Fin Maintenance

Maximize the Life of your Fins

Maintain your fins’ suppleness and flexibility with regular UV Protectant treatments. A brittle or cracked fin will inhibit kick efficiency. UV Protectant is also a great way to keep colors from fading on your PFD.

Wetsuit Cleaning & Care

Clean and deodorize your wetsuit

Regular cleaning with Revivex Wetsuit and Drysuit Shampoo prevents chlorine and salt damage (left half of photo) and keeps suits looking and feeling like new (right half of photo).

Step 1:

Find two clean large tubs – one for washing and one for deodorizing. Fill both tubs with enough warm or cold water to submerge your suit. To the first tub, add 2 capfuls (1/2 oz) of Revivex Wetsuit and Drysuit Shampoo per gallon of water. 

Step 2:

Give your suit a good scrub to eliminate saltwater, chlorine, sweat, urine and other residue. Regular cleaning maintains suit suppleness, keeps colors bright and eases suit entry.

Step 3:

To remove residual odors and bacteria from your wet suit, add 2 capfuls (1/2 oz) of Revivex Odor Eliminator to the second tub. For stubborn odors, apply Odor Eliminator directly to problem areas with a spray bottle.

Step 4:

Dip suit to saturate all areas. Remove from tub. Do NOT rinse.

Step 5:

Hang suit to dry on a flexible, padded wet suit hanger. As the suit dries, Odor Eliminator does its work - consuming organic matter such as hair, mold, mildew, as well as algae, bacteria, pollution, waste matter and urine, leaving your suit odor-free.

Wetsuit & Drysuit Care

Clean Your Wetsuit or Drysuit

Wash dry tops, dry suits and wetsuits in Revivex Wetsuit and Drysuit Shampoo. To eliminate the toughest odors dip suits in Revivex Odor Eliminator treated water and air dry. 

B.C.D. Maintenance

In addition to regular cleaning, a few simple checks after each dive will help keep your buoyancy compensator devices (B.C.D.) in top condition. Look for small tears and punctures, loose stitching and stressed fasteners. Repair with Aquaseal FD to prevent further damage. Check for leaks by pressurizing the B.C.D. using the oral or power inflator, then submerging the B.C.D. in a tub of water. Slowly rotate the B.C.D. in all directions, keeping an eye out for air bubbles. Mark the location of the leak, allow the B.C.D. to dry, then repair with Aquaseal FD.

Test the oral inflation and power inflation buttons to ensure they move freely. If they feel sticky, salt or sand could be the problem. Wash, and if problem persists, take the B.C.D. to your local dive shop for inspection. Use a toothbrush to remove sand from Velcro® and other nooks and crannies.

Store your B.C.D. in a cool, dry spot away from direct heat, sunlight, car exhaust and harsh chemicals. Partially inflate it with dry air to prevent mold and mildew growth. This will also keep the bladder from sticking together when stored over a long period of time.

B.C.D. Cleaning & Care

Maintain Your B.C.D.

B.C.D. Cleaner removed 4 tablespoons of salt from one B.C.D. (below) - some of the crystals were 1” wide! Salt crystals will abrade your B.C.D. bladder, hoses, O-rings and valves, irreversibly damaging this vital piece of gear.

Clean equipment regularly with B.C.D. Cleaner to preserve and condition the shell, interior lining, hose and valves and to eliminate damaging salt crystals.

Step 1:

Pour 4 capfuls (1 oz) of B.C.D. Cleaner into the mouthpiece, pressing the oral inflate button with your thumb. 

Step 2:

Fill equipment with fresh water and shake to mix with B.C.D. Cleaner. Turn B.C.D. upside down and sideways to thoroughly clean all chambers.

Step 3:

Drain B.C.D. through the mouthpiece and through the bottom dump valve.

Step 4:

Soak B.C. in 1 oz B.C.D. Cleaner to 1 gallon water for 10 minutes to clean exterior. Rinse interior and exterior thoroughly. Hang B.C. partially inflated in a cool, dry place to air dry.

Wetsuit Storage Tip

Suit Storage

Standard clothes hangers cause extra strain to your suit’s shoulders, leading to stretching and cracking. Use a flexible, padded wetsuit hanger instead. These specialized hangers can be molded to accommodate any suit shape. Store your suit and all dive gear in a cool, dry closet away from direct heat or sunlight, to prevent premature aging. If you must store dive gear in the garage, use air and light tight containers to protect from exhaust fumes, temperature extremes and moisture. Leave your suit’s zipper open during storage to eliminate strain on the sealing elements.

Zipper Cleaning & Care

Wetsuit & Drysuit Zippers

Regular cleaning and lubrication helps zippers last the lifetime of the suit. Without proper care (left), expensive zippers degrade and need costly replacement. Keep your wet suit, dry suit, gear bag zippers free of harmful dirt, sand and salt deposits with Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant (right).

Step 1:

Unzip item and use Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant‘s brush top to remove grit and dust.

Step 2:

Brush Zip Care generously onto zipper teeth to clean and lightly lubricate. Wipe off excess.

Step 3:

Carefully open and close zipper to thoroughly distribute Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant.

Zipper Lubricant Stick

Zipper Lubricant Stick is preferred for multi-dive lubrication. Use it to lubricate and protect watertight and airtight zippers on dry suits from corrosion and harmful salt, chlorine and other pollutants. To use: Open zipper and apply it sparingly only to the outer teeth of the zipper.

Gasket Protection

Use UV Protectant to protect and restore gaskets

With exposure to sunlight, saltwater, and chlorine, synthetic gaskets degrade over time due to the loss of structural oils called plasticizers. Proper protection with UV Protectant is essential for maximizing scuba gear life. 

Drysuit Repair

Use Aquaseal FD to seal leaky gasket seams

Step 1:

Turn suit inside out. Clean damaged area with isopropyl alcohol. Non-fabric surfaces such as latex should first be roughened with sandpaper, then cleaned.

Step 2:

Apply Aquaseal FD in a 1/16” high bead overlapping seam edges by at least 1⁄4”. Use included brush to saturate fabric surfaces. Dry level overnight.

Dry Suit Zippers

Maintain Zippers

Dry Suit zippers are tough to operate and expensive to replace. To ease opening and maximize zipper life, remove dirt and gunk with Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant. 

Drysuit Care

Find Drysuit Leaks

To find pinhole leaks in Gore-Tex® fabric dry suits: 1) Turn the suit inside out. 2) Soak the tip of a rag in rubbing alcohol and dab over the suspect area. 3) The hole will show up as a contrasting color. Allow area to dry and seal (on the inside surface) with Aquaseal FD adhesive.