Vacuum System (SeaFrogs)

[Tino Dietsche]

Hello everyone,
I have a question about the SeaFrogs VPS-100 Vacuum System, I don't use it myself, but a colleague has an Isotta housing and his daughter bought one for her new SeaFrogs housing. Randomly I saw today that, according to the manufacturer, the system is designed purely for a check before a dive and should be removed from the housing afterwards. According to the manufacturer's website, it is not allowed into the water.

This fact is new to me, or even though I have seen the system two or three times, I have never noticed it. I only found the reference directly at SeaFrogs. Not at other dealers.

 

Who here knows the system and perhaps uses it themselves? How do you handle the whole thing? I know that my colleague kept it securely attached to the housing on the few dives where it was used.
Since the whole thing isn't really practical in my opinion, I'm wondering what alternatives there are in a similar price range?

What alternatives would you recommend if it was to be installed in SeaFrog's housing without M14 or M16? SeaFrogs is M10 I think.

 

Greetings from switzerland

Tino

[CaolIla]

Hi Tino I used in the past the Seafrog and I never remove it..... 

this for 2 or 3 years.. after i was defect I replace it with an other brand .

 

The VIVID LEAK SENTINEL V5 XD.

I'm realy happy with it.

Isotta have also a vaccum system

 

[TimG]

Like Caollla, I’ve got the Vivid Leak Sentinel and have been using that system for many years. Works very well.
 

I did a review of the new v6 which you can find on the Articles page. 

[Barmaglot]

While the SeaFrogs VPS-100 can be taken underwater, in my experience its seals eventually degrade and it starts leaking water - for me, it happened, quite reliably, after about 70-80 dives. I went through three VPS-100s that way.

 

Vivid Housings make a version of the Leak Sentinel that can be mounted on SeaFrogs housings; I have not seen it advertised anywhere, but if you email Miso directly at info@vividhousings.com he will hook you up. I paid €230 for mine two years ago, plus another €25 for a manual pump, and it's been trouble-free since then.

[Chris Ross]

If you need to remove the Sea Frogs vacuum system, it defeats much of the benefits of a vacuum system.  A vacuum system does two things, it allows you to check for leaks and it pre-loads the o-rings. 

 

However, if you need to remove the vacuum valve what happens if the plug you replace it with is not installed properly? 

 

Pre-loading the o-rings is important, leaks are most common at the surface when the o-rings are not loaded, it's easy to bump the housing and lose the seal.

 

Far better to have a system that keeps the vacuum on the housing the whole dive.  The Leak sentinel is a much better option and is quite popular with people here.

[CaolIla]

7 hours ago, Chris Ross said:

The Leak sentinel is a much better option and is quite popular with people here.

 

What I like is the size.... very small in comparaison of some other solution.

 

 

[Barmaglot]

5 hours ago, CaolIla said:

What I like is the size.... very small in comparaison of some other solution.

Funnily enough, size what what I don't like about the Leak Sentinel. The tall thin post sticking out the top of the housing always has me worried about some stray knock wrenching it out of the socket, or snapping it in half. Perhaps an irrational fear, but it's there nonetheless. At least the V6 can be easily removed when packing the housing; V5 - not so much.

[Nikolausz]

I use seafrogs vacuum system. Maybe it's not perfect but better than nothing. I just assemble the camera into the housing, close it. On the top there is a screw with o-rings where I install the vacuum system. After pumping out of the air a sensor led turns into green. If it stays 10 mins like that, then the system holds the vacuum, so the sealing is fine. After that I release the vacuum, unscrew it, then scew the closing cap back, and the system is ready to dive. It doesn't stay under vacuum. It's recommended not to dive with the vacuum system is on the housing, but it's possible. However, I wouldn't do that.

[CaolIla]

1 hour ago, Barmaglot said:

Funnily enough, size what what I don't like about the Leak Sentinel. The tall thin post sticking out the top of the housing always has me worried about some stray knock wrenching it out of the socket, or snapping it in half. Perhaps an irrational fear, but it's there nonetheless. At least the V6 can be easily removed when packing the housing; V5 - not so much.

I have this V5 XB

 

 

is smaller than 

 

[Barmaglot]

38 minutes ago, CaolIla said:

I have this V5 XB

Huh, that Leak Sentinel V5 XB looks very different from mine. For one thing, it has a quick disconnect plug on the wires, which I thought was a feature of V6 - is it stock, or did you modify it? This is what my sample looks like:

 

 

If you don't mind me asking, when is yours from? I got mine in January 2021.

[Mathieu Cornillon]

2 hours ago, Barmaglot said:

Funnily enough, size what what I don't like about the Leak Sentinel. The tall thin post sticking out the top of the housing always has me worried about some stray knock wrenching it out of the socket, or snapping it in half. Perhaps an irrational fear, but it's there nonetheless. At least the V6 can be easily removed when packing the housing; V5 - not so much.

@Barmaglot, I can confirm you fear is valid : I've broke my Ikelite housing during transport in its bag in the trunk of my car, and I suspect it has been done due to the Vivid Leak Sentinel protruding too much, and allowing something (cable, arm, …) to push on it, and break the housing. Attached is the picture of the housing with the crack on it… 
Hopefully it happened before diving, and the "pressure check" allowed me to detect it… I cried a lot, and left it in my car… 
I didn't even tried a repair, I had the opportunity to buy a new "2nd hand" housing, like brand-new.

null

And now, when I pack my gear "ready to dive" (with arms and etc…) in my car for example, I remove the Sentinel, and only put it when arrived, at the hotel or at the shore.

 

But otherwise, I'm really satisfied by the Leak Sentinel (I own the V5, the long one). 

[Barmaglot]

19 minutes ago, Mathieu Cornillon said:

Attached is the picture of the housing with the crack on it… 

Yeowwwch!!! Good to know I wasn't simply paranoid about this, always padding the top of my housing around the Leak Sentinel with soft things when packing my bag for travel... 

[CaolIla]

@Barmaglot My Sentinel looks like your.  

 

My housing is an Isotta I have no stress that it can't break like the Ikelite

[TimG]

1 hour ago, Barmaglot said:

Huh, that Leak Sentinel V5 XB looks very different from mine. For one thing, it has a quick disconnect plug on the wires, which I thought was a feature of V6 - is it stock, or did you modify it? This is what my sample looks like:

 

Over the years I've found the Leak Sentinel's can vary a bit within the same model. Miso seems to make modifications as he goes along and depending on the availability of parts.

 

My V5 didn't have a connector either which, in my view, is one the best selling points on the V6.

[Chris Ross]

16 hours ago, Nikolausz said:

I use seafrogs vacuum system. Maybe it's not perfect but better than nothing. I just assemble the camera into the housing, close it. On the top there is a screw with o-rings where I install the vacuum system. After pumping out of the air a sensor led turns into green. If it stays 10 mins like that, then the system holds the vacuum, so the sealing is fine. After that I release the vacuum, unscrew it, then scew the closing cap back, and the system is ready to dive. It doesn't stay under vacuum. It's recommended not to dive with the vacuum system is on the housing, but it's possible. However, I wouldn't do that.

This loses at least 50% of the benefit of the vacuum system.  Pre loading the o-rings with the vacuum helps them seal at the surface - that's why leaks are so common in the rinse tank.  It also assume that you install the plug properly and don't damage its seal when you replace it.

[Barmaglot]

13 minutes ago, Chris Ross said:

This loses at least 50% of the benefit of the vacuum system.  Pre loading the o-rings with the vacuum helps them seal at the surface - that's why leaks are so common in the rinse tank.  It also assume that you install the plug properly and don't damage its seal when you replace it.

To be fair, the opening has double o-rings (one on the plug, the other on the housing), so it should be fairly reliable (unless you get a hair or something similar bridging both o-rings, in which case, OUCH), but I concur with you that it's a stupid system, and I wholeheartedly recommend the Leak Sentinel to every SeaFrogs housing owner. It's a shame that this option is not advertised anywhere except by word of mouth.

[Chris Ross]

56 minutes ago, Barmaglot said:

To be fair, the opening has double o-rings (one on the plug, the other on the housing), so it should be fairly reliable (unless you get a hair or something similar bridging both o-rings, in which case, OUCH), but I concur with you that it's a stupid system, and I wholeheartedly recommend the Leak Sentinel to every SeaFrogs housing owner. It's a shame that this option is not advertised anywhere except by word of mouth.

I know, but it's still a possibility that something could go wrong and totally agree the leak sentinel is a better option.

[SFEgr]

As valid as all the above comments are, I am still using the VPS-100 system. And until I have a better system, I replace the plug with due care - but bumps happen and do worry me.

 

I have done 45 dives with the '100 so far so lucky. The pump is absolute crap, a silly joke compared to the cheap and available alternates out there so that is the first thing to change. Mine might be an exception but it takes 45 pumps to evacuate - I lose count using a dome. A SeaLife generic pump takes 5 or 6 pumps. And my battery died after 5 uses, so carry spares.

[coposss]

Hello every one

 

This is one of the few places where I could find information about a reliable vacuum system for the Seafrogs. As many of you I’m looking for a better alternative than the VPS-100 from seafrogs but there ain’t . The vivid leak sentinel seems to be discontinued and I I don't know if it is compatible with the seafrogs housing. 
 

I’ve read from some of you that although seafrogs says that it is not designed to be submerged I could leave it during the dive, but I think it’s a bit risky and if there where a leak a +3000€ worth of equipment could be broken. 
 

Has anyone found an alternative vacuum system? Someone told me that seafrogs is developing a new vacuum system but I can’t find any info.

 

Thank you,

Best regards 

[Lewis88]

1 hour ago, coposss said:

The vivid leak sentinel seems to be discontinued

Where did you get this information? I believe you just need to contact Miso directly at leak sentinel.

[Barmaglot]

1 hour ago, coposss said:

This is one of the few places where I could find information about a reliable vacuum system for the Seafrogs. As many of you I’m looking for a better alternative than the VPS-100 from seafrogs but there ain’t . The vivid leak sentinel seems to be discontinued and I I don't know if it is compatible with the seafrogs housing. 

The SeaFrogs version of Vivid Leak Sentinel has never been advertised for sale anywhere that I've seen, but if you email info@vividhousings.com, Miso will hook you up.

[TimG]

I've found Miso a bit hard to get hold of in the last few months. But persevere. He does reply. I've not seen an update to his website for ages - maybe since v4. He's now up to v6 and seems to sell mainly through dealers. So if you look at the Bluewater website you'll find them there. No sign of a SeaFrogs adaptor there though.

 

The main parts of the Vivid Sentinel are common to all housings. It's customised to a specific housing by the adaptor that screws on to the base of the Sentinel and then into the housing. So it's the thread on the housing bulkhead which you need to know. So getting a SeaFrogs fit should be doable unless it's some really odd size..