magnifying glass?

[opalobsidian]

If I want to peer at something real small, should I carry some sort of magnifying glass with me underwater?

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any other divers do this but it seems like the only way to examine all the little seahorses and crabs and stuff than an eagle eyed DM will point out. Especially when I was in Northern Sulawesi, I would just make an okay signal at my DM when he'd point out a wiggly dot, I would have no idea what it was.

What kind of magnifying device is recommended?

Thanks!
Pamela

 

[redacted]

I picked this up on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170026917766

Seller doesn't show this item right now but you might ask him. It needs to be a glass lens and quite strong as water will nullify much of the magnification due to the refractive index. My 10X get me 2X - 3X U/W.

 

[TravelSimone]

If I want to peer at something real small, should I carry some sort of magnifying glass with me underwater?

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any other divers do this but it seems like the only way to examine all the little seahorses and crabs and stuff than an eagle eyed DM will point out. Especially when I was in Northern Sulawesi, I would just make an okay signal at my DM when he'd point out a wiggly dot, I would have no idea what it was.

What kind of magnifying device is recommended?

Thanks!
Pamela

There was a lone Japanese woman on our dive boat out to Menjangan a few weeks ago who was a real character. She looked to be fairly old and had very old and well-used gear. She had an entire assortment of magnifying glasses with her. She put some in her pockets and had others attached to her BCD. I have to admit that I was a little jealous a few times to know that she was getting a much better look than was I.

 

[offroaddiver]

watch out for cheap lenses. i'd push for glass or sheet magnifiers. I know they used to make a ruler that changed magnification in the ruler itself.

 

[captndale]

Not all magnifying lenses made for above water use will work well under water. ReefNet makes a couple of good magnifiers that are designed for underwater use.

 

[ScubaSarus]

You have to be pretty serious to fork out $75 for a magnifying glass. Good optics are night and day over cheap optics though. I would expect it to be quality glass and made by a good mfgr (swift, leica, AO, Motic, nIKON, Meiji etc) and not made in a cheap labor country as our microscope repairer advises.

http://reefnet.ca/products/subsee/

But if its your goal and you want a new toy, it can be fun and this does look like a quality piece.

Im going to try a regular magnifying glass and see if the picture is as bad as what their website shows but its hard to fing glass ones at the local shops and plasic is very low quality.

An alternative

http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp?pn=3082320&bhcd2=1180264665

By the way this is awsome and something I never thought of. Now if we dive and there are no big fish etc around we can drop down to the micro level and see a whole new world. Now who can recommned a good book on micro sea life ?

Thanks for posting Opalobsidian