Extremely Nervous...

[SPG3K]

Ok - I'm off to Destin, FL with my new G9 and Sea&Sea strobe. Just got the O-ring kit for the strobe today from Lpro. The battery compartment O-ring was kinda weird looking.

I've checked, checked, and checked some more to make sure there are no hairs or anything on the housing O-ring, but everytime I go over it again, I find another piece of fuzz or a small little miniscule piece of carpet or something.

I'm about to go dip the O-ring in the tub and then seat it and let it air dry somewhere dust free.

I'm so worried that it's gonna flood, I'm sure this dive trip is gonna suck because I am gonna spend the whole time worried about the stupid camera housing.

Anyone have any tips or tricks for checking/cleaning the O-ring on the housing?

 

[CheddarChick]

I think you need to take the housing down empty on your first day of diving. Put a small weight (really bouyant otherwise) and tissue paper in it and just carry it along. Once you see It doesn't flood you will feel better. It is really hard not to get a complex about the flooding issue. If you insure the camera against flooding it does help ease your mind.

 

[Trixxie]

Put it in the water WITHOUT your camera in it. Submerge it - look for bubbles.

If it leaks then you will know, if it doesn't, then you know it's ok to put your camera in.

I go over mine while using good light, a lint free something to wipe my hands on and patience...

 

[SPG3K]

Damn. Well, I'm only diving one day. I guess the camera will have to wait until next time so I can do a test run.

Here is the problem though - I am not worried about catastrophic failure of the HOUSING itself. I'm sure it will be watertight. The fuzz on the O-ring makes me nervous, and thats the problem.

Even if I make a successful test on the first dive - I could still flood on a hair or something on the second dive. Thats the issue. OCD I guess =/.

Do you think a 10' pool would be a sufficient test of the actual construction of the housing?

 

[DRsharky]

Somebody told me few years ago to use a tampon as it can absorb a lot of water. Thanks to that I saved my Olympus camera, because one day my casing started leaking. After fixing it I took just the casing with a tampon in it (I use the super absorbent as per my wife's advice), submerged into our pool, when that was OK I went for the test dive to test it under some pressure and since then I always have a tampon there in case something goes wrong

 

[SPG3K]

Would it be ok to "wash" the O-ring in a tub of fresh water to make absolutely sure it's clear of debris before lubing and seating it in the housing?

 

[Nemrod]

Go get in a pool and test it out. If not that then put it in the bath tub. That will not completely assure you it is good to go but it is better than nothing. If you can see clean compression of the O ring continuously around the perimeter of the housing your 99.9% sure it will not leak--there.

Take a lint free cotton cloth with a small dab of Dawn soap. Run the O ring through the cloth until clean--gently--do not pull, twist and stretch. Rinse in clear water the soapy residue from the O ring and pat dry. Lube the O ring per the instructions. Wipe the mating surfaces of the housing in the same manner with a clean and lint free cloth but don't use any Dawn, just clean water. Let it dry.

Why is your home so dusty and full of fuzz? Maybe check your air conditioning filter for replacment? LOL.

Hey, put the thing in there and go for it, there is a reason I own three 570s and two housings for it--lol---if it floods it is nothing money cannot fix. None of my Nikon/Ikelite housing or Nikonos ever flooded, so far so good this time around as well.

Anything that goes into the sea should be considered expendable.
N

 

[jcclink]

Not familiar with your housing, but - if the main o-ring is a color other than black, replace it with the same size (its probably metric Japanese size) buna-n material (the standard black ones). Those colored things are dust magnets. All my S&S gear has buna o-rings (vs the original blue thingies) because I couldn't keep their pretty blue ones clean. Everything with same o-ring compound also means you only need a good quality silicone grease for all of them - no "special" greases.

As far as testing the housing goes, dive it to 50-60ft without camera, work all the controls several times, looking for potential leaks. If all is ok then go take some great pics. As mentioned you will need a weight to offset buoyancy of housing, but tie it off externally. Don't put it inside housing as it can move around & damage a control.

 

[Blowin' Bubbles]

I would say follow all of this advice given, it is GOOD advice. But remember why you bought the case as well.... you want to take those awesome underwater pictures, don't let OCD stop you. You can only prevent and test it so many times! Good luck!

 

[Riger]

I Must say that the Tampon advice is superb, a friend of mine on our recent live-aboard could have saved his camera if he had had a a tampon in the housing. It is amazing how a small amount of sea-water can screw up a digital camera.