How often or when should you service a housing?

[outofofficebrb]

I posted this in Underwater Photography since that is what I mostly use my housing to do, but this would also apply in Underwater Videography. This question is not specific to any particular manufacturer but it is a general question. However, I do have a Nauticam housing for my RX100M4 that I have had since 2017 so if you happen to have a Nauticam housing, I am especially interested in your opinions and experiences.

I have dived with it on about 175 dives and am about to leave on a trip this fall where I will add on another 80 or so. My question is this: How often should I be sending in my housing for service or when should I service a housing? Is there any indicator that it needs to be done or should it be done every X number of dives, or...? Also, what exactly do they do when they service a housing? What parts would be affected or would benefit from this service?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[davehicks]

The fact that your are getting nervous about it may be all the reason you need. It just a little money vs peace of mind. Only you can decide if that is worth it to you.

If you have the time and money to service before your next trip I suggest you do it.

Seriously though, the frequently used controls like the shutter do start to degrade, get sticky, and start to leak after a few years and several hundred dives. Even with excellent care the orings and lubrication need to be replaced in time. Do it before you have a failure.

 

[davehicks]

The Nauticam service will remove all the buttons and controls, replace all orings, lubricate, reinstall everything. Springs and rubber bushings may be replaced, etc.

 

[Schwob]

where I will add on another 80 or so

Sorry, admiring off topic remark:
Now, that's a trip!

 

[Dan]

I tried to take good care of my S&S DX2G camera case by removing & storing the big o-ring in a zip bag between dive trips to keep its shape rounded. After 500 dives ~ 10 years of use, it finally flooded & killed my camera during my last dive trip 2 weeks ago. I suspect either the shutter or power button o-ring failed.

I replaced it with S&S DX6G that is waterproof without case down to 30’. So if the case starts to leak, it won’t ruin the camera. It happened to my GoPro Hero6. I saw water leaking into the case at 100’ depth, but I was able to thumb the dive before the case was fully flooded and able to save the GoPro.

Another bad sign of impending doom is when you start fogging the lens underwater. That means one of those button o-rings start to fail. Mostly the ones that you use the most, like the shutter, power, macro buttons. When you see that happens, shut off the camera, thumb the dive, get the camera out of the case, remove the battery & SD card and dry them, unless you have one of those waterproof camera like GoPro 6 / 7, where you can just wash it with freshwater and dry it.

 

[Akimbo]

Do you have the vacuum leak check system in that housing? If not, you can have one installed at the same time as it is serviced. They certainly reduce the risk of taking a leaking housing in the water. Highly recommended.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@outofofficebrb
"am about to leave on a trip this fall where I will add on another 80 or so. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is a lot of dives for a short trip or an average number for a long trip
Pray tell where are you going and just how long are you visiting ?

SDM

 

[muzikbiz22]

My Aquatica DSLR Housing typically sees a couple of hundred dives a year, 10's of thousnds of miles/transporting/planes/travel, heat, ocean, some pool time with both chlorine & ozone, etc. I rinse (freshwater) like a madman and have never had any issues. I go full service every 3 years with Pacific Housing Repair Devon is the best !!!

 

[outofofficebrb]

The fact that your are getting nervous about it may be all the reason you need. It just a little money vs peace of mind. Only you can decide if that is worth it to you.

If you have the time and money to service before your next trip I suggest you do it.

Seriously though, the frequently used controls like the shutter do start to degrade, get sticky, and start to leak after a few years and several hundred dives. Even with excellent care the orings and lubrication need to be replaced in time. Do it before you have a failure.

Thanks. I think that is a fair way to approach it. I am not nervous yet, but want to be proactive about it and ensure that I take good care of it so that I can enjoy it in the long run or when I decide to sell it, I don't shoot myself in the foot considering the expense. I don't want to be caught in a situation where if I had serviced it, perhaps something that went terribly wrong might not have. I guess it's a little like car maintenance....

The Nauticam service will remove all the buttons and controls, replace all orings, lubricate, reinstall everything. Springs and rubber bushings may be replaced, etc.

Thank you for this information! Admittedly, I have not been great about taking care of rinsing and drying the tray and related screws plus ball mounts as well as I have the camera housing itself so it has seen some rust and corrosion.

Do you have the vacuum leak check system in that housing? If not, you can have one installed at the same time as it is serviced. They certainly reduce the risk of taking a leaking housing in the water. Highly recommended.

Yes, I have it and love it. I am so glad I got it. It was well worth it and offers excellent peace of mind. I make it a habit of setting my camera up well over an hour before I have to dive when I have to change batteries between dives but try to aim for an overnight set up to give it some time to depressurize on land if there is an opportunity for that to happen.

@outofofficebrb
"am about to leave on a trip this fall where I will add on another 80 or so. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is a lot of dives for a short trip or an average number for a long trip
Pray tell where are you going and just how long are you visiting ?

SDM

I am lucky that I have a job that allows me an incredible amount of time off. The official allowance is "unlimited PTO" and I also have the flexibility to work remotely as I desire. So long as the works get done, I perform, and I communicate with my manager, it is hunky dory as I have "proven" myself. So twice a year, I take my dive gear and run off for about 1 month at a time to dive. It is almost always Southeast Asia and particularly Indonesia since discovering the coral triangle. I go once in the spring and again in the fall. It is a record number of dives in one trip for me. I am heading back to Indonesia again and am spending 7 days in Ambon for some muck diving before I get on a 12 day liveaboard for a Banda Sea crossing from Ambon to Maumere. From there, I return to Komodo for 1 day of day boat diving nefore I hope onto a 7 day liveaboard before making my trek home. I will (unfortunately) be taking my work computer to check emails and do a few things here and there as I have access to the internet.

I have somehow managed to talk 4 other people to join me in Ambon, 5 people to join me on the Banda crossing, and 11 others to join me in Komodo which was enough for a full charter. My Enabling Skills have been on point lately.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@outofofficebrb

My wife just released me and placed me up for adaption
I can have my bags and gear packed in a nano second
Ready to go wherever you are and were ever you want to take me
as long as you are willing and financially able
(just don't tell my red headed wife)

Good luck, have fun and return with stories and pictures

Sam Miller, 111