Request for opinions about tethers...

[doctormike]

Hello,

I have been using the standard Cetacea coil lanyard (with plastic clips at both ends as well as with a lanyard loop at one end) for several years to attach my camera to my BC.

I just significantly upgraded my gear (EOS 10D/Ikelite housing to an EOS 7D/Nauticam housing), and I got to thinking about my old tether system. Also, I find the the Cetacea system is a bit short, making maneuvering the new camera a little more difficult. I was in the keys and picked up a Trident speargun retriever coil, which I was told was as secure if not more so than the Cetacea coil.

The Trident is much less restrictive on the camera, but given how much I just spent on camera gear, I want to make sure that whatever I use will not give way if I inadvertently lose control and the system gets yanked. Not so much of an issue on a shallow reef in the Keys, but if I am diving in the northeast with a deeper bottom in poor visibility, a single failure point might be the end of my new gear...!

So here are the two systems, with closeup photos. What do you think? The Trident (A) or the Cetacea (B). Which are the most likely failure points? The steel clip on the Trident? The string on the lanyard? Plastic clips? Is there a better system that I am missing?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Larry C]

I use "B", and I worry about the string. 99% of the time, the rig is in my hand anyway, though I sometimes hang it between my knees while performing a critical task. Since there is only about a pound or two of positive or negative buoyancy, the strength of the connection doesn't seem to be critical.

My bigger issue is getting it in and out of the boat, especially commercial dive boats. Some dive boat ops are positively casual about lowering my $10,000 investment on a string over open water. Last weekend, one of the crew had my camera on a high current drop off. There was no string or lanyard attached, and he was about to hand off the negative rig to another diver to bring to me rather than wait for the boat to swing around to my position. I gave him a rather curt "Nope, my camera goes nowhere without me" and felt a bit bad, but not as bad as I would have watching my baby sink to the bottom.
One of my dive buddies routinely hangs his rig from his boat on a rope lanyard with a spring clip. I decided if it worked for him, I could try it. First time, in rough water on a low vis day, the boat bounced and the camera came out of the clip and dropped 80' to the bottom. Fortunately, it was on a dive site with a rather flat, featureless bottom and the camera was directly under the boat. I did a bounce dive and saw it from 10 feet off bottom as I descended the drop line. Most of the commercial dive boats seem to drop the cameras on a similar rope lanyard, with the rope strung through the handles and clipped to itself. I worry.
I'm looking for a better lanyard solution than "B", but I'm not sure that "A" is it either. I think "A" might keep the rig closer to you, though. I've had mine hanging way below my legs on "B". I've also tried wrist lanyards and detest them. I can't use my hands for other tasks or transfer the camera from hand to hand while wearing one.

PS My current solution for hooking the camera to my own boat is that I use two lanyards, one attached to each handle. It slows the transfer a bit, but it's always secure. I've thought about a similar solution while carrying it, hang it from both sides. I might give it a try. I think that might keep it more secure, on a shorter tether and keep it off the reef if you have to drop it to adjust eqpt.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I have been using option B since I first took a camera diving. With the camera, Ike housing, Handle, WA lens and one DS-125 strobe, there is a bit of weight and it certainly would sink very fast if it came loose. I have never had any issues with option B even though when the camera is with me, it is in my hand. I have to need both hands for something critical for me to let it go.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Option B and switch that clip to a stainless one.

 

[Nemrod]

You can see my tether sitting on top. It has a clip/split ring on one end and the brass clip on the other. I don't let go of my camera once in the water because I know if I let go of it, I would just figure it is gone, in other words, I don't count on the tether.

N

 

[fisheyeview]

I make my own lanyards for my rig. I have the rig handed to me/ or by me to the boat DM. I dive with the same boats all the time and they know my routine. I have used my lanyard to attach my rig to a d-ring on my harness for hands free situations. I have also used it to attach to my d-ring when I have been out off a wall that drops several thousand feet where there is no hope of recovery.

I'm looking for a picture of one.

 

[doctormike]

Excellent, thanks so much for the feedback, everyone..! I really only have the tether as a failsafe if I have some sort of accident (e.g. knocked in the head by another diver, or snagging the camera on an obstruction during fast motion), so I wanted it to hold more than just the negative buoyancy of the housing. I would never let go of the camera in the water and rely on the tether unless there was an emergency...

I liked the stretch of option A, seemed a lot less restrictive, but I made it up myself and had never seen anyone using something like that before! I think that there aren't many spearguns that cost $7000, so maybe not quite as critical a design spec for the Trident..

I'll probably go back to some variation on option B. One advantage of the two side clips is that you have the option of removing the coil from the system if you have some sort of emergency and want to clip off the camera to your D-ring for a few minutes.

I always jump in with the camera in hand. I then pass it back up the ladder when boarding the boat, only unclipping it from my D ring when they have a secure grip.

Scareface, why do you prefer stainless? I had heard that before...

Mike

 

[ScubaSteve]

Scareface, why do you prefer stainless? I had heard that before...

Mike

I can only speak for myself but the brass looking snap that I got with my option B has seen lost of water and no matter how much I rinse it and allow it to dry, it locks up (open or closed and sometimes in between the two). Not bad if you are freeing it up in your garage but when in the water, a real PITA. Having said that, I still have not replaced it.

 

[ptyx]

+1 for Nemrod's lanyard for robustness.
I was using the same on my previous camera (point and shoot) and it felt much more secure than any other options I tried before.

However the carabiner at the end is a pain to detach with thick gloves, and having the lanyard pull on the camera became a problem once I upgraded to a much more stable DSLR rig.

My current lanyard is home built from a climbing sling, shock cord and double-enders. Completely indestructible, and very versatile. It works well with Ikelite DSLR trays, but probably can be adapted to other brands.

Sling is attached under the right tray handle.

There are two loops of thin shock cord on the sling: a 2 inch one at the end, which I use to stow the lanyard when not in use: wrap the lanyard around the bottom left knob under the tray, come back and stretch the bungee loop over the right tray knob. Lanyard will stay there under tension.

A tiny bungee loop slides on the sling itself, and is used to secure the sling to my wrist when using the lanyard: put wrist inside sling, push small bungee loop up until it's secure. That's the way I carry the camera when I'm actively shooting (unless I'm right on the bottom and decide I don't need the lanyard, in which case it's stowed as described above). I do not like having the lanyard attached any place other than my wrist, as I dive with a long hose and managing lanyard, hose and light cord in case of emergency gets tricky really fast (it's possible, but lanyard on wrist is much easier).

For stowing the camera underwater (long swim with no photo opportunities, or just terrible photo conditions), most of the time I stow the lanyard and carry the rig like a stage bottle (I put attachment points at the top of each handle for that purpose).

For surface carrying, I wrap or bolt-snap the sling to the upper left tray knob, and then carry the whole rig messenger-bag style. It also makes a convenient handle to have the camera passed from a boat.

I'll try to post photos later tonight.

 

[doctormike]

I'll try to post photos later tonight.

Please do, it sounds interesting...

The climbing sling doesn't sound like it retracts, though... one of the things that I like about the coil systems is that they don't leave a lot of slack in the slipstream... maybe I need a photo to understand better...

Thanks again!

Mike