Dive gear storage

Question
You had a great response to Kim on dive gear storage in general,  but above and beyond the typical procedures, is there any concern in storing my dive gear in a garage.  My wife believes that the cold in the winter will somehow damage the gear.  From my understanding, UV rays, chlorine, and salt do the most damage to our equipment.   Bottom line, will the cold and/or heat of the garage hurt the equipment.

Answer
Hi Derrick,

First, sorry about the delay in answering.  I didn't check email over the weekend.

Derrick, you didn't say where you're located so I don't know what sort of winter temperatures you're dealing with.  In general, cold temperatures won't damage gear.  Newer gear is more resistant to the effects of extreme temperatures than older gear.  By example, if you have old gear that is already getting stiff from age, then subfreezing temperatures and flexion could cause failure.  While it's not likely, it's still something to consider for older gear.  The materials in newer gear (less than 5 years old) are very resistant to aging and I wouldn't be too concerned about it.  Storing your gear in your garage should be fine as long as it is protected from the effects of wandering rodents and curious kids.  

Heat is not as big of an issue for you.  I'm assuming that, since you've got fairly cold winters, then your summer temps are not extreme.  You can safely store gear in temperatures of 100 degrees without damaging it.

You are quite correct when you said that UV rays, chlorine and salt do the most damage to our equipment.  You can minimize those effects by careful rinsing after use and using a UV blocking treatment on all exposed parts of your gear.  This includes your bc, straps, regulator hoses and the outside of your wetsuit.  You can also use the same treatment on your mask and fins but be careful since you may have a sensitivity to the product which could cause a rash on contact with your skin.

Derrick, I hope this gives you the information you need to safely store your gear.

Sincerely,

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com