Hygiene in diving

By Jean-Marc Claes

 

Hygiene in diving, practical application!

 

So many articles have already been written about hygiene in diving, so we are going to take this in a very practical matter…see below for what hygiene you might be able to implement, improve, or change:

 

Dive masks

Are you still using spit to defog the mask?

If not before, COVID taught everyone that spit is NOT DONE!

So, use a good defog product and guess what, your shop sales will increase as well!

 

Using your own-made product might be cheaper, but that gives the message that your customers should make their own as well instead of buying it in your shop.

 

Dive suits, neoprene products

Nothing is really more appalling than a bad-smelling dive suit, dive boots or any neoprene.

 

Don’t just use a normal disinfectant, but use one with a nice smell (coconut is really nice and gives the users the idea of tropical dive destinations). You can add an odour supplement to a disinfectant.

 

Don’t forget the golden rule:

There are two kinds of scuba divers: those who pee in the wetsuit AND those who lie about it!

 

Dive knife

Many people have the wrong idea about Stainless Steel or Inox (as called in Europe).

 

The English language says it best: STAIN-LESS…it doesn’t mean STAIN-FREE steel!

 

All steel will rust, so we need to maintain it!

 

After diving, rinse it with fresh water and properly dry it. Next is proper maintenance to remove the upcoming corrosion.

 

Protecting the knife blade with silicon grease will limit the amount of corrosion a lot!

 

BCD/Wing

Not only does the outside need to be rinsed (marine particles get stuck on the BCD and create a smell when drying), but even more important is the inside of the bladder! With the use of the BCD, water will enter the bladder and most divers, when properly trained, were taught to drain the bladder after each dive.

 

But this does not keep the inside of the bladder from getting in contact with marine particles; again, these will create bacteria and a bad smell in the bladder!

 

Rinsing the inside of the bladder with fresh water does NOT suffice, so rinsing it with a disinfectant is also needed.

 

One remark: when taking the inflator off to properly rinse the inside, watch not to lose the sealing ring connecting the inflator to the BCD…once this ring is lost, the BCD will NOT hold the inflated air anymore and will not do its job. This will create a very dangerous situation on your next dive!

 

At the same time, check the stainless steel parts on the BCD/wing/backplate, and also check the screws connecting your backplate to the tank holder…the threading of the screws and bolts are very sensitive to corrosion!

 

Last but not least, offer your customers a up-to-date equipment maintenance course, teaching them how to use the different products (that they can buy in your shop, of course) to maintain their gear.

 

Don’t be afraid to show them some technical aspects of the dive gear they use. It will only improve their understanding and appreciation of the yearly professional maintenance you offer to them. If you do not have an outline for this Equipment maintenance course, contact us, and we will be happy to get you one.

 

After all, ScubaBiz.Help is here to help you, not only in theory but in the practical application of it all!

 

Be more successful is what we all need in the scuba diving industry!