Creative or stupid?

[Cacia]

My camera hasn't flooded...yet. My friend's did the other day...so I have been thinking.
Here on Oahu, we have a lot of 100+ wrecks where you would not want to surface quickly if you noticed a leak, a fog, etc. If I thought my camera had a slow leak at depth could I tie it off to my sausage (Power inflater) and "shoot it up" to the crew, who would certainly notice it and pull it on the boat? I would hope if it was a slow leak at depth, then the decreasing pressure might subside it. Thoughts?

also, I have heard the tampon trick, which some say can buy you a little time. ...and of course, as always, I feel the need to illustrate my post:

Oh, and why I have this posted, does anyone know if this is the 6" Ikelite dome port for the fish eye Nikorr 150?

 

[Jamdiver]

Think it's creative Catherine..

The average camera with housing is neutral or slightly negative and I think even with the biggest rigs there's more than enough buoyancy (volume) in a safety sausage for it to pull the camera with it to the surface.

Only issues that I can think of is adequately informing the boat crew about this possibility and what to do if they see a shiny, expensive camera bobbing on the surface .
Also if there is a substantial current then by the time the camera surfaces it could be tens or hundreds of feet away from you or the rest of the dive party.

As to the leaks, from what i've read not speaking from personal experience thank god.
Most leaks occur when the external (i.e water +atmospheric pressure) exceed that which the oring(most likely improperly sealed) can withstand.
So as the camera ascends the leaking would most likely subside and then stop.
Canon's bebit underwater page, references this phenomena i.e. the instant that flooding occurs.
http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/uwphoto/page/03-e.html

f you use the waterproof case underwater with sand caught in the seal, water will flood it the instant the water pressure exceeds the threshold. The picture shows evidence that water has permeated the case under high pressure.

Nice pic by the way!!
Heart attack inducing.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Catherine, that looks like the 8" dome. I think if a leak does strart at depth you get an instant fill of the housing to match the surrounding pressure. I think... and hope to never find out.

 

[Cacia]

Jam:thanks. nice reply. I think, no matter where it surfaced, they would think it was a diver and go get it...

whew, I always feel so much better with a plan. Some little hope in a bottle, ya know?

well Dennis, people say it is sometimes gradual.

 

[Cacia]

Catherine, that looks like the 8" dome. I think if a leak does strart at depth you get an instant fill of the housing to match the surrounding pressure. I think... and hope to never find out.

YEA, thats what I thought. but the 8" isn't out yet i thought...only the 6". thats what I was trying to figure out in other posts. You know, for Bali, when MV sets my career on fire. ever used tampons in your housing?

 

[do it easy]

I don't own a camera, but I don't think it would be a good diea to tie up the boat crew to chase down a camera. Could you send it up the mooring line by choking the camera and trapping the line in a bight? That way you know the boat won't have to chase it, thinking that it could be a drifting diver.

Personally, I would call the dive and hope that the decreasing pressure slows the leak, regardless of how slow the ascent is.

 

[Diver Dennis]

YEA, thats what I thought. but the 8" isn't out yet i thought...only the 6". thats what I was trying to figure out in other posts. You know, for Bali, when MV sets my career on fire. ever used tampons in your housing?

I've never used desiccant packs or tampons, but I do make sure I load the camera in an air conditioned space. Mind you I have changed cards on a boat before. I've never had problems with condensation. I have a 6'' dome for my 10-22mm and it works fine. I might check out the 8" but I don't know if it makes a difference. Tim Rock, the other photo pro we'll see in Bali, uses 8'' ports. I dove with him in Yap. I'm deciding what else I need for the PI in March.

 

[Jamdiver]

You know Dennis it's funny that you mention condensation.
I've always loaded my cam in the housing in a non-air conditioned room (i.e. warm and humid), never had a problem with condensation at depth.

Perhaps though the change in temperature between the air and water here isn't enough for condensation to occur.

Do it easy, you have a point of sorts.

I wouldn't want the boat to travel miles away to pick up a camera, perhaps endangering the dive party.
But with the safety sausage attached to it i'm sure that they could keep an eye on it and pick it up at the end of the dive.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Jam, Kim the woman I went with had a camera that would actually heat up after 80 shots or so and fog up the port. Kevin Davidson in Palau knew about this problem with some cameras.

 

[do it easy]

But with the safety sausage attached to it i'm sure that they could keep an eye on it and pick it up at the end of the dive.

That would work if they could tell the difference between a camera and a drifting diver. Even if you used a different colored bag for the camera, there could be confusion on the boat or below the surface. Keep in mind that these are worst case scenarios, but these are things that keep me up at night.