My normal mode of operation for Friday is two dives in the morning, wash gear, hang in the sun to dry, lunch, shower, pay bill, catch lift to jeepney pick-up point, cramped jeepney ride, bus to Manila and walk to hotel room. This takes hours to execute, but it is the cheapest way and I get to Manila with time to spare in daylight hours.
Of course, once in the hotel room, I pull my gear from my bag to air out. Ok, that is my first mistake, I forgot Friday - probably too keen for Friday night drinks. So Saturday morning, too hungover to care, Saturday afternoon - just forgot. Sunday forgot and Monday flight, not thinking of dive gear.
Ok, arrive home Monday night well after midnight and need to be up 6 am, maybe 4 hours sleep if I'm lucky. Normally I pull my gear from my bag and hang out, instead I didn't unlock, I just threw the bag in the shed.
So here we were in December, I unzipped my bag and much to my surprise, not only is everything still wet, the mould growth is impressive. A brand new regulator (second time used), brand new wetsuit and new bag all looking like 10 years old - my BCD, boots and fins hold up surprisingly well.
I was supposed to be diving in Bali with this gear - a slightly marginal proposition now. An overnight soaking in the bathtub full of detergent, a fresh water rinse out in the morning and some drying off time outside. Breathing from my reg might could have been a bit iffy, I shudder to think what the diaphragm and inner casing looks like - maybe a second soak in detergent is in order.
The inflator is jammed, but not to worry, it hasn't been working properly for over five years now - maybe closer to eight to ten years. I purchased the BCD in about 2003, done about 1000 open water dives with it and countless confined water pool sessions. Oh well, better give it a go, nobody likes a winger.
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