GoPro Dive Housing Thread... Any Leaks?
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sailupwind
New
1-one dive
2-20 feet
3-no
4-yes
2-20 feet
3-no
4-yes
crab4life
Contributor
With the hero 2 (and possibly other gopros) the latch will get bubbles underneath it and pop open if you aren't careful. I went and wrapped the clip with a hair band going over the lcd screen and over the clip vertically. That should hold everything together nice and snug. Sailupwind, I will bump my post on how to fix a water damaged gopro
savedbygrace
New
GoPro3
-How many dives has the housing been on? 5
-What was your max depth? 65'
-Do you have a red filter (which requires unscrewing of the OE lens)? No
-Does it leak? Leaked and ruined the camera. Go Pro not interested in helping except to provide a discount of 20% f0r a new camera. The seal was inspected. It was lubed. Took the case out on another dive without the camera and it leaked again. Not the seal and not the latch.
-How many dives has the housing been on? 5
-What was your max depth? 65'
-Do you have a red filter (which requires unscrewing of the OE lens)? No
-Does it leak? Leaked and ruined the camera. Go Pro not interested in helping except to provide a discount of 20% f0r a new camera. The seal was inspected. It was lubed. Took the case out on another dive without the camera and it leaked again. Not the seal and not the latch.
my experience with the gasket ( not call a oring ) is that there should be no lube on it. the most you do it take it out. clean off with a tissue, make sure nothing get stuck there. and put it back in the right way. There is slope side to the gasket. I think so lube are causing the gasket to be 'soften'
If you look at the housing when new. the front and back cover comes together and between it is the gasket. i realized after a while of abuse, putting the housing in the sun, keeping it close when in storage. i seem to see that the two front and back cover coming closer together. This tell me that the gasket can get 'soft' and weaken over time. i have a 'soft' gasket and i swap it out with a new gasket from the other housing. it harder and works well.
If you look at the housing when new. the front and back cover comes together and between it is the gasket. i realized after a while of abuse, putting the housing in the sun, keeping it close when in storage. i seem to see that the two front and back cover coming closer together. This tell me that the gasket can get 'soft' and weaken over time. i have a 'soft' gasket and i swap it out with a new gasket from the other housing. it harder and works well.
Saltyhawg
Contributor
I'm using the standard housing not the Dive housing.
40 dives
Max depth 141'
Only use Backscatter, no unscrewing of OE lens
No
My instructions said not to lube the gasket. I also store mine unlatched so as not to deform the gasket.
40 dives
Max depth 141'
Only use Backscatter, no unscrewing of OE lens
No
My instructions said not to lube the gasket. I also store mine unlatched so as not to deform the gasket.
haha49
Contributor
Ok the Gopro dive housings are Hero 3 housings. They changed the design because the clips were breaking but due to the design it can with stand more pressure. (go figure) the problem comes from opening it the clip would break off on 1 side. For the gopro it can go deeper then it's rated but a clean seal is key. Don't use the touch screen and make sure the backing has the right type of seal before you use it as not all backings are water proof. Can be a big mistake.
Now I know 1 guy makes a housing for the gopro hero 3 + and 4 but it's expensive but it adds a lipo inside to charge the camera so you get more power and much greater depth. The best results tend to be gopro and the flip 2.0 filters ir a light. It all depends on how much you want to spend.
I ended up having a chat with the guy who was in charge of fixing the gopro hero 3 case design. The problem is the plastic had a sharp corner which was the stress point 2 sharp corners = a weak spot. With metal and plastic. They could change the type of plastic or they could redesign the case they went with the hero 3 + with a new design case since they had tons of people calling in saying the clip broke.
They gave me the It's not covered crap.... It came out of the box was 4 days old then broke.... Didn't drop, bounce or do anything but because I was in Canada they didn't want to send a clip. Turned me off the product big time they have really, really crappy service outside of the Usa. it took 6 emails and 5 phone calls to the point were I asked were the legal mailing address is as I will be sueing due to the lack of warrenty (laws say min 1 year) I got a clip at that point and spoke with the owner of the company who was working on the clip. I took the clip to a guy who has 40 years of making protypes working with plastic ect and he quickly pointed out the design flaw.
Now I know 1 guy makes a housing for the gopro hero 3 + and 4 but it's expensive but it adds a lipo inside to charge the camera so you get more power and much greater depth. The best results tend to be gopro and the flip 2.0 filters ir a light. It all depends on how much you want to spend.
I ended up having a chat with the guy who was in charge of fixing the gopro hero 3 case design. The problem is the plastic had a sharp corner which was the stress point 2 sharp corners = a weak spot. With metal and plastic. They could change the type of plastic or they could redesign the case they went with the hero 3 + with a new design case since they had tons of people calling in saying the clip broke.
They gave me the It's not covered crap.... It came out of the box was 4 days old then broke.... Didn't drop, bounce or do anything but because I was in Canada they didn't want to send a clip. Turned me off the product big time they have really, really crappy service outside of the Usa. it took 6 emails and 5 phone calls to the point were I asked were the legal mailing address is as I will be sueing due to the lack of warrenty (laws say min 1 year) I got a clip at that point and spoke with the owner of the company who was working on the clip. I took the clip to a guy who has 40 years of making protypes working with plastic ect and he quickly pointed out the design flaw.
scoobajay
Contributor
I'm on GoPro number 5 
and housing number 7. Three of those were due to leaks. The first one was the first time I used to the camera in Tahiti. 30 minutes into the dive at about 60 feet, noticed moisture (made the idiotic mistake of still trying to turn it on and ruined the camera). Amazon replaced both for free. I noticed a leak on the surface with another housing while in Bonaire and immediately went to purchase replacement housing. The housing I bought made it through one dive and began to leak. When I returned it to Dive Friends they determined the manufacturer screwed one of the screws too tight and it in no way could have been user error. They replaced it for free.
and housing number 7. Three of those were due to leaks. The first one was the first time I used to the camera in Tahiti. 30 minutes into the dive at about 60 feet, noticed moisture (made the idiotic mistake of still trying to turn it on and ruined the camera). Amazon replaced both for free. I noticed a leak on the surface with another housing while in Bonaire and immediately went to purchase replacement housing. The housing I bought made it through one dive and began to leak. When I returned it to Dive Friends they determined the manufacturer screwed one of the screws too tight and it in no way could have been user error. They replaced it for free.
I'm on GoPro number 5
Seven housings?
Hmm...
No one is THAT unlucky... and GoPro's quality control isn't that poor. (PS - take a look at what few screws there actually are on a GoPro housing, and ask yourself if over-tightening one of them could actually cause a leak.)
Bike shop owners and mechanics use the abbreviation IWJRA to describe certain folks.
IWJRA = "I was just riding along..."
I'm on GoPro #1, housing #1. It's been to >200ft, banged around wrecks, dropped in parking lots, tossed around in suitcases, and my kids even strap it on our dog's back and chase him around through the woods. (It's also been used on the surface in Bonaire.) It's never leaked.
Last edited:
flareside
Contributor
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