount of equipment wash to the water can help remove orders, pools chemicals, and salt. Please make sure your equipment wash is ECO friendly and safe, such as Aqua Suds.Remember to wash the inside of your wetsuit and BCD. The easiest way to wash the inside of your BCD is to add fresh water through the inflator, swish the fresh water all around inside your BCD, then empty the fresh water using each of the exhaust valves to rinse them as well.
If possible, regulators should be attached to a scuba tank and pressurized while soaking to prevent water from entering the first stage.
RINSE
Once all your gear is well soaked, remove it from the soaking container and rinse it thoroughly using low pressure fresh water from a hose or shower head. Remember to get the inside and outside of wetsuits, boots, gloves, and all other scuba gear. Regulators should still be pressurized during the rinse.
DRY
Most scuba gear can be hung to dry in a well ventilated area, away from direct sunlight. Wetsuits should be hung on a wide hanger designed for wetsuits. This is especialy true when the wetsuit is wet and heavy. Make sure everything is completely dry, inside and outside.
INSPECT
This is a step that is often overlooked. Cheick your equipment carefully before storing it may help to identify problems that can be solved before your next dive trip. Check all buckles, straps, hoses, etc., for signs of wear and for proper operation. It is recommended that all dive gear, including BCDs, regulators, tanks, dry suits, etc., be inspected annualy by a qualified inspection/repair facility.
STORE
Now that everything is completely dry and has been inspected, you can store your scuba gear ready for its next use. Store gear in a well ventilated, dry location, away from direct sunlight, UV rays, and ozone. Use hangers designed to store wetsuits and scuba gear.
If you are interested in more in-depth information on scuba equipment care, cleaning, and maintenance, consider taking our PADI Equipment Specialist Course.
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