How to attach Ikelite housing to me

[bug]

I have an Ikelite Housing for my Canon G2 and I was wondering if people could post ideas hopefully with pictures of how they attach a lanyard to it so you don't lose it.

Thanks for any ideas!

-matt

 

[Curt Bowen]

Make a standard 2 1/2 foot cord tied to your housing on the left side (opposite from the triger) and a really high quality stainless locking clip on the other end of the cord.

Before you ever decend, clip the cord to yourself and lock the clip.

P.S. Dont ever put your camera housing into the rinse bucket before the first dive. O-rings are sealed because of pressure, rince buckets dont have enough pressure to properly seal your o-rings. When you first enter the water with a freshly closed camera housing, drop quickly to 10 feet and inspect your camera for leaks. No leaks go diving. When you return after the dive it is safe to rinse off your camera in the rinse bucket.

 

[jcclink]

This PS is so totally bogus! Where did you come up with this ??????????????? You obviously don't understand o-ring design. I say this as a mechanical engineer with 30+yrs working with o-rings underwater.

 

[Curt Bowen]

This PS is so totally bogus! Where did you come up with this ??????????????? You obviously don't understand o-ring design. I say this as a mechanical engineer with 30+yrs working with o-rings underwater.

Good your a mechanical engineer and I am a professional underwater photographer with thousands of dives in all enviroments and I take my experience and knowledge from real life events.

O-rings are assisted by pressure to seal a housing. Most are captured on 3 sides, but the backs of most housing are only kept inplace by tightning clamps and only touch one side of the o-ring. With no pressure applied to the camera housing back, as in a rinse bucket I have seen MANY housings leak.

Taking the camera to 10 feet assists with the back o-ring to push it into place and seal the back. It has worked for me for many many years.

There is really no reason to put a camera in a rinse bucket before the first dive, whats it do in there talk to the other moron's cameras that are in there.

 

[jcclink]

Thanks for proving my point about o-ring design. If a housing leaks in the rinse bucket you obviously screwed up. All o-rings are in contact with at least two surfaces when assembled (back is closed). Additional pressure will provide a seal against a third surface.

 

[Curt Bowen]

Thanks for proving my point about o-ring design. If a housing leaks in the rinse bucket you obviously screwed up. All o-rings are in contact with at least two surfaces when sealed (back is closed). Pressure will provide a seal against a third surface.

No, sometimes with time and an aged camera housing the clamps loosen or salt deposits form on the aluminum this can cause a looser clamp allowing water to pass. The back of most housing only touch one side of the o-ring. I wish they had 2 o-rings incase one leaks.

Water pressure assists with pressing the back tighter against the o-ring helping to seal the back.

 

[jcclink]

I understand that things can change with age. If a clamp is too loose to apply sufficient pressure to the back o-ring to seal the housing at the surface, then the clamp must be replaced or adjusted. The clamp will essentially become looser underwater, with only water pressure holding the housing together. This is real spooky. When pressure on the back plate is decreased again (return to surface pressure), typically the plate will assume its original position & the clamp will still be loose. This assumes there is only a face seal on the housing backplate. A second o-ring (radial seal) is always beneficial in preventing or minimizing leaks. This makes a good point for proper inspection & maintenance of housing components.

 

[Marriard]

I have an Ikelite Housing for my Canon G2 and I was wondering if people could post ideas hopefully with pictures of how they attach a lanyard to it so you don't lose it.

Nice and easy - you can buy a coiled lanyard such as this one from Leisure Pro for $15:

It is nice because you can keep it close to you when clipped, and lots of room to move unclipped. I have even left it unclipped and let my camera hang beneath me if I need to have my hands totally free and the camera away from me.

As for the (rather heated) rinse bucket arguement - more leaks and scratches due to other cameras, worn latches, dust on o-ring, camera banging around, minimal water pressure and a whole bunch of other things happen in a rinse bucket. I never put mine in there except for maybe a quick rinse to wash off the salt water.

 

[Curt Bowen]

I understand that things can change with age. If a clamp is too loose to apply sufficient pressure to the back o-ring to seal the housing at the surface, then the clamp must be replaced. The clamp will essentially become looser underwater, with only water pressure holding the housing together. This is real spooky. When pressure on the back plate is decreased again (return to surface pressure), typically the plate will assume its original position & the clamp will still be loose. This assumes there is only a face seal on the housing backplate. A second o-ring (radial seal) is always beneficial in preventing or minimizing leaks. This makes a good point for proper inspection & maintenance of housing components.

Yes, but life never runs that smoothly.

Example or excuses

Seas are rough, late airlines
sea sick
reg is screwing up
your baby sitting a new diver
its hotter than hell and your sweating into your open backed camera
its that time of the month and your out of pads
stubbed your toe on the cabin door
you have gas from the cooks food and to much beer from last night
your you know what burns when you pee and you are wondering about that ***** house you cant remember much about from last night
you have been up all night because the mexican food gave you the craps
did I pay the house morgage

I could go on and on and on

 

[jcclink]

I'm not necessarily advocating leaving a housing in the rinse tank - I don't do that either. My main point was only that a properly sealed housing left unto itself will not leak in the tank, barring any other mishaps or damage caused by other cameras.