If you don't want to take the time to rinse your gear, you can put it in the shower. This file photo dipicts a contraption used to rinse wetsuits. Kiddy pool not included.

An ounce of prevention will often save a pound of cure.

As participants in a sometimes physically demanding sport it is incumbent upon us to keep ourselves in good physical condition. Not being physically or mentally ready to meet the challenges of the sport can lead to serious problems. But just as preparation and maintenance are important to ourselves they are equally important for our equipment. The oceans are an alien environment and our gear, for the most part, is our life support and must be kept in top working order or the results could be disastrous. The time when we really need to rely on our gear is not a good time for it to let us down. And in many cases, a minute or two of inspection and preventive maintenance can save a world of aggravation.

Most of us are pretty good about the basics, tanks are visually inspected on a yearly basis and our regulators are usually overhauled once a year. These are two of the most critical pieces of equipment we use and they demand scheduled maintenance. But what about between services or after each time we use it? Rinsing is the first line of defence against damage to any of our dive gear but it is something many of us take for granted. Most of us do not rinse our gear thoroughly enough. And those of us who are photographers are probably the worst. We spend hours making sure that every molecule of salt is driven from our cameras but often give lip service to the rest of our gear. For a proper rinse, our gear should spend as much time, if not more, soaking in fresh water as it does in salt water. A quick spray with a garden hose just doesn't get all the salt out, especially from equipment such as regulators, which have a low tolerance to abuse, dirt and salt.

When was the last time you checked the bladder in your BC or gave it a thorough cleaning inside? The bladders on many BCs today are accessible either by unzipping the nylon covering for examination or by removing the inflator hose in order to com pletely flush out the bladder. Which ever the case, BC bladders should be rinsed out with fresh water on a regular basis prefer ably after every dive. Failure to do so can lead to a build up of abrasive salt crystals inside the bladder resulting in damage and eventually premature leakage.

Our drysuits are usually rinsed and it doesn't hurt to wash them in a mild soap solution occasionally. And if you have been using your drysuit on a daily basis for a week on a dive trip, you might want to consider products such as Sink the Stink or MiraZyme that will suppress that resulting pungent aroma that can often bring a tear to a skunk's eye. Besides keeping our drysuits clean it is important to inspect the zippers and keep them in good condition, especially on drysuits. Zippers should be regularly treated with bees wax or a cleaning and lubricating fluid specially made for zippers. This will make the zipper slide easily and keep it free of grit. Any loose threads on drysuit zippers should also be removed otherwise they could get caught in the zipper and lead to leaks. And don't forget the relief zipper if you have one.

Another very important piece of equipment that is crucial in keeping water out of places it isn't supposed to go is the O-ring. These small and often overlooked items also need regular inspection and TLC, especially those that receive the most abuse such as the one in your tank valve and the one in your light. Many an expensive dive light has flooded unnecessarily due to pure and simple neglect. And while we're speaking of lights, it's important to maintain batteries in good condition. Having a light die in the middle of a night dive is not only annoying, it can lead to bigger problems and it happens all too often. Don't take chances on batteries that are not in good shape. If you have already had a couple of dives out of a set of batteries then they probably won't last through one more complete dive. Maybe the remaining power could be used on a day time dive when light isn't that crucial but put in fresh batteries for a night dive.

Lastly there is the gear we don't use that also needs maintenance. Having a mask strap or a fin strap break just as you are about to enter the water is annoying and it's a common scenario that can be avoided by a minute of inspection before a dive. It is also why we should all keep a spare parts kit handy. But what about the equipment in that kit? I checked mine not long ago and the mask strap was almost in worse shape than the one I had been using for the past two years. O-rings, spare straps and tools kept in your spares kit should be inspected and well maintained on a regular basis. Keep items in individual compartments or containers so they won't get damaged or damage other items.

Routine inspection and maintenance of your gear is basically common sense. It takes only a few minutes and can save a lot of grief down the road. Maintenance will also prolong the life of your gear and it just might prolong your life.