Canon G9 Ikelite housing + DS51, how to attach and secure to the BCD

[stove007]

Hi all,

I just bought a Canon G9 with an Ikelite housing as well as an DS51 strobe.

Has anyone experience in attaching and securing the device to the BCD?

Suggestions, alternatives or even picture would be really helpful.

I am going in Sept for 3 weeks to Komodo (Indonesia) and there can be sometimes strong currents.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[SFLDiver3445]

Hi all,

I just bought a Canon G9 with an Ikelite housing as well as an DS51 strobe.

Has anyone experience in attaching and securing the device to the BCD?

Suggestions, alternatives or even picture would be really helpful.

I am going in Sept for 3 weeks to Komodo (Indonesia) and there can be sometimes strong currents.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Cheers,
Steve

Hi Steve,

I dive many of the deeper wrecks in South Florida, which are usually plagued with very strong currents because of the Gulf Stream Currents. However, even with strong currents, and we often get 2+ knot currents, I ALWAYS take my camera.

What I use to secure it to myself is one foot long bungee that has a stainless steel clip on each side and a lanyard on one of the sides as well. This strap is extremely heavy duty and is very versatile, even for carring the camera on/of the boat.

What I actually use is a Dive Rite Side Mount Bungee, which comes stock with a stainless steel clip on one side, then I add anothet clip to the other side.

When I'm on the anchor line completing decompression dives, I can either clip one end to the base of the camers and clip the other end to one of my rebreather's d-rings and let it hang down or I can run it throug that very same d-ring and clip it back on the base of the camera, which allows me to shorten the hanging distance - It works very well.

Also, since I put a lanyard on one end of the strap, I can put my hand anytime I want an added security or when I really want to keep it close, like when I am closely bunched up with a bunch of other divers like sardines completing decompression requirements.

I'm on my way out right now, but I will post some pictures of my strap a little later on today, so you can get a visual of what I am describing.

Recently, I noticed a posting on someone's blog that indicated they were using a similar system that was recommended to them by Ryan Canon at Reef Photo (Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros).

Adrian

 

[SFLDiver3445]

I'm on my way out right now, but I will post some pictures of my strap a little later on today, so you can get a visual of what I am describing.

As promised, here are a few pictures of the strap that I am currently using to secure my camera to me while underwater:

Here's a picture of the complete strap with the lanyard I attached to it.

Here's a close-up shot of each side of the strap. One side came standard with a clip attached to it.

The other side simply had locking Stainless steel ring, so I attached a lanyard and a stainless steel clip to it.

The base plate of my setup has several open channels, so I generally attache the clips from the strap to one of the channels and the other to my rebreather harnesses d-ring.

If I want to keep the camera closer to me, then I simply slide one end of the strap through the d-ring and attach it back to the other end of the camera's base plate, and if I really want to keep it close, after I clip it to me somewhere, then I put my wrist through the lanyard, which gives me double the security and really tight control.

Lately, once I close up my camera, I've been attaching the strap to the top or my arms, which allows me to either hand it up to the divemaster for easy carrying from the top or I can even throw it over my shoulder and carry it like a handbag when transporting it out of the water. Deep in mind, that I would normally have the arms and strobes folded in more than what is depicted in the photo when I have it out of the water.

The basic strap is something I bought at my local specialty technical diving dive shop, which just happens to be Dive Rite Express. As I previously indicated, it's the bungie strap used on Dive Rite's Nomad Wing System, which I happen to own, so I just bought an extra one. The bungies are sold seperately and they come in 11", 13", 15", 17" and 19" lengths and run about $25 each, but remember that I did have to add the stainless steel clip to mine after I got it. If it something you decide to use, here's the link to the specific page on the Dive Rite Express website where they're sold. You can actually see the bungees on the picture of the Nomad Wing at the top of the page, but just scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see the option to purchase the bungees individually.

Dive Rite Nomad System

Hope that helps or at least gives you an additional idea to consider!

Adrian

 

[stove007]

Hi Adrian,

thanks so much for your detailed and very informative description.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[NTSilver]

Steve
The ikelite G9 housing does not have any holes to attach like in the photos that Adrian posted. My husband added a ring over the strobe arm and I attach my lanyard to that. If needed I can always attach the housing to my bcd with a spare d-ring via that same ring.

 

[jaybombs25]

CRLO3, Light Accessories, Cetecea, CRLO3

very simple, cheap and durable... thats what I use

 

[SFLDiver3445]

CRLO3, Light Accessories, Cetecea, CRLO3

very simple, cheap and durable... thats what I use

That accessory is a nice inexpensive and clean way to secure your camera underwater, which will probably work in most circumstances.

However, if your diving happens to envolve a bit harsher conditions and stronger currents, as is the case for us technical divers doing deeper wrecks in South Florida, I'm not sure I would rely on those plastic clips and cord to secure my $5K camera while I fight the current and descend down the anchor line with multiple large stage bottles in a 2 knot current! And I know what your next comment might be, but I never leave my camera behind, which is why I bought the heavy duty aluminum 120 meter rated Patima Housing for my G9!

 

[sylpha]

LUMB BROS Lanyards

take a look at this website, i use their detach coil lanyard. The thing i really like about it is that it ataches to the camera (or torch or whatever) and the bcd with stainless steel fastenings. i have seen similar ones which use plastic fastenings which are vulnerable to damage on boats which have feet, lead weights, cylinders moving around.

 

[SFLDiver3445]

LUMB BROS Lanyards

take a look at this website, i use their detach coil lanyard. The thing i really like about it is that it ataches to the camera (or torch or whatever) and the bcd with stainless steel fastenings. i have seen similar ones which use plastic fastenings which are vulnerable to damage on boats which have feet, lead weights, cylinders moving around.

Wow, that site has an impressive selection, something for every scenario!

Thanks for sharing that site!

 

[bejeweled]

Steve
The ikelite G9 housing does not have any holes to attach like in the photos that Adrian posted. My husband added a ring over the strobe arm and I attach my lanyard to that. If needed I can always attach the housing to my bcd with a spare d-ring via that same ring.

I just purchased the ikelite housing for my G9 as well. What kind of ring did you attach to the strobe, and where? More details and/or a picture of your setup would be really helpful!