Explain the purpose of the water bucket on board for cameras please

[Mike]

So what exactly is the purpose of the water bucket on board a dive boat for cameras and how come not everybody uses one?

I was under the impression that you needed to keep your camera/housing in the tank after diving to prevent salt crystals from forming on the lens and ruining it. But I see so many divers who never ask for a bucket or don't use it. I've seen diver masters with cameras ignore the bucket also. So what is the deal?

 

[Bhtmec2]

They serve 2 functions.

First it keeps the camera from getting hot in the sun and fogging.

Second it keeps the camera clean from salt buildup.

Also if it is in the bucket people can not kick/drop/destroy your camera........

 

[grandizer52]

they serve 2 functions.

First it keeps the camera from getting hot in the sun and fogging.

Second it keeps the camera clean from salt buildup.

also if it is in the bucket people can not kick/drop/destroy your camera........

oh-yea!!!!

 

[Bob DBF]

Persoally, I don't like my camera banging around with evey other camera in the bucket so I put it in it's bag in a safe spot and rinse it when I'm in a better place.


Bob
-----------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[muzikbiz22]

2 part answer here;

1 - There are usually 2 different buckets. One is for masks, (sea water) and the other for cameras, (fresh water). Mask De-Fog eats up O-Rings in camera housings. So, FOR EXAMPLE, the boat Divemaster/Captain CLEARLY ANNOUNCES in their briefing that "the camera bucket is for cameras only, do not put your mask in that one" & the same is painted on the camera bucket. So, when some dingbat clearly ignores directions, and dips his mask in the camera bucket, with my $6000 rig, and other peoples cameras too, he is going to get an earful
2 - You ask why you never see cameras in there all of the time ? More damage is done in the camera bucket to cameras/housings from BOUNCING AROUND on the ride out and back in, than flooding underwater. I do a dunk/leak test before I get on the boat at home. Once on the boat, I splash and camera gets handed down to me. I finish dive and hand camera rig back up to boat, they put in bucket, I get back on boat, sit down, IN THE SAME SPOT I WAS BEFORE THE DIVE, then take my camera rig out of the bucket and place on a towel under the bench or on the camera table. Cameras often pile up in the bucket and start banging around, and there you go. Soaking is good, if there are no other cameras in the bucket. Otherwise, put it in there, dunk it in and out a few times, hold it under, push the buttons and remove. When I get home from the day is when I put it in a bucket for a good 15 to 30 minutes, then remove and let dry overnight.

 

[supergaijin]

Salt water is not necessarily bad for the camera housing- it's when the salt dries and crystalises that causes the problems. The crystals have razor-sharp edges which cut in to soft substances like O-rings, plastics and soft metals. So your main concern is to keep it from drying out. Direct sunlight is bad as it can warm the camera creating a radical temperature change when diving, potentially creating condensation.

Too many cameras in the same bucket can cause problems when someone reaches for their camera underneath and springs a latch. Strobes are also damaged when someone is impatient and pulls on something that is not designed to be pulled.

Soft chiller bags that you get at the supermarket are great for keeping cameras indivdually protected. Wrap your camera in a wet towel and put in the bag. The only other thing to consider is where to put the bag so nobody can throw a weightbelt on it.

 

[stairman]

Id probably opt for a dip and stowe it elsewhere. As for the mask bucket? No thanks! too much bacteria from spit and snot for me, Ill carry an extra bottle of clean water for rinseing.

 

[Interceptor121]

The water bucket on the boat are there to flood your housing
Rinse the camera with a fresh water hose and put it away under a towel

 

[HowardE]

So what exactly is the purpose of the water bucket on board a dive boat for cameras and how come not everybody uses one?

I was under the impression that you needed to keep your camera/housing in the tank after diving to prevent salt crystals from forming on the lens and ruining it. But I see so many divers who never ask for a bucket or don't use it. I've seen diver masters with cameras ignore the bucket also. So what is the deal?

The bucket is a great place to put your camera if you want other cameras piled on top of it, and you want your stuff all scratched up by other people's cameras.

I don't put my stuff in the rinse tank because what salt crystals are going to form in an hour??

When I'm done diving for the day, I do a thorough rinse of my camera, push all the buttons, and make sure that there's no salt water hiding anywhere.

 

[jar546]

Another reason for the separate camera bucket is because the other bucket on many boats used to rinse your mask is full of soap and defog which hazes and coats the lenses of the cameras. Most boats remind people not to rinse their masks in the camera bucket.