How do I carry all of this Crap!!!

[Dominick Gheesling]

Hello all. Just looking for solutions to how to manage so much gear underwater. I am diving backplate and wings and Cavern diving. I have a Canon T2i in an Ikelite Housing, and a Bogen 3021 tripod that I am trying to wrangle into the cavern zone for some long exposure, natural light/light painting photography. Any suggestions on how to manage this pile of gear while running a line is welcome.

 

[boulderjohn]

Hello all. Just looking for solutions to how to manage so much gear underwater. I am diving backplate and wings and Cavern diving. I have a Canon T2i in an Ikelite Housing, and a Bogen 3021 tripod that I am trying to wrangle into the cavern zone for some long exposure, natural light/light painting photography. Any suggestions on how to manage this pile of gear while running a line is welcome.

I have no idea what your gear looks like, but if you are talking about running line, I assume you are talking about going from the entrance to the mainline in the cavern. If so, my immediate thought is to leave the gear back at the entrance, run the line, and go back for the gear.

 

[fish149]

Have your team mate run the line maybe?

 

[2ndjetty]

I'm not cave certified, but would echo what fish149 said - have a buddy run line. Otherwise, I would imagine you need both hands free. To do that, you could pick up two buckle clips and attach the housing system to those (one at each handle ball joint), then attach those clips to your BCD D-rings (I hope that makes sense). It's hands-free, low profile and quick to remove for shooting. You could put a clip on the leg of the tripod and clip it to your waist belt as well in order to streamline the whole system. Alternatively, maybe keep the tripod separate and clip it off to your side like a sidemount tank and then attach it for shooting...? I rigged up like that when carrying multiple bulky camera systems.

 

[Dominick Gheesling]

I'm not cave certified, but would echo what fish149 said - have a buddy run line. Otherwise, I would imagine you need both hands free. To do that, you could pick up two buckle clips and attach the housing system to those (one at each handle ball joint), then attach those clips to your BCD D-rings (I hope that makes sense). It's hands-free, low profile and quick to remove for shooting. You could put a clip on the leg of the tripod and clip it to your waist belt as well in order to streamline the whole system. Alternatively, maybe keep the tripod separate and clip it off to your side like a sidemount tank and then attach it for shooting...? I rigged up like that when carrying multiple bulky camera systems.

Thanks for the input! That is pretty much the scenario I have been playing out in my head it just seems like an insane amount of gear. Definitely going to have to play around with it in open water for awhile to get comfortable before dragging it into the overhead.

 

[2ndjetty]

Absolutely! Get it trim and balanced and you're set.

 

[Mellisa]

In such cases it is impossible to do without an assistant.