How often does everybody inspect/grease their camera housing o-rings?

[tlmainer]

General question...How often does everybody inspect/grease their camera housing o-rings? I have heard everything from "every dive" to "every dive trip." What's your experience and has it worked for you?
Thanks

 

[herman]

I "inspect" everytime the case is opened. I use a magnifying glass to look at the oring and mating surfaces for sand, hairs or whatever should not be there. I also never open or close the housing on a boat or beach unless I absolutely must. I open, inspect and close the case in a reasonably clean place...usually my room before leaving. I take the oring out for inspection once or twice a year for inspection unless I find trash in the mating surfaces, then it comes out for a complete cleaning and inspection.
Greasing the oring depends several factors. First off, should you even grease the Oring. Some housing, Ikelites for example, do not need to be greased, others which do require grease only need it occasionally, once a dive trip is plenty IMO. Remember, the grease it to lubricate the mating surfaces and the oring as they slide past each other and plays no role in sealing of the housing.

 

[acqua_girl]

As for me, I grease the o-ring every dive trip.

I set the camera into the housing before leaving home and, as I come back, I wash the housing, dry it, remove the o-ring and keep it in a zip-lock 'til next dive. That's when I check/grease the o-ring and set it on the housing again.

Actually, it sounds like too much work. But after you get used to it, it's no big deal.

What about you?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Well, I am between Herman and acqua girl. I do not get out a magnifying glass but it is check every time it gets opened. Due to the number of shots that get taken, this could be every dive or possibly once a day. If it is every dive, I check the o-ring with less rigor than if it has had several dives on it. So far it has been effective enough because I am incident free (knocking on wood right now).

 

[tlmainer]

That's kinda what I've been doing, cleaning, drying and taking is out after each dive trip and putting it in a zip-lock. I had read (somewhere?) that someone took o-ring out after every day of diving and cleaned and regreased and that sounded like overkill. I like Herman's idea of the magnifying glass!

 

[acqua_girl]

There's a factor that I forgot to mention: as I have "only" 3 cats at home, fur around the place is an issue. That's why I usually freak about my o-rings...

 

[herman]

There's a factor that I forgot to mention: as I have "only" 3 cats at home, fur around the place is an issue. That's why I usually freak about my o-rings...

Then you def want a magnifying glass....I once found a hair off my lab 1200 miles away from home on Bonaire...laying across the oring on my 5050. I doubt I would have seen it without the glass. The cheap $1 ones do fine.

 

[Geoff_H]

I inspect the O-ring once a dive trip, but don't bother using grease at all.

When I am outside my air conditioned room, I try to avoid opening the housing at all - so no humid air gets in and less chance of dust of hairs getting in the seal.

 

[nereas]

I do all o rings annually.

 

[alcina]

I have two dogs and three cats at home and the cats sincerely believe that my camera gear is there for them to drape themselves across

I inspect my orings every time I open and close the housing. I lube the orings when they need it. I make sure that orings are debris free, have no nicks or cuts and are seated properly before closing the housing or putting the caps back on the battery compartments of the strobes.

I do not always pull the orings from their grooves; I just use my personal judgment on if they need that or not.

A brightly lit area or a dedicated light are essential for making sure that you haven't missed something sneaky!