Equipment Care

Rinse aids, wetsuit and BCD cleaners, odour removers, defog, zip lubricants, greases and repair adhesives from McNett Gear Aid, AP Diving, 500 PSI, Beaver and Absolutely Clear. Salt, grit and body oils do their damage slowly, and most of it is preventable. Always follow the care instructions supplied with your own equipment, and check the manufacturer specification before putting any cleaner or lubricant near it.

Diver cleaning mask in bucket of fresh water

Expert advice
Talk to divers who use the kit we sell.
Servicing and repairs
Regulators, cylinders, drysuits, BCDs and computer batteries.
Rutland dive centre
A real shop in Oakham, with training and pool sessions.
UK delivery
Posted across the UK. Ask about lead times on special orders.

Rinsing, cleaning and drying

A freshwater rinse after every dive removes most of the salt and grit that shortens equipment life, and it is the highest value five minutes you will spend on your kit. A rinse is not a clean, though. Wetsuits, undersuits and BCDs hold body oils and bacteria that plain water will not shift, which is where a purpose made wetsuit shampoo or BCD cleaner earns its place, including inside a BCD bladder where the cleaner has to go in and be drained rather than hosed over the outside. Dry everything fully, away from direct heat and direct sunlight, before it goes into storage.

Odour

Neoprene smell is biological rather than dirt, so masking it does not work for long. Odour removers act on the bacteria, and they need the item properly wetted and then dried out again. A suit that has been stored damp for a long time may need treating more than once. Follow the instructions on the product you buy, because dose and soak time differ between them.

Lubricants and greases are not interchangeable

Silicone grease, zip lubricants, zipper wax, beeswax and oxygen compatible greases all do different jobs, and swapping one for another is not a shortcut. Anything used on equipment that sees enriched oxygen has to be a lubricant specified for that duty by the equipment manufacturer. Check the manufacturer specification for your own equipment before applying anything, and if you are unsure, ask us or leave it to us as part of a service.

Repair products

Neoprene adhesives, seam sealants, patches and repair tapes will get a wetsuit, drysuit or bag through the rest of a trip and frequently a great deal longer. Use them on the materials the manufacturer lists, follow the instructions on the pack rather than something you read on a forum, and do not treat them as a permanent answer on a suit that has to keep you dry. For that, see Drysuit Repairs.

Cleaning is not servicing

Looking after equipment well extends the life of the parts you can see. It does nothing for the seats, springs, diaphragms and O-rings inside a regulator, a BCD inflator, a cylinder valve or a drysuit valve. Keep to the manufacturer service schedule for each item. We service dive equipment in house, from regulators and wings to cylinders, computers and drysuits: see Servicing.

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Frequently asked questions

It deals with most of the salt and grit, which is the single most useful thing you can do after a dive. It does not deal with body oils, bacteria or anything inside a BCD bladder, and that is what the purpose made cleaners are for.

Rinsing is also not servicing. It slows down external wear, but it does not reach the parts inside a regulator, an inflator or a cylinder valve.

The one the equipment manufacturer specifies for that part, and no other. Silicone greases, zip lubricants, waxes and oxygen compatible greases do different jobs and are not substitutes for each other.

This matters most on anything that sees enriched oxygen, where using a lubricant that is not specified for that duty is a genuine hazard rather than a cosmetic mistake. Check the manufacturer specification for your own equipment, and if you are unsure, ask us or let us do it as part of a service.

Only if the care instructions supplied with that garment say so. Some undersuits are machine washable and most wetsuits are not, so the garment label decides it rather than a general rule.

Where hand washing is called for, a wetsuit shampoo is designed for the job in a way household detergent is not. Rinse thoroughly, and dry away from direct heat and direct sunlight before storing.

Yes. Good care reduces the wear that comes from salt, grit and UV, and it will make a service go more smoothly, but it does not reach the seats, springs, diaphragms and O-rings inside your equipment.

Follow the manufacturer service schedule for each item. Dive Rutland services regulators, BCDs and wings, dive computers, cylinders and drysuits in house.