Tips for getting in and out of the pool with U/W Gear

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JiveMaster

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Hi All,

I'm new to U/W photography and now that I've invested some serious money (serious for me) into my setup I'm wondering if anyone would mind sharing some tips for getting in/out of the pool without damaging my investment??:huh:

Running a Canon G7 - WP-DC11 Housing with a Sealife strobe... (any tips on shooting this setup would also be much appreciated)!

Thanks Everythone!:D
 
I always have my camera handed to me.
 
Yup hand it down and hand it up.

No one with you? Put it on the pool deck in the shallows, get in, get it off the deck and swim to the deep end if you are too short to reach it while positively buoyant while in the deeper water. Reverse when you get out.
 
On a rare occassion I will do a seated entry with my camera. For instance this past weekend on a boat dive the current was ripping and there was no way I was going to fight it to get back to the boat so that somebody could hand me my camera.
 
if you can't get it handed to you for some reason (like drift diving) then you inflate your BC most of the way and hold your camera straight up over your head as you backroll or giant stride in.... we have done this several times and it works. The camera gear gets very little shock.
 
Pool is a lot easier than the ocean. Jump in, grab camera from ledge. No problem.

Jumping in from a boat, however, I always have it lowered down to me. Most local dive boats are used to dealing with photographers, and have a rope with a brass clip on the end suitable to lower down even the biggest of camera rigs. (well, maybe not an Imax camera!)

If the camera is small and uncomplicated (no strobes, etc.) and you are doing a rolling back entry from a smaller inflatable-type craft, just curl up around it while you roll off, and it's no big deal since you're only falling a foot or so.
 
With my point and shoot (Ikelite housing, Ike strobe), I used to almost always hold the camera high overhead with one arm and giant stride in. As long as I spread my legs a little and have air in my BC, the camera almost never touched the water.

Still, its better to get it handed down when you can. I would never jump in with my dSLR, particularly if I had a dome port on it.

David
 
Alternatively, if on a boat dive, instead of doing a giant stride, you can hold your camera to your chest and do "Sunkist Splash," entry. (Basically falling backwards into the water, allowing the tank and your back to take all of the entry shock.) It's my favorite entry, even when I don't have my camera.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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