Photo Friendly Dive operators Upper Keys

[leerose]

Heading down to Upper Florida Keys to try out a new camera rig and housing. Been a number of years since I dove there but wanted an easy US based place to "putz" around with this new rig. Any recommendations from out there on operators that are photo friendly? Had one experience with a busy boat down there where it was so crowded, and the staff were so inattentive, that someone tossed a weight belt into the rinse tank on to my camera.

 

[Nemrod]

Go with Conch Republic.

As to other divers tossing their gear onto expensive cameras, it is not their expensive camera so most do not care. I keep my camera in a Sam's Club padded cooler bag tucked under the bench between dives, not in a rinse tank. Dip and then into the bag it goes. Rinse tanks are very bad for expensive and delicate photo gear.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I am genuinely curious as to what exactly constitutes a photo friendly dive boat?

• Rinse Tanks?
• Allows solo slow diving?
• Camera tables?

 

[leerose]

Yes Rinse tanks but mostly operators that respect photographers as opposed to "fill the boat with whatever we can" operators.

 

[David Haas]

On any boat I assume no one including crew and guests simply don't know how to with out for your UW rig.

I regularly would find a spot under a bench and maybe wrap my rig in a towel between dives. I was always afraid someone would drop their weight belt on it

I've actually seen people put all these on a CAMERA TABLE even after the crew tells them it's for CAMERAS !!!!

Masks, dry bags (WTF? Put your friggin' dry bag UNDER your seat or in your mesh bag!), regulators, dive computers (even giant console ones ATTACHED to their regulator!) and several times actual WEIGHT BELTS !!!!

I think newbie divers are just overwhelmed on their early salt water ocean trips. Maybe a bit nervous plus never were taught how to organize and control their gear.

I come from an era when you packed your gear bag in REVERSE order you put stuff on.

Take it out and set up BCD / regulator, next wet suit, last mask fins, etc.

When you come back aboard stow your stuff back in the bag! It's not that hard really.........

Sorry for the rant LOL......

Need more coffee

DH

 

[MidOH]

I am genuinely curious as to what exactly constitutes a photo friendly dive boat?

• Rinse Tanks?
• Allows solo slow diving?
• Camera tables?

As long as you're squared away, a seperate dunk tank is all I need.

And generally, leave the gear tank open, but put a lid on the camera tank that specifically says "camera rigs only".

Camera tables ain't happening, hold onto your camera.

 

[Johnoly]

I am genuinely curious as to what exactly constitutes a photo friendly dive boat?

LOL,,,they hand feed the sharks. Or as one key's operator does>milk crate it.

 

[Nemrod]

Not a dive buddy but somebody some would know, threw their dive bag onto the CAMERA TABLE knocking my camera to the deck and damaging a strobe. Not even a sorry from them. I am not sure if anyone watches the Jack Reacher episodes on Amazon, hey, it is cold and snow outside!!!! Anyways, it is a good thing I am not Reacher because he would have taught them a painful lesson. Fortunately, unlike Reacher, I have a wet slow fuse, it takes days to go off and then I just shrug it off. And in the modern world, that is the best option because punching some dufus in the face is not an option in a civil world no matter how much I wish I had .

Just get a $5.00 padded cooler bag at Sam'sClub and stow your camera under the bench or a safe place which may not be a camera table . This will avoid broken camera equipment and possible jail time .