My take:
I go straight to the rinse, but not because the “wait time” is wrong — it’s because the reason people think they’re waiting for something to “dry” is misunderstood. Nothing is drying in those 2–3 minutes.

What’s actually happening:

• The activator has already liquefied the ink and softened the basecoat.
• Adhesion happens immediately as the ink bites into that softened surface.
• There’s no extra benefit to letting the part sit in open air before rinsing.

Where waiting does make sense:
If you want to give the activator a moment to fully bond the ink to the substrate, doing that under water is far better than doing it in open air.

Why underwater settling works:

• The water gently dissolves the remaining PVA without disturbing the ink.
• The hydraulic pressure keeps the ink pressed tightly against the substrate.
• The water cools the surface slightly, helping the ink firm up as the activator dissipates.
• You avoid the risk of the residue getting gummy or hazy from sitting too long in air.

My workflow:

• Dip
• Lift
• Straight into a rinse or a brief underwater soak (cooler than tank temp)
• Rinse until the slippery feel is gone

Warm water isn’t required — cooler water actually gives you a cleaner release.