Sony HDR-SR12

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dpwheeler

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Location
Ovilla, TX
# of dives
Heading to Turks and Caicos to celebrate my 65th. Will be using a Sony HDR-SR12 in an Ikelite housing. A big step from where I started out with a Nikonos II and flash bulbs (remember them?). I would appreciate any tips anyone has using that set-up. Also any suggestions re Turks and Caicos would be appreciated as well.
 
We were there last year on the Explorer. We dove NW Point off Provo followed by a few days at West Caicos and a few days at French Cay.

By far the best diving was at French Cay - lots of sharks, too many stingrays to count, barracuda, eagle rays, turtles, basketball sized lionfish and lots of smaller stuff. The wall in that area seemed unusually healthy down past about 90' - I think it's partly because the water is so clear that the sunlight penetrates to around that depth. Also I think there's a lot of nutrients washing up from the depths there.

It's a little farther removed from the daily dive trips so the wildlife pretty much ignores you. I chased several sharks all over the reef, there always seemed to be several barracuda hanging around and I was able to get within a couple feet of several stingrays resting on the sand. And there were lobsters, large crabs, and conch out at night. There's also a lot of interesting macro - feather dusters, tiny fish nurseries etc, around (and under) just about every larger coral head. It's done by some of the day boats from Provo and would be worth the trip.

We didn't run into any but there's supposed to be some huge grouper off West Caicos. I was divebombed by a huge old turtle at one of the moorings there, the DM said he does that often. So old that parts of his shell were white. Startled me so I dropped my lens cover fumbling to get it off, by the time I chased it down, he was off in the distance.

The water was unbelievably clear - didn't need lights for most of it. I shoot an HDR-HC1 so your results should be similar.
 
Thanks a lot for the input I can't wait to get there. Used the SR-12 once in Costa Rica but was really disappointed. Just at the end of the rainy season and there was nothing but shades of green. Reminded me of diving some of the "clear" lakes in Texas. Got good clear pictures with every shade of green you can shoot. Light green in shallow water and dark green in deep water. Wasn't using lights as it was the first time out. Looking forward to the blue Caribbean.
Thanks again.
DW
 

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