Club Equipment

You must agree to abide by these rules to use OUUEG’s club equipment and facilities.

Equipment and Facilities Code of Conduct

Kit Hut Rules

You may only enter the Kit Hut if an authorised key holder is present. These people are usually relevant committee members and instructors. If you feel you should be an authorised key holder, please contact the OUUEG committee.
You agree to use the Kit Hut in a respectful manner. The Kit Hut must be kept a safe and clean environment. Efforts should also be made to make the environment as dry as possible. Cleaning items, such as a brush and squeegee are available for your use.
If you see any Health and Safety hazards, you must report it immediately to the Kit Officer. Do not climb on any equipment/furniture to reach something, step ladders are provided.
Do not smoke in the kit hut.
The layout of the hut is at the Kit Officer’s discretion. Do not change the layout of the Kit Hut unless prior authorisation has been sought from the Kit Officer.
Always securely lock the Kit Hut after use, using both locks, and return the key to the reception as soon as possible. If you need to take the key away from the site, please inform the Kit Officer before it is taken off site.

Club Kit

Use of club equipment is restricted to members of OUUEG who are fully trained in its use or undergoing properly supervised training by a qualified BSAC instructor.
Membership means: You are either an associated member who is partaking on your first OUUEG trip, or your full membership is up to date and paid. Members who have not renewed will be prevented from using club kit.
New members must have a Kit Hut walk around before use of the facility (this should be included in the Ocean Diver Course). To organise this please contact the Kit Officer.
You may only use OUUEG equipment on OUUEG club trips, and therefore the trips must be registered as such. If you are unsure what this means, please check with the Dive Officer.
All kit hire is subject to approval from the Kit Officer and they must be notified in advance of any kit requirements.
Only use equipment marked “Pool Only” in Iffley Pool. If there is a shortage of marked kit please let the Kit Officer know.
It is the hirer’s responsibility to check the equipment is fit to use. If any problems are found with the kit in the Kit Officer must be notified as soon as possible, and the Maintenance / Damage Report Procedure (See below) must be carried out.
To keep track of kit, the sign out sheet must be filled out by everyone hiring club kit, with everyone signing out their own kit where possible. There will be some cases where the amount of equipment available will mean this is not possible, e.g. on the Easter Training trip. In this case the sign-out sheet does not need to be used unless you will be the sole user of the piece of kit (e.g. a drysuit). It is the responsibility of the trip organiser(s) to ensure kit is returned and people are charged correctly. Trainees should be encouraged to sign out their own kit and not leave it to the instructor.
Kit should normally be returned within one day of the trip returning. If it is more practicable for the kit to be returned late this should be arranged with the Kit Officer. The exception is undersuits, which must be returned, washed and dry, within three days.
If any kit is lost or damaged by negligence, e.g. by not following advice given or taking proper care of kit, then the person responsible will be liable for servicing, repair or replacement costs. In any case, the Maintenance/Damage Report Procedure must be carried out.
If any kit requires maintenance, or is damaged, either during a trip or found damaged in the Kit Hut, the Maintenance/Damage Report Procedure must be carried out. Failure to carry out this procedure may result in the user paying for the repair regardless of whether the kit is damaged through wear and tear or not.
For pool sessions, kit does not need to be signed out but it is the responsibility of the organiser to ensure all kit is returned clean and to its correct location.

Using / Borrowing / Hiring Club Kit

When hiring kit, fill out the sign-out sheet as completely as possible, by writing the item number (do not tick the box). The Trip Organiser should coordinate this. Use a new sheet for each trip (even if there is only one name on it).
For any miscellaneous kit borrowed please add a note. If you take a cylinder that is not full, please mark the pressure on the form. The sheets are double sided. If there is not enough space please use another sheet.
If borrowing a drysuit, you must get the Kit Officer’s permission prior to doing so. If you are borrowing a suit with socks, always use the drysuit bag as a mat to change on. Holes in the socks will not be covered as wear and tear and considered negligence, thus will be charged to the user. If the seals are too tight, you must get permission from the Kit Officer prior to cutting them or you may be charged for a replacement.
It is encouraged for the trip organiser to take spare equipment; these should be signed out by the trip organiser in the spare kit section of the sign out sheet. There would only be a charge if the equipment is used, e.g. in the case of faulty personal kit.

Returning Kit

Fill in the return date on the sign-out sheet and once completed place in the ‘Kit Officer’s Pigeon Hole’. If there are missing or faulty items, please follow the Maintenance/Damage Report Procedure and inform the Kit Officer.
Cylinders should be returned full where possible. If returning cylinders which are not full (i.e. < 200 bar), using the labels provided mark the remaining pressure. The Kit Officer will assist in arranging filling, and the trip will pay the appropriate costs. If the cylinders are not full, either when taking the cylinders, or returning them, they must be recorded on the sheet.
BCDs should be hung on the correct hangers, facing the door with the item number facing the centre of the hut.
Fins should be placed in pairs in the correct rack vertically, do not mix the fins for pool use with the open water fins.
Masks should be placed in the rack with the snorkels removed.
Regulators must be returned to their own hook, placed neatly with the hoses coiled and the first stage directly below the hook.
DSMBs should be rolled up and hung on the hook with the reel of the same number.
Boots, hoods, and gloves, must be emptied of water and placed in pairs on the shelf
Weight blocks must be removed from the weight belts, and stacked neatly in the box. Weight belts should be hung, and closed on the hanger.
Drysuits should be hung upside down if they have boots on the designated hangers and undersuits should be returned washed and dry. Wash undersuits in maximum 40°C and do not tumble dry.

Important Kit Care

Regulators, Reels, Dive Timers, Compasses, Hoods, Gloves, Boots, Weight belts and Suits must be dunked and rinsed, then hung up. There is a blue bucket with a hose in for this purpose, the tap is behind the Kit Hut on the right-hand side.
BCDs must be rinsed on the inside by letting water in through the dump valve. When a reasonable amount of water is inside, shake the BCD to rinse the bladder. Before hanging, ensure all water has been removed from inside the BCD.
When dunking drysuits, try to ensure excessive water does not go on the inside of the suit. If it does, hang suit inside out. If you have had a flood, rinse suit entirely inside and out, allow to drain and hang it inside out. You must fill out a Maintenance/Damage Report Form for all dry suit floods regardless of the cause. Hang the bags on the same hanger as the suit.
Before dunking, ensure the dust cap is on the regulators. The dust cap should go on as soon as the regulators are removed from the cylinder.
Weight belts should be stripped down, the lead placed in neat piles, and the belts hung up.

Using the Kit Hut to Dry and Store your Personal Kit

Personal kit may be stored in the Kit Hut if you are a current member, with consent of the Kit Officer. This facility comes on a first come, first serve basis. If your membership has lapsed, you must immediately remove your kit. OUUEG has the right to use your kit which is still in the Kit Hut 6 months after your membership has expired.
OUUEG cannot be held responsible for any damage or theft to personal kit whilst in the hut. It is your responsibility to ensure your kit is insured and stored safely.
All personal kit must be stored only on the shelves designated for personal kit (except for cylinders which should be kept in the designated personal cylinder locations). If there is no space on the shelves, then unfortunately you will not be able to store kit.
At the Kit Officer’s discretion, you may wish to put your personal cylinder in the general use pile (i.e. no longer pay for service costs and cylinder hire) and you must agree to have your initials painted on it for identification. Once serviced by OUUEG, you must agree for your cylinder to remain in general use for at least 18 months after. If you take the cylinder away before this time, OUUEG will charge you for the previous service costs.
All items must be stored in a suitable bag or box, with one bag/box per person. If you require a box, you must purchase one. The Kit Officer will assist you in finding an appropriate one. Loose items will be considered unclaimed kit (See Below).
All personal kit stored in the Kit Hut, not just the bag/box, must be labelled. The bag/box must also have your contact number on it.
You may dry your personal kit by hanging it on the rail that is most towards the centre of the hut for a maximum of one week. The rail nearest the wall is for club kit only. All kit being dried must be labelled. There are a few spare hangers, however do not use any of the hangers designated for club items.
If you have not removed your kit from the rail after one week. and have not asked the Kit Officer to do so for you, the Kit Officer reserves the right to store it how he/she wishes.

Maintenance / Damage Report Procedure

This procedure is in place for safety reasons. Not following the procedure may result in kit privileges being removed and/or you may be liable for the repair of the kit regardless of the cause. Please also follow this procedure for lost kit. If you find a damaged piece of kit in the Kit Hut, please use the same procedure and make a note indicating this.

Identify the kit that requires maintenance or is damaged by placing a red band on it. Do not put the piece of kit back on the shelf/hook/hanger where someone could mistake it for a usable piece of kit. If it is a cylinder, also write on it using a white board marker: “Damaged, Do Not Use”
Fill out the Damaged Kit Report Form to the best of your ability and place the completed form in the Kit Officer’s Pigeon Hole’.
Put the piece of kit in the red ‘Broken Kit Box’ under the shelves, except for:
- Drysuits, which should be hung up on the personal kit rail.
- Cylinders, which should be placed at the back of the hut near the tools and table.
If the repair is urgent, or the damage is severe, contact the Kit Officer.

Equipment Hire Fees (updated October 2024)

Hire fees for kit hire are set out below. These are per day, per item used (e.g. two regulators used would be charged as two items). It is the trip organiser’s responsibility to collect the money owed for the trip and pay it directly to the treasurer.

Single cylinder usage (12l,15l): £5/day
Regulators: £6/day
BCDs: £5/day
Weights (including belt): £2/day
DSMB + Reel: £2/day
Dive Timers: £4/day
Computers: £6/day
Compasses: £2/day
Wetsuit / Semi Dry suit: £10/day
Dry suit (incl Boot, Undersuit): £25/day
Masks/Fins/Boots: £2/day per item
Pony (incl. reg and clamp): £6/day (£4/day for reg or cylinder only)
Full Kit (excl. Suits and Ponys): £25/day
Full Kit (incl. Dry Suit, Boots, Undersuit): £40/day

Kit flat rate

Save on equipment hire by paying upfront for the whole year!

Kit flat rate: £125, allowing unlimited kit hire for the full year (from 1st of October to 30th of September inclusively), excluding drysuits and pony cylinders. Drysuit hire is reduced to £15/day with the kit flat rate.