Repair & Maintenance

Rinse after every dive — the single most important habit
Salt water, chlorine, and silt are the primary causes of premature gear degradation. Salt crystals left in neoprene seams, regulator hose fittings, BCD bladder connections, and zipper teeth accelerate material breakdown. Rinse everything thoroughly with fresh water after every dive — exterior surfaces, BCD bladder interior (add water through the inflator hose, slosh, drain), regulator hoses with the dust cover on (never with the first stage port exposed), and the inside of wetsuit and drysuit boots. A thorough rinse takes three minutes and adds years to your gear.

Wetsuit and neoprene care
Wetsuit shampoo removes salt, chlorine, and odor from neoprene without damaging the material or the seams. Use it periodically — not after every dive, but at the end of a dive trip or dive season. Aquaseal FD adhesive repairs tears, holes, and delamination in wetsuits, drysuits, booties, and other neoprene gear — applied as a flexible urethane sealant, it creates a waterproof bond that moves with the neoprene. For small pin-holes, a dab of Aquaseal from the inside of the suit is sufficient. For larger tears, clean and dry the area first and allow the adhesive to cure fully before the suit is used.

O-rings and silicone grease
O-rings are the small rubber seals used throughout scuba gear — tank valves, regulator first stages, BCD inflator fittings, dive computer battery compartments, and underwater camera housings. They fail by cracking, deforming, cutting, or becoming contaminated with sand and debris. A deluxe o-ring kit with 225 assorted sizes and o-ring picks covers most scuba gear applications. Some orings require a thin film of food-grade silicone grease to an o-ring before reinstalling it — this extends its life and ensures a proper seal (check the user manual of the piece of equipment for guidance). Never use petroleum-based lubricants, which degrade rubber over time.

Mask defog — apply before every dive
A clean, defogged mask lens is essential for seeing clearly underwater. New masks have a factory coating that causes persistent fogging — remove it by scrubbing the inside of the lens firmly with toothpaste or dish soap, then rinse. Before every dive, apply a small amount of defog solution to the inside of the dry lens, spread it around, and rinse lightly. Stream2Sea mask defog is reef-safe and biodegradable — what washes off your lens enters the water you are diving in. Never touch the inside of the lens with your fingers after applying defog — body oils cause immediate fogging. Never use a lighter to burn your mask lens to eliminate fogging - this can permanently damage or weaken the mask's lens and silicone skirt creating a serious risk of failure and safety underwater.