Aloha,
As a experienced instructor in the Hawaiian islands I just wanted to share a tip/suggestion for anyone who has thoughts about - or is currently using a GoPro for diving. (forgive me if this is viewed with anything but the intent to help new divers using the units).
Nobody will question how great it is to capture footage of your dives! GoPro has made this easy and relatively inexpensive compared to other video/photo options. However, since their introduction into the sport a disturbing trend is the loss of these cameras. I personally find at least 4-6 of these per year just on the small island of Kauai. Numerous other times I see them dropped during entry/exit or let go of unintentionally underwater. It's heartbreaking to see divers react to these losses - often losing more than just dive footage.
The poles, floats and lanyards all can be dropped. My suggestion is to strongly consider a retractor. It ensures that these $300-$500 losses are far less likely to occur. Most of the instructors here at least have gone to using retractors for this same reason. There are other benefits to the hands free retractors as well.
Retractor - Retractor - Retractor
I hope this post helps at least one diver keep from losing their GoPro and some fantastic underwater memories.
Aloha and best of Ocean Wishes!
A
As a experienced instructor in the Hawaiian islands I just wanted to share a tip/suggestion for anyone who has thoughts about - or is currently using a GoPro for diving. (forgive me if this is viewed with anything but the intent to help new divers using the units).
Nobody will question how great it is to capture footage of your dives! GoPro has made this easy and relatively inexpensive compared to other video/photo options. However, since their introduction into the sport a disturbing trend is the loss of these cameras. I personally find at least 4-6 of these per year just on the small island of Kauai. Numerous other times I see them dropped during entry/exit or let go of unintentionally underwater. It's heartbreaking to see divers react to these losses - often losing more than just dive footage.
The poles, floats and lanyards all can be dropped. My suggestion is to strongly consider a retractor. It ensures that these $300-$500 losses are far less likely to occur. Most of the instructors here at least have gone to using retractors for this same reason. There are other benefits to the hands free retractors as well.
Retractor - Retractor - Retractor
I hope this post helps at least one diver keep from losing their GoPro and some fantastic underwater memories.
Aloha and best of Ocean Wishes!
A
