Cleaning your scuba diving gear is another basic diving technique, yet it is one of the most important techniques too!

Having your scuba diving equipment in shape is a topic usually discussed among divers. It may seem an arduous job but it’s worth it! You don’t want your gear to mess up!

LEARN TO CLEAN YOUR SCUBA DIVING GEAR!

The following are a few easy tips when it comes to scuba gear maintenance. Learn to properly clean every part of your equipment so it lasts much longer and you can keep enjoying the benefits of diving whenever you please.

MASK

Did you know that bacteria in saliva will make itself right at home in the skirt of your mask? Do not spit to de-fog. Baby shampoo is cheap and it does the trick. It also makes your mask smell sweet; and it is kind to your eyes.

Post-dive mask care is as easy as soaking it in fresh, warm water to dissolve the salt. If you want to give your mask a good scrub, use a toothbrush and keep your oily fingers out of it.

BCD

Soak it in a tank of fresh water and clean the outside, and don’t forget: your BCD has an inside too. Fill it with water and orally inflate it to help the water swoosh around inside. You can drain it through the mouthpiece by holding it upside down, squeezing it.

Repeat this action until you’ve rid your BCD of any salty residue because if salt crystals form, they can stab your poor BCD from the inside.

WETSUIT

Let it soak in warm water for a few minutes. Knead the neoprene to clean those often-missed areas and then thoroughly rinse the suit. And remember, turn it inside out and repeat. After the last dive of your trip, soak your suit in a bit of diluted cleaner, such as a mild dish detergent.

Another tip you must follow: Do not put your suit in the washing machine please! 

REGULATOR

Keeping your regulator shiny clean begins with gear assembly. Before securing your first stage onto the tank, release some air. With that puff of air, anything that might have been in the tank will be released as well. Post-dive, dry the dust cap before replacing. Soak the reg for a few minutes in fresh water and rinse, make sure not to purge the second stage! You do not want any water creeping into the hoses or the 1st stage itself.

FINS

Cleaning your fins isn’t that hard! Just soak them in fresh water and rinse away the salt, they’ll keep their flexibility and they’ll keep smelling okay. If you’re feeling thorough, spray silicone conditioner on the rubber parts. (Overkill maybe?)

Make sure your bag is big enough for your fins. Pack them in the sides, making sure they don’t bend either! Your fins can help you be thrifty with your baggage; pack items like socks into the feet openings. Scuba diving gear is awesome, see?

So from now on, no excuses when it comes to cleaning your gear! If you didn’t before, now you know how to easily clean, store, and pack your dive gear. And all that money you don’t have to spend on replacing it? Properly pack those bags for another dive trip.