Out of Water - Fear!

[Ardy]

I am a survivor (to use the modern madness) of a hip replacement and due to house building etc been out of the water for the last 18 months.

My fear is that my EM5 and Oly housing will leak. Don't ask me why,it is just an irrational fear.

Without doing a complete overhaul of the housing (which comes with its own risks), is there a few tips for o'ring greasing of the Oly housing? Then I might be able to sleep at night before the 22nd April trip to Bali!.

 

[lv2dive]

I can't help with any suggestions on how to deal with your oring or your housing, but I did have a thought on something that may help your fears (so you can sleep <g>). In a similar situation I have taken a housing in the deep end of a pool without the camera, stuffed with paper towels to check it for leaks. Maybe an oversimplistic suggestion, but maybe it will help?

 

[Johnoly]

... In a similar situation I have taken a housing in the deep end of a pool without the camera, stuffed with paper towels to check it for leaks....

Great idea,,,,and if the diver doesn't have time before the trip,,,just bring along a small finger spool or reel with 100' of line and drop the empty housing with a weight attached {and your inside paper towel trick} over the side of your vacation boat for a couple of minutes and bring/wind/reel it back up and check for leaks. Then dive it!! I've seen several divers "pre-depth-test" their empty camera housings before diving them loaded.

 

[Furnari]

This blog entry from our friends at Reef Wreck and Critter has some good info about lubing control buttons and dials. Easy enough to do, and not a bad idea if your housing has been out of the water for a while:
Underwater Camera Housing Maintenance

Also, the main door o-rings are pretty cheap, and should be replaced periodically anyways.

 

[jmartel]

It's not the smartest idea, but I had my housing on my last camera out of the water, with the door closed and o-ring in, for several years before getting it wet again. No issues. If you are worried about it, buy a new main o-ring and re-grease things. Then do a test dive.

 

[Ardy]

Thanks guys, I will look at RW instructions and buy a new o'ring. Things have changed, I used to leave o'rings alone but the new ones seem to need greasing more often.