Entry with Large Housing

[EricJ]

I have an Equinox Pro-Pac 6 that is fairly heavy, and I plan to dive from a large dive boat where divers jump four to five feet into the water.

Usually, a dive master will hook a camera to a line and lower it down to a diver after they've jumped in.

I don't see a place on my housing where they'd attach a line.

I am thinking about having the DM lower my camera down in a heavy duty mesh bag.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Diver Mike]

I have the same housing and with lights it is pretty large out of the water.

I use a quick disconnct system I made to hold it. It looks like a small sling that holds the housing as it is lowered down to me. Just gram the handle, disconnect the snap bolt and dive. To get back in the boat reverse the process.

I tried the mess bag and it was too hard to get the unit out of the bag once in the water. Everything catches on the bag and you look sort of funny trying to get it all sorted. In addition the bag can gamage the light heads if they get caught and you "pull" them free.

I have also "tied" the line off to the video light stem and had it lowered down. That made me too nervous so that is when I devised the "sling".

Hope that helps.

Mike...

 

[EricJ]

Thanks, Mike. Your post confirms my suspicion that getting the housing out of a mesh bag would be a hassle.

I'm working on attaching a lanyard by wrapping it around the weighted handle below the "wing" and the knob above the wing. I'll have to be convinced that it's secure though.

Another option may be a sling, similar to the types used to carry tanks. That's what I pictured based your description.

On another note, I screwed the external lcd monitor to the base plate.

I'm taking my new system diving for the first time on June 24th. I'm going to Santa Barbara Island, which is one of the smaller less-frequented Channel Islands in California...lush kelp, lots of marine life, and a sea lion rookery.

I may be posting more questions after my first use of the system.

Thank

 

[Cacia]

do you have a bottom plate that the camera housing mounts on? Where the handles attach? My bungeed clip attaches there before the assembly gets screwed together.

 

[EricJ]

do you have a bottom plate that the camera housing mounts on? Where the handles attach? My bungeed clip attaches there before the assembly gets screwed together.

Although there's no available place on the bottom mount, there is a place where the handle is screwed in. That screw could provide extra security...thanks!

 

[MantaRey]

I've used those housings for the dvx100... They had the kind of webbing velcro straps with foam handle that's typically used to carry dive tanks around it. You can than use a carabiner clipped to that handle. It's usually better to avoid screwing things into the housing body whenever possible.

Edit: this kind of strap:
http://www.diversdirect.com/imagescache/ItemLrgPic2A28070.jpg

 

[chinadan]

my ProPak8 also came with a velcro harness for carrying. You may want to contact TJ at Equinox to see if these are available for your smaller housing.

I would not attach anything to the wings as the dovetail is not ideal for bearing a load, I just broke one of my wings off...

Another benefit is that you can use the harness to thread in lead weights. I took the custom internal weight out and now can save 6 pounds when flying...

Good luck!

 

[EricJ]

my ProPak8 also came with a velcro harness for carrying. You may want to contact TJ at Equinox to see if these are available for your smaller housing.

I would not attach anything to the wings as the dovetail is not ideal for bearing a load, I just broke one of my wings off...

Another benefit is that you can use the harness to thread in lead weights. I took the custom internal weight out and now can save 6 pounds when flying...

Good luck!

I think I'll check on the straps. Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[miket]

I have an Equinox Pro-Pac 6 that is fairly heavy, and I plan to dive from a large dive boat where divers jump four to five feet into the water.

Usually, a dive master will hook a camera to a line and lower it down to a diver after they've jumped in.

I don't see a place on my housing where they'd attach a line.

I am thinking about having the DM lower my camera down in a heavy duty mesh bag.

Any other suggestions?

Why not have a DM hand it to you from the swim step at the back of the boat? I have been doing that here in SoCal on my last couple of trips. Most of the time I have them lower it on a line, but with my dual light cannon setup it's real heavy and having a DM hand it to me at the back was much less scary.

- MikeT

 

[EricJ]

Having a DM handing me the housing from the back of the boat is probably the safest procedure.