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The care and maintenance of your life support
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Whether it be a pre-dive check to make sure everything is working before your next trip, or its annual maintenance, our experienced staff will make sure your gear is tuned and ready for your underwater adventure. Our staff of certified technicians have been trained by many of the leading manufacturers, ensuring quality service from start to finish.
Remember that many manufacturers require annual service to keep your warranty valid. Turnaround time is 7 – 10 days, but rush orders can be accommodated. Once your gear is serviced, take advantage of our on-site pool to test the equipment prior to your trip to make sure everything is perfectly tuned. |
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| Question about your equipment service? email us! |
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Best Of eNewsletter
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Equipment Tip of the month
Foggy MaskWhat makes your mask fog? A warm face against a cold screen, or exhaling through your nose are common answers. But most commonly, it's dirt. Fog particles stick to dirt particles so small you can't see them. You get fogged up.The first step in keeping your mask fog-free is to clean it. Your skin oils, sunscreen and makeup transfer from your skin to the silicone mask skirt, eventually moving to the mask lens. Cleaning is the first step for a fog-free dive. New masks have a coating of silicone from the manufacturing process that has to come off the lens before any defog will work. Use Softscrub, a non-gel toothpaste or 500psi Mask Scrub and rub the inside lens with your fingers for twice as long as you think it needs. If you have prescription lenses, skip the abrasives and just clean them with soapy water. Before every trip, get out the elbow grease and clean the whole mask. Start with the silicone skirt, working in a silicone spray to clean off your last trips' worth of contaminates. Follow this up with the same procedure for cleaning a new mask on the glass and you are ready to begin. But a clean mask is just part of the answer. Another foggy factor is temperature differences. When the water temperature is cooler than the inside surface of your mask lens, moisture condenses on the dirt particles. This is where defoggers come into play. There are just as many choices in defog as there are divers, and everyone seems to have their favorite. A nice lady on a trip asked me about the mold growing in an unreachable corner of her mask. After I looked at it and commented on how she might consider a new mask, she spit into her mask and smeared it around. "I just don't understand it", she said. How disgusting! I see experienced divers doing this. "I always know where it is" or "unlimited supply" they say. I'm not saying spit doesn't work. A popular dive magazine once did a test of defogs, listing spit third from the bottom, working better than some commercial options! There are reasons spit may not be your first choice. Besides the build up of contaminates in your mask, spitting can lead to an eye infection. There are organisms found in spit you wouldn't want in your eyes, like flu viruses and cold sores. My personal preference is Sea Gold. Smear a small dab, smaller than the size of a pea, on the inside of both clean lenses, rub in and gently rinse. Avoid the blast from the hose on the back of the boat. The pressure of the hose washes all the defog out! Rinse it in the water you're going to dive in (ie the ocean, crater or reservoir). Despite your best efforts, on occasion your mask will fog up during a dive. Remember your partial flood and clear during your PADI course? Let in a little water at the top of your mask, look down, rock your head and let the water clear the fog. This is why you never see mustached (leaky mask) divers with foggy masks! I see divers rinsing their masks at the end of a dive in the same tank with other gear. We all know there are two types of divers - those that pee in their wetsuit and those who lie about it. You're going to rinse your mask in that tank with someone's wetsuit? It's fresh water from the hose or a dip in the sea for my mask, then defog for the next dive. Dedicated mask rinse buckets? If someone has spit in their mask, the rinse bucket is contaminated. Next time you stop in the store, get a recommendation on defog. Our sport is very visual. You don't want to miss anything! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Traveling with Camera and HousingFor any of you that have traveled with us, you know part of my equipment needs are my camera and housing. This gets wheeled around the world in what has affectionately been nicknamed "the Schoolbus", a bright yellow hard sided case that has visited so many countries it should have its own passport!With the recent purchase of a new camera and housing, it's time to reevaluate my dive luggage needs. From carry on to hard sided cases, and with weight and size restrictions, there are numerous ways to get your gear from point A to B. The benefits of a carry on option are pretty obvious - it's always close at hand, you have complete control of it, and as long as you don't leave it in the overhead compartment, it's the best option for safeguarding your equipment. Whether hard sided or soft, there are numerous bags and cases available to fit this need. But on the downside, cameras, housing, batteries and spares pack a hefty weight, and with certain airlines limiting their carry on bag limit to 15lbs, this option may not work for everyone. I've seen many a diver wrap their gear in t-shirts and bathing suits and use a standard suitcase as their checked luggage. Although convenient, this doesn't provide the protection today's sensitive camera equipment needs. Finally, there's the hard sided case. Durable and safe, this seems to be the option of choice for photographers serious about protecting their equipment. With a range of sizes, there really is a case to fit any photographers setup. Although out of your control while hurtling through space in a round metal tube, I've found the benefits greatly outweigh the deficits. By having a dedicated case for my photo equipment, everything has its place. It becomes the ideal storage container while it rests in my basement, ready to hit the water once the next trip comes around. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Wrangling Long HairThis month's equipment tip is about keeping something out of your equipment. The ladies at the store have been bugging me about highlighting their highlights - What to do with your do?!? So we brought in the experts to get a quick opinion on how to wrangle long hair while diving.We hear complaints abound on how to keep hair from getting tangled in tank valves and BCD clips, so wanted to bring up some ideas for keeping your long locks out of your gear. Jill's favorite is her hooded vest, followed by her Squid Lid, a baseball style cap where she can thread her ponytail through the back. Kim loves the standard beanie, but we all asked what long hair she was protecting! And although Michelle prefers the wild and natural look, you'll never see her without a Slap Strap on her mask. Scuba Do Rags are also a popular option, with both guys and gals sporting them (they're great for keeping your dome from getting sunburned!). Be it fashion or function, covering our heads is a great way to stay warm, sport our personality and keep our service techs from pulling copious amounts of hair out of our regulators! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Safety FirstSafety First - we hear it all the time in our scuba adventures. We can be safe by keeping our training current and our equipment serviced. But there are a few things I won't dive without when it comes to safety.Above and below the water, there are several devices I connect to add to my overall safety while diving. Below the water, I carry a Rattler (or Shaker). Whether I've spotted a seahorse or lost a weight pocket and need assistance, this little device is quick to get attention with very little effort. Some like to bang their tank with their knife, but I find this to be muted and often not heard. Noisemakers, like the Dive Alert Plus, are another great attention getter, with their quack-like buzz. Speaking of knives, you will always find mine firmly attached to my BCD. Small and sleek, this little lifesaver is great for both cutting fishing line, as well as dicing my apple at lunch! Above the water, you'll never see me leave the dock without my Dive Alert and Safety Sausage. These two little devices have saved my bacon on three separate occasions. The Dive Alert Plus offers both an above and below signaling option that is a great add-on to any set up. It's easy to overlook these basic safety devices while putting together your gear package, but they could be the one thing that keep you from floating afar from your group. Just remember, it's Safety First! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Diving DryIt's summertime, our reservoirs are open, and the local diving scene is just warming up! It's also the time of year we get lots of questions about diving dry.Very briefly, diving dry simply means you have a layer of air (or some other gas, like argon), between yourself and your suit, and it, coupled with your undergarments, are what keep you dry and warm. A wetsuit puts a layer of water between you and the suit, your body warms it up, and that's how you stay warm. Putting 80 degree water next to your skin, though, is much more delightful than if it's 60! Many of our local divers choose to dive dry for the added comfort and extended dive time in our chilly waters. You might quip that you have no intention of diving our local waters, so why does diving dry impact me? A drysuit isn't just for our local waters. Want to see the giant octopus and wolf eels in British Columbia? Or how about the Florida Keys or Hawaii in the winter (temps got to 64 degrees this year)? I'm a huge fan of my Tropical Drysuit (a thinner dry suit with ankle seals), perfect for diving throughout the more temperate waters we see during the winter months in "tropical" locations. Understanding what exposure options are available to us can greatly increase our realm of diving. I never thought diving Alaska would be on my "must do" list, but cruising down the Inside Passage certainly was, and I'm so glad I took the time to learn about dry suits so I could take advantage of that incredible diving opportunity. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Prepping Ourselves for VacationSchool's out, and for many it's time to head out on a vacation to some tropical destination. Many can just pack a bag and jump on a plane, but for us scuba divers, we need to think about preparing ourselves for the upcoming adventure.Our life support equipment should be on the top of the list of things to take care of. Annual maintenance, or if it's been less than a year, a pre-dive check by the service department, is always a good idea. Plan ahead early as it is not uncommon for the service department to need about a week to turn your equipment around. Now that your gear is ready to go, how are your diving skills? If it has been longer than two years since your last dive, we'd highly recommend a Scuba Review (many dive operators are requiring this if it's been longer than 2 years). This is your chance to knock out all the cobwebs and be prepared to enjoy your vacation from dive #1. If you've just had some equipment serviced, this is a prime opportunity to make sure it is tuned to your satisfaction. Have a new piece of equipment? Be sure to get comfortable with this as well. If it has been less than 2 years since your last dive, schedule a pool workout, or join our monthly Pool Night to come and try everything on, getting yourself and your gear ready for your trip. A few steps taken now can greatly improve your first dives in that tropical paradise. By planning ahead, you can turn that first giant stride into a confident step towards a relaxing vacation! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Equipment We Can’t Live WithoutAs I sat down to write this month's Equipment Tip, I started thinking about all the things we need to go diving. Regardless how hard we try, we always need some gear to go sight-seeing below the waves. But not all of it is diving specific, so I asked some of our staff what they can't live without when they go on a trip. Here are some of the responses:Michelle - The first thing I can't live without on a dive trip is my wetsuit. I LOVE my 5mm Henderson H2! I never have to worry about getting cold in a poor fitting rental suit or wondering how many other people peed in the suit before me. The second thing I can't live without is my Balanza travel scale. With all the new airline restrictions I need to know exactly how much my bag weighs. This is critical when you like to shop as much as I do! Jill - If I could only pack two things on my trip I'd take my dive computer and hood. My Suunto D9 has been with me for over 300 dives, and I feel uncomfortable without it. And anyone who knows me knows how cold I get, so my Cuttlefish beanie is a must. Plus, it's easy to find me in a crowd with my pink hat sticking out. Ryan - When I go on an trip the one item that I will never dive without is my regulator. I know that it has been serviced, how it works and most importantly it has only been in my mouth. Secondly I can't live without my own mask. I go diving to see the beauty around me (and try to film it), so I don't have time to worry or mess with a leaking mask. Brian - Two things I can't live without, my Save-a-dive kit and my Bose headphones. More than one trip (both my own and others) has been saved by something I've pulled out of my Save-a-dive kit. It's a bit more involved than most, but it truly is a "dive saver" if anyone has a problem. And I don't even think about traveling without my Bose Noise Canceling Headphones. Whether it's a screaming baby on a plane or a loud generator on the boat, I can find instant relaxation by plugging in and tuning out! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Taking Care of your EarsComing off of cold season in our neck of the woods, I am reminded of one of the biggest concerns we have while diving - our ears. A malfunctioning regulator or BCD can be replaced, but once your ears go south, your dives are done.Accorinding to Divers Alert Network, 65% of scuba divers suffer from ear problems which keep them away from the sport. Preventative care post dive is the key with our ears. The most common cure is some sort of ear drop, like Swimmers Ear. Being diligint with this after every dive is the key. Sahara's Dry Ear is another option, basically like taking a small blow dryer to your ears. A very effective method for protecting your ears is by keeping the water out to begin with. Doc's Vented ProPlugs are a great invention that seal the outer ear, keeping water out completely. When fitted properly, these even help divers equalize and reduce ear squeeze. All the best scuba equipment in the world won't help once our ears get infected. This is one of those times when an ounce of cure really does provide immeasurable benefit. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Fighting Off SeasicknessThe Ides of March are upon us. For those familiar with history, you might think I'm referring to the passing of Julius Ceaser, or of some impending doom. But for those diving in the Caribbean, this time of year is consistent with winter storms and rough seas.So what does the weather have to do with our gear tip? Sometimes the best equipment we can have to make our dives more enjoyable is something to combat a bout of seasickness! Regardless of what you call it, seasickness can ruin your vacation. Some think you are either prone to it or not. While this may be somewhat true, even the strongest of guts have been known to toss once the seas really turn nasty. The good news is there are numerous options available to fight off this dive killer. Pills, patches, bands, watches - they all have some level of effectiveness. Which works best for you really depends on your level of acuteness. For those with a mild case, ginger might be the ticket. Ginger candy probably ranks as our favorite, but pills, ginger ale and even ginger root can all do the trick. If you are prone to seasickness every time, you might be better off medicating prior to your first boat ride. For over the counter, we prefer Triptone, a pill you take every 4-6 hours, over other alternatives like Dramamine, which can make you drowsy. For even more effective relief, a prescription to Scopalamine, or Scopaze, will be your best bet. Offered in either a pill taken every 8 hours, or a patch effective for 3 days, this drug does wonders in relieving symptoms. The downside to any of these options is you must start your treatment prior to getting seasick. For those wanting more immediate relief, bands and watches are another option. While pressure point bands provide relief to some, we much prefer the watch style Relief Band. This is the one solution that is most effective for immediate relief of symptoms (ie feeding the fish). Finding your right solution might be a bit of trial and error. But the next time your boat's a rockin', don't be shocked to hear your tour operator spout to beware the Ides of March! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Beating the Airline Baggage Games"You're over weight." This isn't something we like to hear, especially when we are standing at the airline check in counter. But there is a way we can beat the airlines at their baggage games.Have you ever weighed your empty wheeled gear bag? You may be shocked to find that a third of your allowable weight is just in your luggage. While some have opted for plain duffle bags, I refuse to give up my wheeled luggage. A better way to do it is to look at the new lighter bags available. You might even consider some of the new lighter equipment to go inside, but that's another subject for another day. While I typically tip the scales at close to the 50lb. maximum, I start out ahead of the game with a wheeled bag that weighs only 8lbs. All of my dive gear, a week of clothes, plus some spare gear all fit in under 50lbs. Add to that my trusty Balaanza digital scale, and I know wherever I am, I'll be one step ahead of the airline rules. But watch out, these new lightweight bags are so nice, you'll soon be using them on all your trips, not just for diving! back to "Best Of" Service Tips Stuffing the TurkeyI usually take this space to provide some useful information about some piece of your dive gear. This time of year I feel it's important to focus on our most important piece of equipment fundamental to diving - our bodies.With Thanksgiving this week, followed by a month of sweets sitting around the office and holiday get togethers, thinking about staying in shape for our next diving adventure can help curb our appetites. Although round is a shape, it's usually not the most flattering in a wetsuit! Read more in this informative article by Scubafit.com. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Keeping your Gear CleanYour dive equipment takes care of you, are you taking care of it? Taking the time to properly clean your equipment during and after your trip can add years of life to your gear.While on vacation, take the time to rinse your equipment after every dive. The dive shop rinse bucket is a good place to start, but that fresh water rinse quickly turns into a salt bath if you are the last one in line. Adding a splash of Sink the Stink midweek can freshen up your wetsuit and booties, making them much more enjoyable to don. Once home, plan on filling a large tub with fresh water (your bathtub is usually a good option). A sink or hose can work in a pinch. Ideally, you'll have one tub with fresh water and a detergent, such as McNett's BC Life or Wetsuit Cleaner. A second tub with just fresh water makes for the perfect post clean rinse. If you only have one, make sure to take the time to give your gear a good second rinse with either a hose or refill your tub. The most important rule to remember with your regulator is ensuring your dustcap is in place. This keeps water from entering your first stage, which can lead to a need for service from the professionals. Ideally, regulators should be rinsed while under pressure from an air tank. If you don't have access to one, make sure to not depress the purge valves on any of your second stages. This could allow water to seep into your hoses through the mouthpiece. Your BCD can handle a bit more rigorous cleaning - dunk it in the water several times to try and dislodge any salt crystals or sand particles. Next, you'll want to wash the inside of your BCD. Some can be accessed by unscrewing the Low Pressure Inflator from the shoulder mount. Others require you to go through the deflation valve while using a hose to pour fresh water through the hose. Stop in and we'll help determine the best method for your equipment. Make sure to empty the BCD completely; it's best to orally inflate your jacket several times, turning it upside down to drain the water. Once it is clean, partially inflate the jacket (a couple puffs will do), and hang it out to dry. Wetsuits, booties and other items can be dunked several times, rinsed and hung or laid out to dry. Once complete, store your equipment in a cool, dark place until you need it for your next island vacation or its next annual service. Want to learn more about keeping your gear in top shape? Consider completing the PADI Equipment Specialist course. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Keeping your Mask, Snorkel and Fins for a LifetimeIf you're like many divers, taking care of your mask, snorkel and fins probably consists of a small dose of spit and the occassional fresh water rinse. Did you know there is more to taking care of your mask than just rinsing it off in fresh water and storing it for the next trip?If you want your mask, fins and snorkel to keep that fresh from the store look, and more importantly keep the silicone soft and supple, spray each item with silicone and wipe it clean. This will also help slow down the the yellowing of the silicone. Another great use for silicone spray is for getting into your full foot fins. A quick once over with the spray will help your foot slide right into those fins! You can purchase small bottles of silicone here at the store. We keep one in our save a dive kit for use on trips as well as keeping our gear fresh on our return. Want to learn more about keeping your gear in top shape? Consider completing the PADI Equipment Specialist course. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Equipment Myth #1"Blow some air from your tank on your regulator's first-stage dust cap"It's a mystery to me how this practice ever got started. Why not just dunk the whole thing in the ocean since it has the same effect? When you crack the tank valve following a dive, there is a fairly good amount of salt water being trapped in the o-ring groove, which you immediately atomize into a wonderful salty grit forcibly coating the dust cap, then sealing that corrosive cocktail on your first stage. If you're really concerned about cleaning, dip it in fresh water or lick it off before replacing. That also saves a lot of needless noise from sudden tank blasts that the harried boat crew thinks was a burst disc or blown o-ring. Article courtesy of Bret Gilliam back to "Best Of" Service Tips FlashlightsWe have had a lot of people booking trips all over the world to escape the winter cold, which got me thinking about a piece of equipment I take on every dive - my flashlight. This simple device brings out so much, from the lobsters and eels tucked in their holes, to the obvious need during a night dive. Regardless, I always have one with me.After seeing numerous flooded and mistreated lights, I wanted to pass along some bits of advice on the care and maintenance of these essentials tools. The biggest report we get is people returning from trips saying their light flooded, and it's brand new. Most never think to look at the o-ring, let alone take it out and clean it prior to its' maiden voyage. Prior to your next trip, take your batteries out of the flashlight, loosen the cap or cover, and if possible, remove the o-ring and put it somewhere clean and safe (I like to put mine inside the light, where the batteries normally reside). Once to your destination, install the batteries, clean the oring and groove on the light, apply a light amount of silicone grease (it should shine) and reinstall the cap. Test your o-ring by putting your light in the rinse bucket for a few minutes. Once your dive is complete, rinse your light in fresh water. If you need to change the batteries, repeat that entire sequence (most just unscrew the cap and replace the batteries, failing to take care of that critical o-ring each time). What to do with those old batteries? Bring them home and use them in a low voltage device, like a TV remote or wireless mouse. Most used batteries will power these items for several months. Or recycle them at any number of retailers, including Batteries Plus or Home Depot. back to "Best Of" Service Tips Timepieces for scubaWhether it's a dive computer or a dive watch, timepieces built for scuba diving are amazingly rugged and built to withstand significant depths and other extremes. However, taking the time to properly care for these precision instruments will help insure long life and reliable service.
These few tips can extend the life and reliability of your timepiece. Want to learn more about keeping your gear in top shape? Consider completing the PADI Equipment Specialist course. Article courtesy of Sport Diver Magazine back to "Best Of" Service Tips |
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