Long hose with camera

[bkotheimer]

Thanks for the pictures, ScubaInChicago. Those are really helpful. Also the invitation to PM for more. Nice to find Hogarthian(ish?) configs favored by video guys, and I'd like to learn more.

James (fdog), a thoughtful reply.... Mine is a pretty compact video rig, no strobe arms or anything. I like to keep things streamlined, and that's why I want to get rid of the octo. That thing drives me crazy -- no good place to stow the hose on a BP/W setup, so it's just looping off my left side, and then I just have this big yellow reg hanging off my right chest D-ring. I try to tuck the hose under my arm, but it always works its way out. Yuck! Plus, the short hose to the primary just does this huge halo back to the 1st stage. Whether it's for looks, less drag, proper trim or keeping it off the reef and out of the kelp, for whatever reason, I want a nicely-dressed rig. And I think the arguments for being prepared to donate the primary (which you may end up doing anyway) are good ones.

[That said, I do plan to use an octo-inflator as my backup, not a bungied second. With a shoulder dump. Please, Air2-bashers, don't hijack my topic. There are hundreds of threads out there already on this. Doesn't matter - long hose with an Airsource/Airlink (with shoulder dump) or long hose with bungied backup. Same concept.]

I guess I will have to learn to function without the "bungee-pod" stabilizing system, but that's a whole different issue...

 

[RonFrank]

I use a seven foot long hose. I carry a big camera setup, and it is clipped to my left dring. My camera setup is just slightly negative, and I don't have an issue deploying my primary with my camera attached.

I would think as others have suggested if you attach the camera first you could deploy the long hose with both attachment points on both drings. However I don't see why that is necessary. One can just attach both straps to one dring, and that provides redundancy if that is the goal. Stabilization is not something I lack UW.

Regardless of how you go about it, make sure the hose is not lying under you camera straps. That would prevent the primary from being deployed quickly.

An aside, I have an octo inflator/backup on my Stiletto setup. It functions in exactly the same way as my backup 2nd when I dive my BP/W, so you are not alone in choosing to use that option. My BP/W setup is DIR compliant, my travel setup is not.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I'm a videographer who dives with a BP/W (DSS SS/Torus 26), always with a camera in my hands. I will soon be migrating to a 5' hose and losing my big, stupid yellow octopus forever. However, I'm by no means a DIR or technical diver (e.g., I love the stock rubber straps on my split-fins and my 3-gauge Mares console - Hey, save the bashing for another thread, buddy).

Anyway, I currently use two bungees on my camera - one clipped to each D-ring on my harness and each leading to the corresponding handle on the camera (there are a number of reasons for doing this vs. a single static lanyard, coil or wrist strap, but it's irrelevant to this thread - the idea came from this thread on Wetpixel).

My question is, first of all, is there a hose routing that will allow me to keep using the bungees while being able to safely deploy the long hose?

And assuming no, is the scooter D-ring or a shoulder D-ring (either shoulder, but only one and on the outside of the hose) pretty much the only responsible place for me to clip off the camera?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

I'm now on my fourth underwater camera in about 10 years. Oh, for the Sony Mavica which used a floppy disc and only took 28 pictures. Yeah Right.

In all that time I have dove a BP/W with a 7 foot hose either with single or double tanks.

I have found what works best for me is a piece of 1 inch webbing sold in the camping supply section at WalMart. I cut this piece to just a little more than arm's length. I sew one end directly to camera housing or base. On the other end I sew a stainless steel bolt snap. I have never lost a camera doing this.

I don't like the coiled/bungeed combo clips that are sold at a lot of dive stores. They just look too messy.

I have clipped the camera off to both the left or right D-rings and have found it makes little difference in deploying the long hose. Just make sure that you do not trap the hose when you clip off. Just like clipping out deco tanks. The scooter D-ring is also an option but the camera may hang a little too low and affect your balance. Just from my experience.

 

[djcheburashka]

Couldn't help but notice -- the dive in the photos has a lot of air in the wing, apparently at the end of the dive with the spool out. (Maybe it was just a drill rather than a drift dive, but still the wing looks way full.) Overweighted by 10 lbs or so?

 

[ScubaInChicago]

Couldn't help but notice -- the dive in the photos has a lot of air in the wing, apparently at the end of the dive with the spool out. (Maybe it was just a drill rather than a drift dive, but still the wing looks way full.) Overweighted by 10 lbs or so?

I wasn't wearing any additional weight outside of the normal gear.

Top Photo with spool out was at the end of a dive doing a SMB drill.

-6lb SS Backplate

Other Items contributing to negative weighting
Camera
Backup lights
Hardware
Single Reg
Turtle Fins

Bottom Photo was at the beginning of a dive with full tank of air

-6lbs SS Backplate
-4/5 lbs air
-3.6 Halcyon Apollo HID Light
Camera
Backup lights
Hardware
Single Reg
Turtle Fins

The wife was using my AL plate which is only -2lbs and A BIG MISTAKE would be to include your camera setup as part of your weighting. If you loose the camera for whatever reason you wouldn't be able to hold your stops and DIE.

 

[StreetDoctor]

I wasn't wearing any additional weight outside of the normal gear.

Top Photo with spool out was at the end of a dive doing a SMB drill.

-6lb SS Backplate

Other Items contributing to negative weighting
Camera
Backup lights
Hardware
Single Reg
Turtle Fins

Bottom Photo was at the beginning of a dive with full tank of air

-6lbs SS Backplate
-4/5 lbs air
-3.6 Halcyon Apollo HID Light
Camera
Backup lights
Hardware
Single Reg
Turtle Fins

The wife was using my AL plate which is only -2lbs and A BIG MISTAKE would be to include your camera setup as part of your weighting. If you loose the camera for whatever reason you wouldn't be able to hold your stops and DIE.

PFFT, like dying is a big deal! The most important thing is not getting caught DIW by the GUE police :laughing:

How does one notice there being a "lot" of air in the wing anyways? Any air at all would cause it to lift...

 

[djcheburashka]

PFFT, like dying is a big deal! The most important thing is not getting caught DIW by the GUE police :laughing:

How does one notice there being a "lot" of air in the wing anyways? Any air at all would cause it to lift...

I'm hardly the GUE police, if that's what you were suggesting. Getting the weighting right when diving in warm water, for in-shape folks, isn't easy. As for noticing the air--I know an ~25lb wing when I see one, and I've seen enough photos of myself in an ~25 lb wing at various stages of a dive to know there's more than a little air in it.

Scuba in Chicago: Yeah, you're definitely right about the camera.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

I'm hardly the GUE police, if that's what you were suggesting. Getting the weighting right when diving in warm water, for in-shape folks, isn't easy. As for noticing the air--I know an ~25lb wing when I see one, and I've seen enough photos of myself in an ~25 lb wing at various stages of a dive to know there's more than a little air in it.

Scuba in Chicago: Yeah, you're definitely right about the camera.

Really, that was a 40lb Eclipse singles wing...

 

[TSandM]

I don't think the wing looks particularly full. I think it's tacoing a bit, which a wing that size will do if it has ANY air in it.

 

[StreetDoctor]

Here's what a 26lb wing looks like for reference... (pre-fundies training)

quite a bit different than the 40lb'er shown above I would say. To get back on topic a bit, I routinely carry a P&S camera that has a bolt snap attached to the housing with cave line that I clip off on my left hip along with my SPG. Works perfect for me and it's out of the way/not dragging on the ground when not in use.