Rust on shiny new BD C4s

So I took my shiny new BD C4s to climb on the sea-cliffs of Taiwan, and in 3 days I have rust on them - see photo.

Apparently axle rust is common on BD. Anyone else had cams rust in fast forward like this? What are my options - apart from cam lube and manic depression?

Written to BD as well - waiting a response.
 

its the salt. steel rusts in salty conditions. try rinsing them regularly in clean water.

No big deal at this point, the same happens when climbing in the rain, etc. Rinse them as suggested, spray ~WD40 on them and get back out there..

Dude, that's orange spray paint not rust.

I hear vinegar and lemon juice do the trick.

Adrienne DiRosario wrote: I hear vinegar and lemon juice do the trick.

You both beat me!

Of course they rust, that´s why the Brits don´t use them and go for cams with stainless axles.

I was freaking out one day diggin through these damn forums and then I found this somewhere.

peaceofmind

So basically I should rinse them, apply cam lube and carry on!
And in the future, stick to DMM?

Louie wrote: I was freaking out one day diggin through these damn forums and then I found this somewhere.

peaceofmind

Wow this is brilliant stuff. Thanks Louie, though I'm still bummed my shiny gear is now rusty.

Rinse them with clean water after you've used them in salty conditions. Keep them lubed up otherwise

Ian Fenimore wrote: Rinse them with clean water after you've used them in salty conditions. Keep them lubed up otherwise

Thanks. Yes, I'll do that at least once a month now. 

But what's the beta for removing the existing rust? 

Louie wrote: I was freaking out one day diggin through these damn forums and then I found this somewhere.

peaceofmind

"and had I not destructively disassembled it, I would happily trust it."

This made me smile.

Ron Roy wrote:

Thanks. Yes, I'll do that at least once a month now. 

But what's the beta for removing the existing rust? 

I’ve had good results with boiling water followed by a stiff wire brush or Scotch-Brite pad

Check and wash your harness. I used a BD harness for about 4 months climbing in coastal China  and one of the waist buckles corroded to literal powder.

You’re prolly fine with only 3 days, but check  and wash it anyway.

simplyput . wrote: Check and wash your harness. I used a BD harness for about 4 months climbing in coastal China  and one of the waist buckles corroded to literal powder.

You’re prolly fine with only 3 days, but check  and wash it anyway.

Yes, I do that regularly no matter where I climb. I use Petzl Sama - never had a problem. 

Here is the official response from BD:

Yes, this is common with cams, and these marks will have no effect on the strength of your cams. I have around 40 cams, from four different manufactures, and they all do this if they get wet. A q-tip will not work, you need a small nylon brush. When cams get slightly wet from rain, I dry them off immediately and will only clean them after heavy use in the desert (maybe once every two years). That being said, I use lubricant on my cams once a year. At the end of the day, I can only tell you what I know, which is everyone in this room would use those cams, but at the end of the day, it’s your call. If you feel like something is wrong, you can file a warranty claim (see below). Please, feel free to ask me any questions. Thank you.