Sanitising your Dive Gear

Proper gear hygiene is more vital than ever to ensure safe and worry-free diving.

Adapted from AsianDiver Issue 2/2020 Vol. 155

The coronavirus outbreak has into sharp focus the need to properly disinfect dive equipment, particularly rental gear. The Diver’s Alert Network (DAN) has issued some advice on correctly sanitising items such as second-stage regulators, masks, snorkels and BCD oral inflators. DAN says, 

Products that are commonly used to clean dive gear but are ineffective against coronavirus include antibacterial and chlorhexidine mouthwashes or sprays. Hot soap water must be paired with mechanical action such as scrubbing with a soft toothbrush to be effective.

Diving equipment can be sanitised by submerging in a 10% bleach solution or using Stermaine tablets or other quaternary ammonium compounds. Gear should be rinsed with fresh water afterwards. 

If you’re travelling and using rental gear, DAN suggests using a “household disinfecting wipe” to clean your regulator mouthpiece, snorkel, BCD oral inflator and the inside of your mask, and then rinsing with fresh water before use. DAN advises you to ask your operator to sanitise the equipment you’re renting – if you don’t have access to wipes to do it yourself.

Every Tuesday, UW360 brings you updates on the COVID-19 situation for the dive community. Keep a lookout for COVID-19 and diving related news!

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This article appeared in AsianDiver Issue 2/2020 Vol. 155.

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