Disinfecting Your Dive Gear

Posted Jan 24th 2007 8:28AM by Eric Brodeur
Filed under: Health & Medicine, Organizations, Beginners, Experts, BCs, Regs, Masks, Wetsuits, Other

Responding to someone's question about how to sanitize dive gear, DAN crafted a detailed response. Don't use household cleaners, go to your dive shop and buy one specially formulated for scuba diving equipment. Follow the directions and don't forget to rinse your gear with fresh water.

Really people...disinfect your gear? DAN claims there is no documented proof of viral, bacterial, or fungal infections brought on by diving.

How do I clean my gear? I hang it up outside and douse repeatedly with fresh water. Drip dry, return to storage. When I lived in an apartment I let it soak in the tub for awhile before the drip dry.

Considering my entire body is immersed in the ocean and has touched my lips and been ingested in small amounts, disinfecting my gear is probably the least of my worries.

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. I used to only rinse my gear with the hose, but I started to wonder if that was adequate. Now I rinse it carefully, soak it in the tub, let it dry, and then soak it again. I'm concerned that the dried salt water will make the plastic deteriorate faster than it should.

Posted at 8:46AM on Jan 24th 2007 by Willy

2. Here's another reason why divers should disinfect their gear:
http://www.divester.com/2006/05/26/dirty-diving-divers-spread-bacteria-among-coral/

Posted at 8:48AM on Jan 24th 2007 by Willy

3. After a long trip abroad we soak our stuff for a couple of days in the bathtub adding a spoonful of vinegar to clean possible calcium deposits off regulators. But disinfecting it, oh my, that sounds utterly ridiculous to me.

Posted at 9:14AM on Jan 24th 2007 by Andrea Ferrari

4. I've been rinsing my wetsuit for years and it's been holding up quite nicely. If anything, I'd say the BC should get a thorough soaking and drying.

Posted at 11:53AM on Jan 24th 2007 by Eric Brodeur

5. I was amazed how well a bit of Simple Green worked in a tub of water to sanitize wet suits and the like. I've also used mirazine to good effect. Of course DAN said to buy stuff at a dive store, they are part of the dive industry...

Posted at 12:55PM on Jan 24th 2007 by Jack Connick

6. After every dive in salt water you should spray your gear off and then soak it for at least 20 to 30 mins in fresh water. I also wash/soak the inside of my wing/BC, as water can enter when you dump gas. I dump the water on my lawn and/or flowers as I do live a water starved area.

I thing hang dry my stuff, including my drysuit, out of the sun and let it drip dry. I installed hooks up the eves in my side yard near my dive shed.

Posted at 12:56PM on Jan 24th 2007 by Bill Reals

7. Simple Green is liquid heaven. It does everything except spray itself.

I may be going to extremes by soaking twice, but I'm always concerned that the first time didn't quite get it.

Posted at 3:32PM on Jan 24th 2007 by Willy Volk

8. I've got the lazy system going. I hang my gear up, then shoot it with the hose. It takes about 10-15 minutes max.

Posted at 3:04AM on Jan 25th 2007 by Calvin Tang

9. Everytime I use my mask, I end up with a cold sore under my nose, just above my top lip.

I am prone to cold sores - I used to be a rower and spent a lot of time outside throughout the different seasons of the year - so are the cold sores a result of previous cold sores or should I be doing something to disinfect my mask after every use?

I currently rinse it with fresh water after every use, but don't use any kind of mask disinfectant.

Feedback welcome.

Thanks!

Posted at 11:49PM on Jul 2nd 2007 by Emma

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