Do you keep O-rings on housings all the time?

[drrich2]

Hi:

I use a Canon A620 with a Canon underwater housing. I learned early on that removing the housing O-ring is very hard to do. I've left it on.

I've also read that small nicks, scratches, etc..., in an O-ring can make it flood your housing. I'd think that'd be higher risk, taking it on & off often.

So what do you guys do with the O-ring situation? Do you take them off often, leave them on, or what?

Richard.

 

[bladephotog]

I take them off since I lube them before every dive or day of diving. They're left off for storage.

 

[AndyT]

Taken off for storage.

Also if I have been diving and there were sand particles or other marine detritus in the water I will make sure I clean it properly before re-fitting.

Store it in a small zip lock bag inside the housing.

 

[renthal]

I leave mine on the case, but open in a dark spot when not in use. Every day I use one of those alcohol eyeglass wipes to clean the ring and bearing surfaces, then the oring gets lubed in a ziplock with grease inside, a little put inside the bag at the start of a trip will last most of the week.

 

[Cacia]

I'd think that'd be higher risk, taking it on & off often.

I felt this way also. So..I leave them on and lightly trace the sealing surface of the o ring with my lightly lubed finger tip, "feeling" for grit, etc. Then about every fourth use, I remove the o-ring and wipe the lip on the housing with a microfiber cloth.

I have heard the number one offender is hair, traversing the o ring. So, I visualize the seal through the molded acrylic. But lets be honest....I can't read anymore, so chances are I couldn't see a hair either. I fear "The Hair" more than anything because I have an Aussie who is all over my boat, my stuff, my car.

I am amazed that I have not flooded in five years, because my housing has been thrashed...bumped, thrown around a bit on boats, left in the rinse bucket, left in the sun once and popped a port off...like a mini explosion. Still, keeps on humpin...

I am consistent about feeling and looking at the o-ring and not manipulating it too much.

They make a little tool for removing them, but I lost mine.

Go, Ikelite! ... a great product.

 

[alcina]

On my Canon A series housings I leave the oring in unless I am going to not use it for several months. Then I take the oring out, stick it in a sealed baggie and shove it inside the housing, which I then close to help keep out gunkies.

For normal use, I only remove the o-ring if it looks like it needs it. Here's my "routine"
1) Visually inspect the oring in situ. Look for tears, cracks, rough spots, hair, dirt, fibres, other debris. Remove any debris with a slightly moistened finger.
2) Double check the areas of the o-ring that are touching the housing by looking through the clear plastic. If I suspect anything at all, out comes the oring and I remove debris as above.
3) Determine by touch and sight if the oring needs any more lubrication. Usually it doesn't and I leave it alone. If it does, I use just a tiny bit on my forefinger then gently spin the oring between thumb and forefinger without stretching it. Oring goes over my wrist.
4) Visually inspect the groove and remove any and all debris.
5) Reinspect the oring visually and by feel.
6) reseat the oring
7) Reinspect the oring once seated in the housing.
8) insert the camera
9) Reinspect the oring and opposing groove
10) close the case, watching to make sure the oring stays seated and one more time for visual on debris.

The whole thing takes about one minute tops

Your oring should not be hard to remove from these housings. If it is, I suspect that you have a dry spot somewhere on it and it's sticking to the housing. I would gently remove it, relube and try again.

The other potential problem is that you may have used the incorrect lube (or other cause) and the oring has swelled. If your oring has swelled, it's time for a new one as it may not seal properly.

 

[Cacia]

Oring goes over my wrist.

but I have hairy wrists.

Is it the natural rubber o-rings that swell or the silicone ones?

 

[alcina]

The silicone ones.

 

[undefined]

I have always believed that there are two types of underwater photographers - those who have flooded a camera, and those who will.

I am in the second group.

I leave the o-ring on the housing, properly lubed. I inspect the o-ring before each dive (in a relatively clean environment) and apply more lube if I see any dry spots. I inspect the seal carefully for any spots that look questionable. When first entering the water I dunk the camera a few times and look for any moisture penetrating the o-ring barrier before descending.

My recently sold TZ1 had one cave, 8 waterfalls (rappelling), two rivers (rafting), and 13 dives on it with no problems. It's only a matter of time before I end up flooding one.

I also find, however bad this may sound, that each time I go down I come to terms with the fact that I will flood my camera. I accept it as par for the course. I acknowledge that my dive photos are made on borrowed time. It also helps to bring a backup camera! To me, this is like planning for rain on your holiday - if you get on the plane accepting of the likelihood that it will rain nonstop for the duration of your stay, it usually doesn't. If you expect sunshine you are prone to disappointment.

 

[Warren_L]

I have always believed that there are two types of underwater photographers - those who have flooded a camera, and those who will.

I am in the second group.

I am in the first group.

But thankfully, all my gear is fully insured, but that does not cover the lost opportunities if I am on a dive trip and do not have the use of a camera. Luckily, the floods I experienced (two times) were caught early enough to not have caused any damage.

The first was a loose bulkhead connector on the housing. It was not something that was advised as something that needed to be checked. Even after contacting the manufacturer, they told me that it shouldn't have come loose. So I check it periodcally now anyway.

The second time, I have no clue other than perhaps user error. Something caught in the seal that caused a leak.

Now I have a moisture alarm installed to help with early detection of leaks.

But as far as storage is concerned, what I do is use a couple of strips of old o-ring material and leave them in the o-ring channel and close the housing. This helps prevent and protect the sealing surfaces from getting damaged, and I leave the good o-ring in a plastic baggie inside the housing. This works well for traveling as well since the housing can be closed yet not sealed air-tight so that there can't be positive pressure inside the housing at any time, and it can't accidently close and seal itself.

The latter happened to a friend's amphibico video housing, and it was pretty hairy trying to pry it open when we were at our dive destination. He had left the housing open, but o-ring in place. Sometime during the flight, the door closed and as we descended, it sealed and created negative pressure inside the housing when we were on the ground. Nothing like taking a screw driver to a $7000 housing to pry it open.