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I use just tap water and dry everything out of the sun. I have a big trash can specifically designated for gear, dump everything in after spraying off any sand, and fill it up for a good soak. I like to soak a minimum of an hour to allow as much of the salt deposits to loosen up from any crevices. Sometimes I just leave it soaking overnight. Regs, camera, knife, mask, and lights I soak in my sink for a couple hours and then air dry on a towel after a shake off. I immediately dry off my mask lens inside and out to avoid water spots/calcium deposits. The main reason I avoid sun as much as possible is to keep the rubber parts, hoses, etc. from drying out and cracking. If you have a clear silicone framed mask you will be amazed how quickly sunlight will turn it yellow. I would be leery of any soap products unless it was specifically made for diving equipment, and not sure how much it would help. I used to always use a cap full of the sink-to-stink enzyme liquid to help get the stink out of my neoprene, back when I had to hang dry my gear inside the house. The wife HATES the smell of wet neoprene in the house. But now I just hang dry it outside under our patio cover. The worst is the dive booty stink, because they take forever to dry. I ended up ditching my neoprene booties for some Henderson Insta Dry booties which are basically non-porous rubber. Love them! Don’t forget to add water to the inside of your BCD bladder and swish it around to get the salt water out of there as much as possible. I was told by my local dive shop that salt water, and especially chlorinated pool water, can wreak havoc on the rubber bladder from the inside out. I must be doing something right because my equipment is 5 years old, used every other week, and still works like new.
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Get an ear bulb (looks like a small turkey baster) to blast rinse water thru the drain holes on your first stage to remove the salt. This is very important on liveaboards where your reg stays setup on the tank for a week or more! I keep mine in the mask box to remind me :)
When rinsing regs having them turned on and on a tank works better, having a pony bottle to do this with is easier on the back.
If after the dive it’s a communal rinse tank (that probably only has the water changed once a day) then my gear gets another rinse when I get home. The wet suite (suit, gloves, boots, hood) get laundry soap or shampoo. Do not leave your gear to dry in the direct sun.
Hang the wet suit to dry but store the wet suit flat, do not lay anything on top of it! I use old hair curlers, obviously not mine to hold gloves and boots open to dry.
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Great idea on the turkey baster1
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i have always washed my gear in a full bath tub, with running water, then about every 10 dives or so i will rinse the inside of my BC out with the McNett B.C. Life wash. this will give it a good clean and it claims to increase the life of your BC. ever since i started diving i have rinsed my regs under running water and hung them, and never had a problem. My LDS informed me the other day they i need to hook them to a tank to wash them. i have always keeped the dust cover on my 1st stage. i then hang my gear over my bath tub and have a 36" fan that dries my gear in about 2 hours. the only time my gear sees the sunlight is when im in it. i hate faded gear, and i hate scatches on any of me gear. everything is stored in padded bags and wetsuits and BC are hung in a closet. my dives buddies claim in a little OCD with my gear, but it all looks like new and works great. if you look after your gear it will last you a life time. good luck and safe diving.
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Greg - 6/19/2012 7:58 AM 
I rinse all my gear in fresh water after every dive. Every couple of dives, I’ll let my masks and snorkels sit in a bucket filled with soapy water for a while. I’ll also dunk my regs in the same bucket (dust cap on, don’t push purge button), then rinse with fresh water. And every couple of dives, I’ll soak my wetsuit in warm water with shampoo, then hang out to dry. For my BCs, twice a year I’ll mix a small amount of clorox (not sure if it’s good or not) with water and poor down the inflator hose to get into the BC (helps kill germs and keep the bad smell down. I then add more water and rinse it all around for a bit, then drain, rinse with more fresh water and drain again.
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