CamDive Ball Clamps & adaptors

[UFOrb]

I'm looking for a ball clamp and ys to ball adaptor to go with my Ultralight tray & arm and came across these on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Underwat...F8&qid=1490960828&sr=8-3&keywords=Ball+clamps

They're a fair bit cheaper than the Ultralight equivalent but I have some concerns re their quality (cheaper is often false economy). Has anyone used CamDive products?

 

[bvanant]

The UL clamps are $5 more than the CamDive ones (24 vs 29 U.S.) Some of my ULCS clamps are more than 1000 dives old and still go strong. Maybe the Camdive ones are as good but for that small difference why change.
Bill

 

[UFOrb]

Hi @bvanant thanks for your response. Unfortunately ULCS products are a fair bit more expense here in the UK than in the US, likely due to importation costs and weaker £. A Camdive clamp and ys to ball adaptor would work out half the cost of the ULCS ones. I totally see your point though and wouldn't hesitate to buy ULCS gear to go with my tray & arm if I was doing significantly more diving than I'm able to (I'm currently just doing a few dives each year during overseas holidays).
I've actually see a UN clamp and adaptor for a decent price, just a little more the Camdive stuff, so will probably go with that.
Cheers!

 

[r0cky]

I've just bought four of the CamDive clamps, they actually have KitDive printed on them.

Hope they last a long time, even though being cheaper than Ultralight, they aren't exactly cheap!

 

[stuartv]

I have a CamDive tray, arms, and clamps. Been using them for 9 months or so. I have never had anything else, so I have no real ability to say how they compare to ULCS, for example.

The only nit I would pick with them at this point is that I feel like they aren't as easy to adjust arm position as I would like.

What I *think* is going on is that the balls themselves have O-rings that aren't hard enough. That makes it very hard to get just the right tension on them when tightening down the clamps. Either they are too loose and the strobes move too easily. Or, just a little bit tighter on the clamps and now the arms don't want to adjust at all.

It's actually been on my list for a few weeks now to research replacement O-rings to put on them and see how that does.

Otherwise, these things are pretty simple and I don't see how more expensive is going to translate to much improvement (other than possibly the more suitable O-rings). And I'm expecting better O-rings to be a very cheap and easy fix.

 

[r0cky]

I just ordered 50x replacement o-rings in nitrile 70, which is the soft squishy one, I didn't think to try harder o-rings, good idea.

I do agree about how they aren't easy to adjust, being either floppy or locked.

I just ordered CamDive arms and a triple ball clamp today.

 

[umbert]

would you share a link with those o-rings? I'm thinking about buying those arms + eventually those o-rings as well.

 

[Scubagaskets]

Since you are talking about scuba o-rings have a look in this catalogue as well

Catalogue - Premium O-rings Provider for Scuba Diving
O-rings for scuba diving - EPDM - NBR - VITON - POLYURETHANE

 

[bvanant]

I guess I am just a bit contrarian but in my experience SOFTER o-rings are much easier to adjust to than the harder ones. Perhaps the softer ones are a bit slipperier (don't lube the orings or you will have more trouble), I am too lazy to measure this but I replaced all my black nitrile o-rings with softer silicone ones and adjustability seems to be improved.

Cheers
Bill