Hi everybody, and welcome to Scuba Diver Magazine. I'm Mark, and I've been teaching people how
to scuba dive for well over 10 years now. So you'll probably recognize me from the Simply
Scuba Channel and even my own channel, Safe Diving. For this video series, I'm going to
be going back to the basics of scuba diving, so that if you're just starting out or even
if you're just feeling a little bit rusty, you can dive back in, fresh in the knowledge
in the scuba diving basics. If you enjoy this video and find it useful, then don't forget
to like, and share it online so that your diving friends can see it as well, and brush
up on their skills. If you have any comments, questions, queries, or even corrections at
any part of the video, then let us know down in the comments below, and we, or even our
community, will help you out. So let's get into it.
Okay. So your BCD is arguably the most important piece of
kit to keep clean between dives, because neglecting BCDs can go nasty and discolor pretty fast.
But mainly because your BCD is basically a sealed moist plastic bag, that has your spit
and sea water sealed inside. And if there's anything that high school biology has taught
me, it's that stuff that grows in an anaerobic environment, can be pretty dangerous. And
especially in this day and age, when everybody should be really concerned about how clean
surfaces are, especially those that end up in your mouth. It's important that we clean
our gear properly. Salt crystals can build up in the nylon threads of the material, and
give BCDs that weird white patch, but salt crystals can also build up in the valves themselves,
causing them to stick open or stick closed. Both of which are really bad for diving, but
even worse is the stuff that can be growing inside the bladder.
Cleaning your BCD properly inside and out will kill these nasties, and remove salt buildup.
So the next time that you go diving the valves are less likely to stick. And when you orally
inflate your BCD, then less likely that nasty bacteria or whatever it is, are going to end
up in your mouth. Before COVID-19, I only used to thoroughly clean my BCD inside and
out after a dive trip, not after every single dive, every time I go out of the water. However,
as with many things, a change in protocols now means that it is highly recommended that
you clean your BCD thoroughly after every dive, especially if you're sharing equipment.
And it can only benefit you to kill any nasties that can build up in your gear. So let's take
a closer look at how to properly clean your BCD to the current recommendations.
To clean your BCD inside and out properly, the first thing I like to do, is hang it upside
down for a preliminary wash down. And the reason for that being upside down, will become
apparent later. When the BCD is hung up, you need to wash the outside of it and rinse it
down thoroughly, to remove as many contaminants as possible first. Then by removing one of
the dump valves, flush the inside of the BCD with some fresh water, and drain it out of
the inflator at the bottom. That's why it was hung upside down. This is only good for
removing just a few nasties. So the next part requires a dunk tank or a bath with some detergent.
Current recommendations are to use a detergent that meets apnoea standards, such as SeptiOne
Materiel, which is a biodegradable, bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal, and algaecide. So it's
killing all of the nasties without harming your equipment.
Make sure that you're pressing both the inflate and deflate buttons, and using the dump valve,
so the soapy water gets everywhere. And use a sponge or a brush to remove any buildups.
Leave to soak for a good 10 minutes to let the detergent do its thing. Once cleaned inside
and out, you need to wash the detergent off with fresh water, and again, pay particular
attention to the valves. Inflate your BCD, and hang it up upside down to dry, so that
any water inside of the bladder will collect in the inflator hose. So now that your BCD
is squeaky clean, you need to make sure that it is bone dry, but don't leave it in direct
sunlight if you can avoid it. Harsh sunlight is just going to discolor your BCD, and make
plastic parts of it brittle and even crack. Double check for any salt buildup anywhere
when it's dry, and give any areas a good scrub if you find any salt.
Play with a valves so that they don't stick, and make sure that any water trapped inside
is purge. Remember to inflate it a little bit so that the walls of the bladder don't
touch on the inside and stick. But don't fully inflate it to the max, because that can put
strain on the seams, and puncture your BCD, especially if your overinflation valve sticks.
Once it's dry inside and out, store your BCD in a cool dark place, so it's ready for your
next dive. Don't forget to like this video and subscribe to the Scuba Diver Magazine
Channel, and ring that little bell to brush up on your basic scuba diving skills. And
let us know your best gear maintenance tips in the comments below. Okay, so now you're
a bit savvier with your scuba diving basics. Don't forget to subscribe to the Scuba Diver
Magazine Channel, to stay up to date with the latest scuba diving news and advice. And
don't forget to put your comments down below in the comments. Thank you for watching, and
of course, safe diving.