Neat Little Tricks Are Good to Know

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I moisten the Q-tip in my mouth first to make sure there are no loose filaments on it and then run it around the edges. Then, I apply the silicon to the o-ring with my fingers. Last of all, I put a fresh moisture muncher in the housing.
 
Just buy some moisture munchers or save the desicant packs that come in all the stuff you order online. That will work better. And when they get saturated, you can bake them at 350 and they start working all over again.

I do put desicant packs inside. But still put folded-up tissues in crevices to help absorb whatever small trickles of water that may manage to get thru d seal.

Check this out.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068185&id=1135091748
 
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At the risk of turning this into a "how to avoid flooding your camera" thread, I'll add the "checking without seeing" warning. I have an Equinox housing with clear acrylic discs closing off each end. A black O ring forms the seal, so you can easily inspect it once it's closed up..a thick 6" black ring on a light gray background, plus you can see if there is a continuous seal where it presses against the acrylic...almost foolproof as long as you check it before going down. I checked it before leaving the boat, again before submerging, and at 15' I noticed water entering the housing in a trickle. It wasn't 'til I handed the flooded unit up the the boat captain that I really LOOKED and saw that I hadn't put the O ring in at all. How the hell can you miss something that obvious? By doing routine checks by rote, without actually looking for problems, that's how.:blush:
 
Can anyone tell me the best way to keep steel tanks in good condition, prevent rust, etc.?
 
When cleaning O rings before re-lubricating, it's good to keep particles and lint away from the O ring. I use pre-moistened lens cleaning tissues, made for cleaning glasses. I have a large box of these from Costco: Flents Wipe'n Clear. I keep a few near my dive lights and camera.


Adam
 
Steel tanks need...

- to be galvanised before painting
- to be washed after diving in salt water
- to be filled from a reliable air source with low moisture content (get the water out of the valves before filling!)
- benefit from a net, but should have a tank boot generously cut with draining holes is one is fitted.

Gerbs
 
Has anyone ever tried waxing their painted steel tanks? I'm thinking they would probably slip out of the bands if you did. Just wondering if anyone has given it a try.
 
Great thread, with tons of good tips. So, a couple that I've learned along the way:

When deploying an SMB, make sure it's hooked to the line, not to the bolt snap on the handle attached to you...

With all of the "dry" snorkels out there, this is one I've had to use frequently. Often the "one-way" calve at the bottom of the snorkel sticks. Here is where a blast of water really helps, as it can reset that valve.

When checking reg function prior to jumping in, if you watch the SPG and the needle drops and returns, then your tank is just barely on, and probably won't be open enough once you get to depth. (frequently happens when you just crack the valve to check pressure, but forget to open it the rest of the way.)

The loop bungies with a little ball on them (often sold as tent bungies) are great for snugging stuff up and streamlining your gear. Plus they're cheap, so you can replace them before they get old without being out a lot of money.

Listen to the DM brief. They dive the boat/site regularly, and know what to expect. Trust me when I say you probably aren't going to come up with a better way to get into the boat. Maybe a more entertaining one...

Mike
 
I always carry a few large zip ties and velcro straps in my bc pocket. You never know when you might need one during a dive (emergency repair).
 
Interesting I have prepared cameras over 350 times over the last few years and only had one leak.

All I do is remove the oring and run it under hot water while running it through my fingers till I feel all the grit is off. Then I hang it to dry or shake it dry and put it a small ziplock bag that I have squeezed o-ring silicone into. I seal it in the bag and squish it around to spread the grease. and leave it stored that way.

I use q-tip to clean the groove where the oring sits.. check it and the o ring visually before putting the o ring in. Another visual recheck after I put the o ring in place seal it up.

I use the silicate packets but urge caution. I had one of them split spilling silicate in the housing which was a pain to get out. I think a tiny bit of it got into the mechanism that opens the lense cover and caused problems till it worked out.

My tip would be.. make sure you turn the camera on and double check the settings before the dive. I wasted a dive because I didn't notice the silicate packet fell into the area where the lense extends so the camera wouldn't turn on. I have also wasted some shots by not double checking that it was set to macro. I can't read the symbols under water so it needs to be right before I start. I always have it loaded so the dial is on the same setting so I know how many clicks to go to Manual, Auto or Video Mode.

Another tip probably already mentioned but.... I number all my picture folders by dive number then site name and date. That matches my dive log so I can cross reference. I renumber all the pictures so the first part of the picture file number is the dive number again to cross reference.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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