Camera Floods: Avoiding the High Water Mark

[JackConnick]

i got some inspiration from a recent thread here on SB, so here's a new article on my blog taking a light-hearted look at housing maintenance. I'm not an expert at floods, thank god, your comments and experiences can be added at the end:

"No subject scares underwater photographers more than having an expensive housed camera turn into an aquarium. Even a bit of water can turn electronics into a corroded mess.

Here are a few general tips on maintenance that should help you avoid finding Nemo in your housing:..."

See: Optical Ocean: Above and Below.: Underwater Camera Floods: Avoiding the High Water Mark

Cheers,
Jack

 

[Doc Harry]

Great reading, thanks!

 

[alashas]

Thanks, Jack, very helpful advice. I was a little perplexed, though, by the author's claim that "MOST floods happen in the rinse tank." I can see a problem occurring when too many cameras are piled up in a rinse tank, but I don't see what the problem is otherwise.

Happy new year, alashas honeymoon2's photos- powered by SmugMug

 

[D_B]

Thanks for the humorous article

dunk tank ...

NEVER leave your camera in the rinse tank between dives, or for longer than a couple of minutes. MOST floods happen in the rinse tank. Cameras get dropped in on top of each other and latches get sprung, etc. Scratched ports are the least of your worries. Also, during your dive the housing and controls get compressed. Coming up from the bottom and then putting the camera in a non-pressurized tank of water can allow some controls to weep a bit. So just rinse it well, take it out and leave it under a towel between dives

 

[alashas]

I hear ya, I just don't recall hearing about anyone (other than this author) who has a problem with their camera flooding in the rinse tank....

 

[Willuw]

Good read, thanks for sharing..

Be picky and meticulous; even the smallest hamster hair can ruin your day, and then you'll want to put the hamster in the housing and ruin his day.

 

[H2ODog]

Thanks for the article. I think #7 is where I failed and paid the price. Luckily it was only the low end model but it still ruined the trip as I got ZERO photos.

One can't pay too much attention to the seal.

 

[JackConnick]

I hear ya, I just don't recall hearing about anyone (other than this author) who has a problem with their camera flooding in the rinse tank....

YMMV. As a dealer and a diver, I have. I've seen two cases of controls weeping personally. And heard from others of banged up housings, and opened latches. Why risk it? Just rinse it and be done. It's not meant to be a place to store your camera between dives is my point.

Jack

 

[JackConnick]

I did a short segment with Greg on ScubaRadio (Sirus RADIO) last Sat on housing maintenance. I think it came off decently, although I have to work on the “you knows”...arrgh.

See: http://www.scubaradio.com/audio/12-22-07/SR_12-22-07_HOUR1.mp3

It starts about 29:00 and goes to 36:30. You can also subscribe to it through iTunes.

Jack

 

[fairybasslet]

I still have not been able to figure out where I went wrong. I followed all of the advice you gave. I have gotten the same advice from other uw photogs so it seems like a good protocol to follow. Anyway, I took my housing down by itself after flying to Australia. It was fine. I put the camera in, tested it in the rinse tank. fine. I even have some photos from inside the rinse tank. Splashed in the coral sea...flood. First dive of my trip and my camera was toast. :11: Just for the hell of it, I took the housing down again by itself and it was fine.