How do you secure your camera underwater?

[Kirgan]

All,

I am going diving with my A620 for the first time this weekend. Before now, I have only used a cheap $20 90ft rated film cameras you buy at any ocean side convenient store. I just stuffed those cheap cameras in a pocket that I have glued to my wetsuit. I usually attached a double ender to the camera strap and clip it in my pocket to a bungee, so when I open my pocket it doesn't get away from me and float off into the blue.

I am going to be using a Canon housing for my A620. I was thinking of looping a bungee through the one of the holes on the housing using a single ended bolt snap to secure it. I thought about clipping it to my D-Ring on my BC and holding it with one hand while I jump in. And then of course unclip it when in us. If I ever need my hands back - I would clip it back to my D-Ring. I guess another option would be to see if it fits in my pocket, like I did with my cheap camera. I haven't tried that yet, but I expect to find that it is too big to fit. Besides, I wonder if the housing around the lens area would get scratched if I kept it there – although my cheap camera never did.

Anyway, I would be interested in knowing how all of you get in and out of the water with your cameras (both if you use strobes and if you don’t). Also, how do you secure your camera underwater if you need to go hands free?

Thanks,

--Mike

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I have my camera handed down and I hand it back up. I don't attach it to anything as I want to keep my hands firmly on it throughout the dive and I'm afraid that if it were on a bungie I'd depend on that. My hands are more securely attached

 

[DavidInNH]

I've got a retainer like the one for sale at scubatoys.com: http://scubatoys.com/store/Scuba_Acc_Clips.asp?PAGE=2

(It's the CRL03)

(I'm not affiliated with that site.)

I run the short end through a space on the camera case and connect the big hook to a D-Ring at chest level. As long as the smaller hook is connected, the camera is held securely against my chest. When I loosen the smaller hook the curly section of the retainer allows fairly free movement of the camera without allowing the camera to float or sink away.

This works for me when I use the camera with/without the strobe.

Hope this works for you.

- Dave

 

[Peter Guy]

Just got back from a 7 day trip and used my camera on most of the dives -- a canon S80.

1. I did giant strides and roll offs to enter the water -- NEVER with the camera. I always had someone hand it to me after I was in the water.

2. I put a clip (carabiner) on the hand loop and clipped it to my upper right D-ring. I almost always had my hand on it -- but, every once in a while, I'd "drop" it (for example, when in an OOA situation -- which was both drill and for real when a reg malfunctioned). My camera/case is slightly positive so it does float up -- I'm still not sure if that is better or if it is better to be negative.

I've also done it with just holding the camera the whole time -- but that was a small camera with a much small case -- and I wasn't using a can light OR a long hose when I did that.

 

[NJdiver85]

After a number of different setups, this is what I use now. The brass bolt snap allows a secure attachment to my bc. Once I get down, I undo the quick disconnect and can use the camera comfortably while it is still attached. There are some similiar ones on the market with a plastic boltsnap, but I don't trust them.

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Cate...ort_Stock/DescSort_0/Filter_6=518/AQUTCL.html

 

[jonix]

i use a coil lanyard myself as DavidInNH, but i clip it to my right D ring with a carabiner.

 

[ajames54]

When my camera was positivley boyant I just used a wrist strap.. when I added a flash and it became negatively boyant (in a big way) I added one of those retractor things..

Wrist strap on, retractor attached to the right side BCD D-ring.. fold the right arm across the camera while holding the reg/mask for either giant stride or back roll entry.

When leaving the water hand it so someone on board.

 

[vladimir]

I just hold mine. I figure if I do drop a $5,000 camera rig I probably have a good reason.

 

[Footslogger]

Tried the coil wire with the brass snap hook on a liveaboard last month. Didn't like it and decided to make my own. I'm too active with a camera underwater to have it attached to anything ...especially to my BCD.

Took some 3/16" braided nylon line and passed it through a 8" long piece of rubber tubing. I passed the 2 loose ends of the line through a plastic barrel lock and secure that to the housing tray.

About the only time I actually use the thing is on the drop line during my safety stop. I either attach it directly to my wrist and let it dangle or I attach the rubber tubing to a hook on my BCD.

'Slogger

 

[O'Malley]

A coiled lanyard here also...giant stride in and then camera/strobe gets handed off, attached to lower D ring. The camera/strobe is always in hand; simply keep it attached in the event of an emergency situation.