With the diving season ahead, you should ensure that your scuba gear is ready and all scuba equipment servicing was done.Â
That’s the reason why you need to keep your kit in proper working order via regular scuba equipment servicing, but how often should your scuba equipment need to be serviced?
Scuba equipment servicing is highly crucial for many reasons. The main one is to guarantee the proper safety and functionality of scuba equipment. Your dive gear is regarded as your lifeline underwater, so maintaining your gear at regular manners ensures safety and proper function.
In this guide, you’ll discover the different types of scuba equipment that needs to be serviced, the reasons behind servicing it and how often you need to service it. We’ll cover the details of the following dive gear: Regulators, Drysuits, BCDs, and Dive Cylinders.
Regulator ServicingÂ
Let’s talk first about regulator servicing and the reason behind servicing your regulator. servicing your regulator is very essential as, let’s face it, it’s considered your lifeline when being beneath the waves.
Over time, dirt and minerals build up in your regulators, so cleaning and servicing your regulator at regular manners is essential. In addition to that, You’re working in extremely high pressures. This can lead to a lot of wear and tear, mainly on moving parts, which you can find many of them inside your regulators.
How Often Should You Service Your Regulator?
So regardless of the importance of servicing, how often should your regulator be serviced? Well, it mainly depends on the type of your regulator. But most manufacturers recommend to service it one time every year or at least every 100 dives.
Drysuit RepairsÂ
If you’re scuba diving in cold waters, your drysuit should have inflate and deflate functions which you should treat it as if you treat a BCD when servicing it.
You should check these valves frequently in order to avoid any problems underwater, and seals around the ankles, neck and wrists can also degrade by time. If your gear keeps leaking, have a professional check the seals(Unless you can replace them yourself).
BCD Servicing
The mechanisms of inflating and deflating your BCD can be damaged from wear and tear. By doing regular servicing to your BCD, you make sure they are working by their maximum efficiency.
And let’s not forget that in the case of scuba diving in salt water, some salt crystals can be formed inside the bladder of the BCD Which can lead to a puncture.
Keep your BCD in good shape between services, in addition to rinsing it thoroughly after every dive.
How Often Should Your BCD Be serviced?
Your BCD should be serviced one time every year or after conducting 40 dives at least, whichever comes first. But again, it’s another thing that will be stated in the hand book of your BCD’s manufacturer.
But If you aren’t sure about how often you should service your BCD, ensure to give us an email and we can help you.
How Does BCD Servicing Work?
A certified technician performs BCD servicing by using official manufacturer servicing kits. He also flushes the internal bladder of your BCD using an anti-bacterial wash to prevent the growth of algae inside the bladder of the BCD.
Dive Cylinder ServicingÂ
Dive cylinder servicing is also very essential, as it’s a critical piece of equipment that need to be maintained regularly.
It’s the piece of equipment in which you store your air! So it’s crucial to keep it up to date and in well working by servicing it regularly. This device should consistently deliver clean, fresh air so you don’t suffer from poor air quality or any malfunction in the cylinder underwater.
How often Should You be Servicing Your Dive Cylinder?Â
Cylinders should undergo a visual inspection at least every 2 and a half years from the last date you see on the cylinder.
Dive centres shouldn’t fill up any tank whose date is past 2.5 years, so ensure to check test your tanks to avoid any disappointment when deciding to fill up your tank. Every 5 years, you should test the cylinder hydrostatically to ensure it is fit for purpose.
