“It’s been sitting in my garage for two years, so it should be fine, right?”
Actually, sitting in a garage is often harder on scuba gear than diving it. Scuba gear is made of rubber, silicone, and plastic. These materials hate three things:
- Ozone: Electric motors (like the ones in your garage freezer, washer/dryer, or power tools) generate ozone. Ozone attacks rubber, causing hoses to crack and O-rings to turn to dust.
- Heat: Texas garages get hot. Extreme heat cycles warp plastic casings and degrade lubricants.
- Critters: You would be amazed at how many spiders and wasps love to build nests inside a BCD inflator hose.
The Inspection Requirement
If your gear has been in “storage” for more than a year, it is not “like new.” It is likely “dried out.” It needs to be pressurized, tuned, and inspected for dry rot before you trust it underwater.