How to save a Saltwater flooded GOPRO

[crab4life]

Boy you must be fun at parties. If it works I guess it works, I was just happy to save my buddy's camera

 

[Mike]

Finally, electronics exposed to salt water will likely have a much shorter life span even if saved.

Exactly, I wouldn't consider it saved until maybe if you can repost this in 2015. I think a call to go pro would result in them not giving it a clean bill of health, but a wait and see...as it's pretty typical to 'save' a camera, a cell phone, an Ipod only to find out it was only a temporary revival as the internals end up slowly corroding over time and eventually after a week or a month or two it dies permanently.

 

[crab4life]

It's been going strong 4 months so far

 

[undrwater]

Information is power. I'm the life of a party! B-)

I glad it lasted this long, and hope it hangs on as long as needed and beyond!

 

[crab4life]

Haha, thanks. That's the plan

 

[crab4life]

Bump for sail up wind

 

[gemillion]

I tried crab4life's recovery process and it worked beyond my expectations. I had been using my Hero 2 with the LCD back and the dive housing for 25-30 dives without a problem. Last May, shortly after entering the water on a boat dive, and dispite my normal precautions, I noticed the latch wasn't fully shut and salt water was in the housing. I handed the camera to someone on the boat who took out the battery and SD card, while I continued the dive. Later that morning, I rinsed everything in fresh water and put the camera and back in rice and left it on the balcony in Jamaica so it got plenty hot! All I could get it to do after several days of this is the power light would glow for a few seconds then nothing. I brought it home and left it in the rice until now! I took it apart as far as I could and did the rubbing alcohol - vinegar thing and after 4 months got the camera to work but with some spots on the image. I used Damp-rid instead of rice, this time. Of course, I broke the microphone wire connections to the MB in the process. I then tried the LDC back and it came on but no image, just a cloudy looking mess on the screen. So I took that apart and repeated the process with it and it, too, came back! The image isn't perfect but good enough. I then took it to a iPhone repair place to resolder the mic wires and clean the sensor (I removed the lens but could get it clean enough). The sensor cleaning and resolder job cost me $10 and now everything works fine and ready for dives next week! Thanks, crab4life!

 

[crab4life]

Glad I could help! Post some vids up of your dives!

 

[SeahorseDeb]

Glad I could help! Post some vids up of your dives!

Crab4life your OP should be a STICKY! Otherwise I'll have to bump it every month so it doesn't get buried.....

 

[crab4life]

I have no idea how to do that lol, I'm computer stupid