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When you begin to invest in your own freediving gear, it is imperative to make sure that you are taking great care of it, so that it will last you season after season. That being said- there is a right way and a wrong way of doing this. Each piece of gear you have has an optimal way of being stored and in this article, you will learn how to store each piece of equipment in a way that is both easily and efficiently stored.
The first thing you need to think about is where you will be letting your equipment soak and dry after your sessions. After a session, your wetsuit will be soaked in either salt or fresh water and likely urine from your session - don't worry, we all do it. So it would be wise to get a soaking tub or bucket in which you can fully submerge your wetsuit to rinse it along with your other equipment. However, if you can get a separate bin for facial equipment and the rest of your gear, that would be ideal! Daily rinses are fine with just freshwater, but for a deeper clean or if your suit starts to smell, add a few cups of vinegar and 10-20 drops of essential oil to your bath and let it soak for 30 minutes and be sure to slosh it around with your hands and make sure everything is soaking properly. After rinse well with fresh water.
Once you've soaked everything, find a hanger or rod to allow it to dry out of direct sunlight. Be sure that it's hung evenly with no creases in the fabric so it dries properly overnight. When hanging the rest of your equipment, I like to take advantage of the lanyard. To keep everything in one place, find a rod or hanger to attach the carabiner of your lanyard to. Attach your nose clip, mask, thigh bands, and snorkel to the carabiner. On the opposite side, wrap the Velcro safety strap to your neck weight. The reason we do this is that the weight of the neck weight will keep your lanyard kink free so it stays in good condition for your dives.
Sunlight is the number one cause of your wetsuit wearing down. To keep your suit in good condition for as long as possible, invest in a rash guard that can comfortably fit over your suit. Bonus points if it has a hood. When it comes to your dive computer, allow it to soak in a cup of water at home between sessions. Pro tip: be sure to press all the buttons while it's in freshwater so that bits of salt water don't build up over time. Fin storage is relatively straightforward. After rinsing them it's ideal to keep them off the ground and hung or stored safely to avoid any scratches or accidental damage. If you're storing a wetsuit for the long term, please make sure that it is absolutely dry. Even the slightest bit of moisture can produce mold over time!