GEAR CLEANING

I can't begin to express the importance of taking good care of your dive gear. It was a major investment and more importantly your life depends on it. Salt water is a killer of dive gear particularly when it dries but don't think that just because you dove in fresh water that you're safe, every dive is an opportunity for sediment and other debris to get into your gear. Often times we are rushing to get into the water just before our dives so take the extra time while cleaning to inspect your gear for damage and wear. It would be better to find it now then on a charter boat 20 miles from shore! The following is a good guide to follow but is no substitute for reading and understanding your gear's manual. And when in doubt, consult your service dealer.

Try to have a place dedicated to the cleaning and storing of your gear. I have a heavy duty tub that I carry my gear to and from sites in which keeps my van dry, but I also use it to clean my gear. Once home I fill the empty tub with water (Warm water is preferred as it helps dissolve salt) and a bit of Cleaner/Conditioner available at your LDS. Now I've heard more than a few home remedies in my time, like baby shampoo and vinegar but when it comes to spending a few dollars to keep my gear in good condition and me alive..... I pay. Look, Some "Home Products" may do a great job at cleaning but does it work to well? Is it dissolving the stitching inside your BC or making it easier for salt to stick to your bladders surface? The products sold at your LDS like "Slosh" are designed to be "Friendly" to your gear and help dissolve salt, kill odor causing bacteria, and is environmentally friendly as what you put in your BC today will end up in the water on your next dive! The next big piece is drying! I have a place to hang all my gear after use which allows it to drip dry without the pain of losing a shower for an extended period of time. Make sure your stuff dries well, don't store stuff wet as it will smell badly when your pull it our next time!

NEOPRENE
When I get home all of the neoprene items get a vigorous dunking in an enzyme based cleaner designed for your gear. These cleaners remove odors that are caused by aquatic organisms that have moved in and died. After you dunk do not rinse the gear off let it dry so the cleaner can do its job as it dries. Now it goes on a drying rack or get hung on padded hangers to dry. I usually turn my wetsuit right side out at this point so I can clean anything that may have gotten on my suit during the dive. Also use a Padded hanger made for wetsuits. The padding distributes the weight of the suit and prevents crushing or creasing of the neoprene, and allows air to get into the suit for faster drying. Your LDS sell these special hangers. You can add foam pipe insulation to a sturdy hanger as a DIY solution.

Never place your neoprene products in a dryer or near any heat source. Neoprene is sensitive to extreme heat and this may destroy it. Again, Read your gears instructions for more detail.

BC
Water will find it's way into your BC during your dive, this is normal. It's  a good practice to dump accumulated water at every tank change. Salt water once in your BC and dries becomes razor like crystals that can destroy your BC's bladder and greatly shorten it's life. It's very important to rinse after diving in salt water to prevent salt deposits it can be argued that it's just important in fresh water to avoid stinky gear. If you have been in the pool you can lessen the effects of chlorine by getting things rinsed in non pool water ASAP.

I start cleaning my BC by removing any weights, lights and other significant accessories. Orally inflate the BC and drain any water they contain. I then sink the BC with the wetsuit in it's solution while I deal with other gear. When I get back to them I hold the dump button of the inflator in and using the hose load a quart or better of water down the hose and then add a few drops of BC cleaner (Such as Slosh) available from your LDS. Orally add a few good breaths to inflate the bladder. Pick it up and slosh it around thoroughly. Then drain it. I repeat this 2 more times. Be sure to exercise all of the dump valves as you go through this. I also press the inflate button on the third rinse when the water is the cleanest. Then hang it to dry, orally inflate it so that the bladder walls don't cling together and prop the inflator valve up on the hanger at the highpoint. You should have a special BC hanger or some sort of rack that will support the item safely. Leaving it inflated will also provide a good leak check when you return to your gear.

REGULATOR SET
Your Regulators are life critical pieces. Treat them that way! Don't test the durability of them by throwing them around or beating them up, to go along with that, it's important to rinse your regulator after every dive day. Keeping water out of the system while rinsing is very important, and again keep your eyes open, every gear cleaning session is a chance to notice cracks, abrasions and other warning signs.

Never let water get into your first stage inlet (the tank connection). And NEVER press the purge button on an unpressurized second stage while it's in water, this can let water into the system which can cause regulator or pressure gauge failure.

To keep water out of the system the only sure fire method is to connect your rig to an air cylinder and pressurize it. I honestly don't do this, but I'm very careful how I rinse my regulators. Swish the QD connector(s) and remove them from the water. Next swish the console or gauge and set it aside. Now take a second stage and swish it around being careful not to press the purge valve. Now just hang your regulator set to dry.

Use your tank air after every dive to clean your First Stage dust cover before refitting it as well as the fitting cover as well. Some prefer to leave the cap of for a while to let it all thoroughly air dry.

Other Gear
Be sure to rinse and dry your snorkel, lights, reels, SMB and all of the rest. If you put some time on your lights it's a good idea to somehow track burn time so you have some battery status. It's your decision how often to open the lights for inspection. Be sure to have some silicone grease to regrease the o-ring with.