Special grease for S&S O-ring?

[waynel]

Just got a Sea&Sea YS-90. Interesting o-ring on it. Never seen a "liquid filled" ring. But do I, as the manual states, absolutely must use the special Sea & Sea lubricant, blue cap and lettering mind you, not the S&S black cap...or is there a substitute. Silicone based is silicone based, right? Ikelite does the same thing, warning you to use only the Ikelite grease. Is this all possibly more marketing than fact? Been shooting for years on the earth, but brand new UW.

The Sea & Sea manual makes it sound like you will totally melt down that big o-ring if you use anything other than the "blue cap" Sea & Sea grease.

 

[Tom Winters]

So Wayne, how lucky do you feel?
I don't feel all that lucky, so when I got an S&S strobe, I got a tube of the blue-capped grease. I think it as something like $6.00. Maybe it's all a scam on the part of S&S to drum up extra revenues.... or maybe the engineers there recommend their proprietary brand of o-ring for a reason. My life is tough enough without offending any additional laws of nature.
I see now that Reef Photo gets $8.00 a tube plus a little extra to mail it. $10 delivered maybe?
As a percentage of what you paid for your YS-90, the cost of the magic lube is infinitesmal. Why chance it?
Sea & Sea Blue Cap O-Ring Grease [ss.01900] - $8.00 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

 

[waynel]

I agree Tom. But here's the rest of the story. I'm on a plane Monday to Miami. Diving Key Largo next week. While that tube of grease is $6-$8, the overnight charge is about $17. Get my point. I was only asking thinking I could pick up something "else" here in Lafayette, LA. I see you'rein Boca Raton. Know of any shops between MIA and Key Largo that might carry the S&S "magic" grease? I know, poor planning on my part, but as you said, why risk a $2K set up because you didn't have back up rings and grease. I've tried Divers Direct in KL, but there attitude is kind of "come in when you get here." Any help?

 

[Tom Winters]

Stephen Frink has a photo store in Key Largo there on the right near the turn into Pennekamp. On your way through beautiful Florida City, you can also try the dive shops there before you escape from Miami-Dade county and re-enter the United States. You should be able to find it fairly easily.

 

[waynel]

Yes, now that you mention it, I remember the shop you're talking about in KL. I was actually in there last June (KL is always our June dive). Yeah, I get that same feeling about re-entering the U.S. the moment I hit the Jewfish Creek bridge. For all the resorts and diving I 've done in the Carib, there's always that unique feeling about the Keys. Just three more days.

Thanks for the advice and info Tom. That's what I love about this web site.