How Controversial Are Your “Why do divers rinse off after dive? ” Opinions Compared With Everyone Else’s?

Diving equipment must be disposed of after use before storage. In order to avoid damage to the equipment and maintain and extend the life of the equipment, divers must follow basic maintenance and storage procedures.
Generally speaking, there are three simple steps:


Some of the funkiest gear I have ever driven home with was from freshwater dives. While you don’t need to combat salt you can come out with a wicked bioload and I’m not talking self generated here.

My diving is a mix of salt and fresh. I will cut some corners on the fresh water clean-up like not soaking things like tanks & regulators and other “hard items like knife and maybe even fins if they are clean. and not flushing the BC interior.


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Dry out

If the equipment is to be stored in a place where there is no air circulation, the equipment should be completely dried to prevent the equipment from mold.
An airtight equipment bag is the worst place to keep freshly washed equipment.
The ideal place to dry the equipment is in a place where direct sunlight cannot be exposed and there is air circulation.
The winter clothing should be hung up and air-dried, and other equipment should be placed where the water can be easily drained.
Gear bags, drysuits and other similar equipment should be turned inside out before drying.

Lay in

Once the equipment is completely dry, you can store it for the next use.
If the manufacturer of diving equipment does not mention the need for a special storage method, the general recommended storage method is: The storage place should be protected from direct sunlight (preferably completely dark) and free of automobile exhaust, electric motors or other easily.
Rubber products cannot be bent or folded.
Transparent silicone equipment should be stored in a place that will not directly contact the black rubber equipment to avoid discoloration of the silicone.
It is best to hang cold clothes on a wide hanger.

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Other point of view

The primary reason for rinsing gear after salt water diving is to remove the salt. As salt water dries, the salt crystalizes, which can damage your gear. Salt water creates a hypertonic environment, meaning it actually kills bacteria.

Fresh water, such as lakes, will harbor bacteria. For that reason alone it makes sense to rinse all your gear in clean water after diving in a fresh water environment.

As for “all your gear,” such as the computer, knife, and other plastic or metal items; I would still rinse them after diving in fresh water for two reasons. First, it is just a good idea to discipline yourself to rinse and clean all your gear whenever you dive. Think of it as the Zen of diving. The second reason is, do you really want to take a chance that some nasty organism is living on your dive computer? After diving in a lake, I usually dunk my gear in my pool, then rinse it off. That should kill pretty much anything.

On a more practical note, my gear seems to smell worse after fresh water dives.



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