Always rinse your gear in fresh water post dive! Dry equipment before putting it away!
Over 3 hours this afternoon, I learned more about scuba equipment than I have in the past four years of diving. On every piece of gear from mask, snorkel, fins, buoyancy compensator, regulator, tank, and wet suit, I learned about how to inspect pre-dive, how the equipment operates, and how to take care of equipment post dive.
I had heard some of it before, during open water certification or in the shop when purchasing gear, but I had never put it all together. I knew that some folks carried spare parts to "save a dive" in the event that a mask strap breaks, fin strap breaks, or an o-ring is missing. I have never put one together myself.
Some useful tips I picked up were keeping a toothbrush handy when cleaning to get sand grit out of any moving parts. Do not use silicone lubricant on any air handling equipment that may come in contact with nitrox. Turning the breathing adjustment clockwise makes it easier to breath. Turning the breathing adjustment counterclockwise reduces possibility of free flow.
It was a small class with the instructor and me and another student in the conference room. I asked a lot of questions and learned quite a bit from my classmates questions as well.
While I don't expect to continue on and get technician certified for equipment, I do know the path I could take.
I also have a short list running of potential new gear I would be interested in purchasing. Including an SS1 alternate air source and an air integrated computer.
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