Is the Dive housing worth buying?

[DaveR92]

I have a GoPro Hero 3+ Black edition and have used the standard waterproof housing that comes with it when swimming and it worked great! The specs say it can be used up (or perhaps down would be more appropriate) to 40m whereas the dive housing can be used up to 60m.

On the official GoPro website the dive housing costs £60.00, is it worth spending that much just for an extra 20 metres?

What have your experiences been like with either the standard housing or the dive housing?

Would appreciate any insight you can provide me with : )

Many thanks, Dave.

 

[kelemvor]

I didn't even know they made a "dive housing" for the hero3. I have one for the hero2. Everyone I know with a hero3 uses the housing that came with the camera since the lens port is flat.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

If I were diving anything beyond say 30m I would probably have the bigger case. The other reasons I would have the bigger case is more compatible with filter attachments and maybe room inside the case for anti-fog inserts. I had a Hero3 Black but never had the + so I can't speak from direct experience on it but the beefier housing is quite good.

 

[Akimbo]

Not that I am suggesting it but you might find this new housing interesting:

DeepPro releases GoPro housing :: Wetpixel.com

 

[RESCUEDIVER]

I have the same issue...I want to get the GoPro Hero 3+ Black and I want to use the BP LCD. The GoPro Web site isn't real clear about accessories or how it comes

It looks like it comes with a case...but I assume this isn't dive rated? It looks like they just released a Dive Housing (197'/60m) Ultra-durable housing for HERO3+ and HERO3 cameras with skeleton, BacPac and standard doors (believe it or not, this wasn't on the page Thurs so I guess it is really new)

This is probably the setup

 

[flareside]

The "new dive housing" is a bit of a farce on several levels. It is nothing more than the old Hero3 housing repackaged with a set of the extended back doors that fit the LCD and battery bacpacs. Yet if you buy either of these bacpacs, they come with the extended back door so repackaging the original housing with a set and raising the price $10 so they could include them really serves no purpose. If you don't have either of the bacpacs, you don't need the extended doors and if you do have the bacpacs, you already have them. These doors are also currently sold as a separate item so there was no reason to force them into the original housing package and raise the price. Additionally, if you purchased the "limited addition" of either of the bacpacs (which appear now to be discontinued), this so-called $60 housing was included as a freebie which was quite a deal considering the battery bacpac was only $50. Finally, if you buy the Hero3+ and a bacpac all you have to do is call and complain that the doors don't fit the new housing and they will send you the old housing for free.

My question is where are the extended doors for the Hero3+ housing? They have been promising them for months and now a whole slew of new accessories have just been released and something as important as the Hero3+ extended doors was not included. Once again GoPro has missed the boat on getting the important upgrades out. I am not a happy camper.

 

[Hobby Mounts]

The Hero 3+ BacPac Backdoor Kit has been released by GoPro, although not yet available in the UK...

GoPro BacPac? Backdoor Kit (for Standard Housing) | BacPac Backdoors for your Standard Housing.

 

[aquaticexplorer15]

If you buy the LIMITED EDITION BACKPAC LCD it comes with the gorpro 3 deep diving case with the backdoor which is good to 191ft.
Its a little bigger than the 3+ but the latch and case is built a lot better.

 

[SeahorseDeb]

I have the same issue...I want to get the GoPro Hero 3+ Black and I want to use the BP LCD. The GoPro Web site isn't real clear about accessories or how it comes

It looks like it comes with a case...but I assume this isn't dive rated? It looks like they just released a Dive Housing (197'/60m) Ultra-durable housing for HERO3+ and HERO3 cameras with skeleton, BacPac and standard doors (believe it or not, this wasn't on the page Thurs so I guess it is really new)

This is probably the setup

i took mine with the acrylic housing, on 8 dives in Hawaii, fwiw statistically speaking, I logged 8 dives, 6 hours bottom time, 85 feet average depth....no issues. The black 3+ had an option where GoPro sent the old housing for the GoPro 3 free to me which fits the 3+. It is for the LCD backpack too. I know if we set it on the widest angle we don't need the backpack but I preferred to have it. So no issues, I'm happy so far ...but taking a acrylic case underwater of that size is a little intimidating, however so many other top housing manufacturers (you know who they are) machine their housings out of acrylic. So, you might email GoPro and see if you can still get the deeper rated housing free. I got mine, no complaint needed. I was offered it at a dive shop. I can say I'm disappointed that you didn't get the same kind of response/service I did. Seems rather nuts actually. This happened mid November btw. Go ahead...you all know you want to email them...cite me as a honest person...it happened to me!

---------- Post added April 1st, 2014 at 06:37 PM ----------

I didn't even know they made a "dive housing" for the hero3. I have one for the hero2. Everyone I know with a hero3 uses the housing that came with the camera since the lens port is flat.

Check my post above..fwiw.....hope it helps!

 

[flareside]

Finally got a response back from GoPro CS and the introduction of the dive housing is part of a realignment of the the accessory packages to coordinate with the Hero3+ housing.

The Dive Housing is the 60m/197' housing that came with the Hero3 and includes the extended back doors for the LCD and Battery Bacpacs. These are the doors that came with the 301-303 versions of the Bacpacs. The extended back doors are no longer available as a separate item.

The Standard Housing is the 40m/131' housing that comes with the Hero3+ and current production models of the Hero3 White. The current production "-304" versions of the Bacpacs come with the extended doors that fit this housing. The extended doors are also available as a separate item.

Ultimately, this likely means an end to free 60m housings as all current production housings and bacpac doors now work together.