Securing Camera during Shore Entries

[JaminBrown]

Hey all!

I just picked up an Olympus TG-6 w. PT-059 case, and a Backscatter Macro Wide 4300 light. And while it's no where near as big as an SLR with dual lights/strobes, it's lots larger & heavier than my GoPro Hero 8...

Almost all my diving is shore diving, and the entries aren't always the easiest. I've been known to crawl in on occasion.

How do you all secure your camera & light rigs during entry and exit?

Thanks!

 

[merxlin]

I use a coiled tether that can shorten when clipped and hang close to me, then add a double ender on the opposite side that clips to a d ring and a strobe arm (on the opposite side of the tether). Gives you free use of both hands but does not help if you face plant though.

 

[LFMarm]

Clipped with 2 short line and 2 double enders to my chest d-rings

 

[Nemrod]

I would not take my Nauticam NA6400 in through rough surf. I have a FIX90 rig, similarly rigged, which I might take through surf. Why, well, sand and grit get into everything. But that is aside.

I set my camera up so I can be hands free.

Here, if you look carefully, the two upper bolt snaps that are together, one goes to the left shoulder D-ring and the other to the right shoulder D-ring. The lower, orange, bolt snap goes to my scooter/crotch ring. The blue tether, also goes to the scooter ring. In use, only the blue coil tether is connected. But when I need to be hands free I clip in as described. This puts the camera rig across my chest and is stable and secure so I can deal with climbing ladders, OOA divers or fighting off sharks or whatever is the case. Overkill? Well, I wanted the rig to be stable and not flopping around and since the replacement cost is significant, overkill is good, given that insurance pays for floods and theft but not loss, keep that in mind.

BTW, the white grab handle is on the rig only during recovery if handing to a boat deck hand. In use I remove it and put it on my RH D-ring. And when handing off the upper two bolts snaps are put together as shown. Also, and since replaced with two 4mm bungee loops, you can see two silicone rubber bands. Those are secured to the outer arm clamps, one each side, and they are snapped over the inner arm clamps on the top of each handle. These keep the strobes from flopping and spreading out. Everything is nice and tucked in. Yes, it takes a moment to ready the camera once in the water and likewise at the end of the dive but we are talking less than 30 seconds.

James

 

[merxlin]

I would not take my Nauticam NA6400 in through rough surf. I have a FIX90 rig, similarly rigged, which I might take through surf. Why, well, sand and grit get into everything. But that is aside.

I set my camera up so I can be hands free.

View attachment 679069

Here, if you look carefully, the two upper bolt snaps that are together, one goes to the left shoulder D-ring and the other to the right shoulder D-ring. The lower, orange, bolt snap goes to my scooter/crotch ring. The blue tether, also goes to the scooter ring. In use, only the blue coil tether is connected. But when I need ot be hands free I clip in as described. This puts the camera rig across my chest and is stable and secure so I can deal with climbing ladders, OOA divers or fighting off sharks or whatever is the case. Overkill? Well, I wanted the rig to be stable and not flopping around and since the replacement cost is significant, overkill is good, given that insurance pays for floods and theft but not loss, keep that in mind.

BTW, the white grab handle is on the rig only during recovery if handing to a boat deck hand. In use I remove it and put it on my RH D-ring. And when handing off the upper two bolts snaps are put together as shown. Also, and since replaced with two 4mm bungee loops, you can see two silicone rubber bands. Those are secured to the arms clamps, one each side and they are snapped over the inner arm claps on the top of each handle. These keep the strobes from flopping and spreading out. Everything is nice and tucked in. Yes, it takes a moment to ready the camera once in the water and likewise at the end of the dive but we are talking less than 30 seconds.

James

Using the two bolt snaps at the mid arm point is genius.

 

[Nemrod]

Using the two bolt snaps at the mid arm point is genius.

I claim no credit, I am pretty sure I have seen other similar rigs. I had originally intended to use the midpoint bolt snaps as double duty, both to keep the arms locked at midpoint but also to be used as a handle for the boat crew to lift the rig by. But, they would never go for that even when pointed at, like, grab here! Instead they would grab the float arms or the handle grips, arrrgggh! But, with that white handle on there is like a homing beacon, I could not stop them from grabbing there for anything, and that is good because I want them to, lol!

How you see it there is how I go in and come out except going in the white handle is usually just clipped to my RH D-ring as I usually just jump in with my hands on the grips. And going in, giant stride, with the camera, the only thing connected (to me) is the blue coil tether and my hands on the grips, so I can rasie the camera as I immerse to lesson shock on the rig.

The OP mentioned shore diving and crawling in so I assumed some surf was the reason for the crawling. This set up might work for a TG6 while crawling in and out, not sure! But I can certainly walk in and out under more benign conditions.

James

 

[merxlin]

My TG-6 set up. This is missing the braided handle I use. The braided cord is bright red, and the boat crew still reaches for the arms.

 

[OTF]

If you're diving with a flag and reel, depending on the site, one option is to walk in before donning your tank and plant the reel in a few feet of water with the camera clipped off to it and the flag floating above. Helps to have a heavy reel.

 

[weeksd]

I have a carabiner almost exactly the same as the one pictured in nemrod photo. Good shape $3usd

 

[JaminBrown]

Thanks for the replies all. This is what I'm trying for now. Weather and free time haven't cooperated, but I hope to get at least one dive this weekend to be able to test this out. And yes, the site I dive at most has very slippery rocks and it's often necessary to crawl in the shallows due to this and any surge.

With the two bolt snaps zip-tied to the case and ball mount, I can clip the camera off to my shoulder D-ring and a D-ring on the top front of my BC pouch on the same side. There's very little slack, so it won't swing away from my body.

Once in the water, I'll unclip the bolt snaps, and use a Gear Keeper to keep it attached to me in case I drop it.

When the dive is done, clip back to the D-rings to get back out.