Compilation: Ways to Flood a Camera

[Diver Dennis]

We were on Lembongan Island to shoot the Mola Mola and I was having some Sync Cord problems. There are no electronics stores there, in fact just about the only soldering iron on the island was about a 30 minute motorcycle ride away from where we were staying. One of the DMs took me over there and I ended up re-wiring the end back on. I got back to the condo and quickly put everything back together for the afternoon dive. The next morning as I was doing my usual housing checks I found one of the Sync Cord ends was not tight! I unscrewed it and as I took it off the strobe it was filled with green goo, corrosion. Needless to say, I was cursing a blue streak and was a little sick at seeing this but I went ahead and rinsed it out with alcohol and used a toothbrush to try and get all the crap out of there.

We had just come from a Mike Veitch Photo Workshop in Tulamben and had our cameras and housings blessed in a Hindu ceremony. Sure enough after letting everything dry it worked! That was late last year and despite some corrosion still visible in both the strobe and cord connections I have not had a problem yet. Coincidence????

A Mike Veitch Photo

 

[CheddarChick]

Ok as my brand new SP350 sit on the counter top, waiting to go under...I live in fear....You all have terrified me...

 

[b1gcountry]

I got some water in the housing diving at Mermet. I noticed it about 5 min into the dive. Not much there. Went up right away and removed the camera. It was a dog hair from my Great Dane. I am not sure how it got there, but I would guess it was on the housing, and not on the O-Ring since I cleaned and lubed it before I closed it up.

Camera was fine.
Tom

 

[CompuDude]

I'm embarrassed to say how many times I have managed to flood my camera. All were user error, worse to say. Never flooded from a boat, as situation is different, but shore entries where you walk from the car into the water are another story.

First two times I made the same mistake: I read that it was bad to leave the camera housing closed as it compresses the o-ring and eventually it does not work well. In addition, for some reason I had problems using the housing controls to turn on the camera, so with my Ikelite housing I would tend to leave the back panel hooked but not latched, and then turn it on and close up the latches at the last moment. Except those two times when I was in a hurry and distracted and entered the water (shore entry, walking in) without latching it. DOH!

I learned my lesson thoroughly (plus I found a way to turn my S80 off using a different method so on-and-off was no longer an issue), and never did that again.

I consider my latest flood to be a situational fault more than purely my fault. I walked down to the beach for a night dive, camera sealed and ready to rock. I realized I had forgotten to slide the cover of the camera open (annoying "feature" of the S80), so I popped it open and carefully re-latched it. What I did not notice in the dark was that the tail of the (black) strap had caught a tiny bit in one corner, holding it open a tiny bit. One more camera down the drain. And one more thing to always check for.

One thing I almost never have issues with is hair, since I have no pets, my wife never goes near my housing since it lives in a pelican box, and I shave my head so no hair will be coming from me. The Ikelite housing is great for providing a clear view of the o-ring, however, so checking is nice and easy.

God willing, that will be my last flood for a while, if not ever!

 

[CheddarChick]

So does that mean if Compudude had 2 floods I can skip mine??? And the universe will be balanced????

 

[CompuDude]

So does that mean if Compudude had 2 floods I can skip mine??? And the universe will be balanced????

Personally, I'm hoping it means I can skip the next 3.

 

[DiveAnyone]

Ok as my brand new SP350 sit on the counter top, waiting to go under...I live in fear....You all have terrified me...

My son and I follow a set up ritual everytime, and are fearful every dive. In two years we have experienced one partial flood (camera saved) with two camera/strobe set-up's, have taken over 4,000 pics (priceless). Enjoy your camera, and get flood insurance to help with the piece of mind.

Cheers

 

[peterbkk]

What I did not notice in the dark was that the tail of the (black) strap had caught a tiny bit in one corner, holding it open a tiny bit.

When I am setting up a new underwater camera or camcorder, I always remove all the straps. In the case of a Sony camcorder, it means cutting it off with a sharp hobby knife. I always feel a bit funny hacking into a brand-new $1500 camcorder with a knife but I think that the upside is worth it.

Straps can not only block ports as you described, but they are also a place that can statically pick up hairs and dust and then deposit them on o-rings as you insert the camera into the housing.

My advice: remove all straps...

Regards
Peter

 

[CompuDude]

When I am setting up a new underwater camera or camcorder, I always remove all the straps. In the case of a Sony camcorder, it means cutting it off with a sharp hobby knife. I always feel a bit funny hacking into a brand-new $1500 camcorder with a knife but I think that the upside is worth it.

Straps can not only block ports as you described, but they are also a place that can statically pick up hairs and dust and then deposit them on o-rings as you insert the camera into the housing.

My advice: remove all straps...

Regards
Peter

I agree, to a point, although mine is actually a 1" webbing loop around the tray. My coil lanyard connects to that via a 1" SS split ring, and to my BC with a brass snap. You gotta connect your camera to yourself somehow...

 

[peterbkk]

I agree, to a point, although mine is actually a 1" webbing loop around the tray. My coil lanyard connects to that via a 1" SS split ring, and to my BC with a brass snap. You gotta connect your camera to yourself somehow...

Sorry, I thought you were talking about a strap on the camera inside the housing. Its these internal ones that I always remove.

It sounds to me from your description that you and I use the same lanyard (Trident?) to connect the housing to yourself during the dive.

In fact, I now use two of them. But, in my case, the webbing part (and the split ring) connect to the base of the handles, quite a long way from the housing door.

These coil lanyards are great in a current or during a tricky descent / ascent. You can clip the "shortener fast-clip" really short and have the housing sitting firmly on the chest, both hands free. Then, unclip the 2 shorteners and use the housing to the extension of the coil. A wonderful invention.

But, looking at my setup, I don't see how it could ever impede the housing seal. Maybe you need to move the point of connection.

Regards
Peter