Kit Care

Here are a list of some commonsense tips for looking after diving equipment. Some are obscure pearls of wisdom, others are so blindingly obvious you might wonder why they need to be said - but many people have been known to do (or not do) them on occasion.

• Never leave cylinders standing up (except in the dive store, or a filling station where they won't fit otherwise). If they're not standing up, they can't get knocked over.

• Always wash equipment in fresh water after use. For delicate or unusual items ask if you are unsure how to care for them.

• Computers, dive timers, torches and other sensitive items should be kept separate from other kit and kept dry when not in use.

• Always, always remember to put the dust cap back onto a regulator first stage when it is removed from the cylinder. Make sure you dry off any water before you put it back - a quick breath will do - don't use the air from your cylinder

• When a suit is folded up in its bag, leave the zip undone, so that it doesn't get broken. When the suit is hanging up for storage or to dry, use a large sturdy hanger (like the kind for a smart jacket or big coat) and then close the zip so that the neck is not put under stress.

• Don't put a thinsulate undersuit into the same bag with a soggy drysuit after a dive.

• Always remove any weights from the pockets of a BC after use.

• Always drain the water out of a stab after use. To do this, partially inflate the stab, then turn the stab upside down so that the water collects down the inflate/dump hose and open the dump.

This page was last updated on : 09 Sep 2018