Rig Bouyancy

Hi all,

I have an Olympus E-300 and will soon have an Ikelite housing and possibly an ikelite DS-125 Strobe.

Can anyone tell me anything about the bouyancy characteristics of this set up?

Also, any suggestions for a safety cable (to connect to the BC) set up?

Thanks for any help,

Doug

Doug,

I've used several Canon dSLR cameras that are likely as light as your Olympus camera. I've never needed the buoyancy lead weight installed under the tray with a single DS125 strobe.

Canon Digital Rebel and Rebel XT with a Sigma 15mm lens and #5503 dome port and single DS125 would hang mid-water, barely sinking, almost totally weightless. Enough so I could toss it up to adjust any dive egar and catch it easily!

As far as clips, I'm not a big fan of them. A buddy last month in Australia clipped his rig off with brass clips during his safety stop. He started to go up, then looked down to see it lying on the bottom at 95' A dive guide with more bottom time retrieved it for him.

From then he used his hand

YMMV

dhaas

I have an Oly E-300 with an Ike housing but I use the ULCS tray and when shooting with the 14-45 and 1 DS-50 strobe I have a helium balloon . Seriously it is buoyant enough I have to clip it off (my 2nd strobe had died) because if I let go it will go to the surface. When shooting with 2 DS-125 and 2 12" buoyancy and 2 regular 8" arms it is slightly negative but that is with the 14-54, a heavier lens. The setup you describe will probably need some lead with the Ike tray. I love the rig though.

Thanks for the comments guys. I really appreciate it.

I look forward to getting the housing and strobe and seeing how it goes.

Dive safe and may your viz bee great!

Doug

I've got a 350D, Ikelite housing, Ikelite tray, arms & grips with 2 DS-125 strobes.

I too never use the lead weight.

With the 6" dome, I find the rig weighted nicely as I almost always shoot with both hands olding the rig from the grips.

In macro mode with a small flat port, I find the rig a touch heavy, as I often need to brace myself on a rock (due to current). It gets a bit difficult to hold the rig with one hand and get composition right, especially after a few shots.

To compensate for this I've used some pool floation toy called pool noodle. It is basically a long cylinder of foam that is mega bouyant, had have two six inch lengths on the strobe arms. This is not the greatest solution however as it does compress with depth and thus becomes increasing useless as you go deeper.

ds

Further to my last post, here some some photos of the rig if you're interested.

ds

take two, here is the link.

http://devension.com/downloads/temp/DIY%20...t%20Attachment/

betti 154,

G'day mate

Thanks for the reply! The pics are very helpful.

good diving,

Doug

I use a clip setup all the time. It is merely how well you mount the clips. I have a throuh-hole on my housing handle for which I screw in a U-bolt then secure that U-bolt screw with a wire tie so it wont come uncrewed. Then I have a brass clip that I mounted directly to a D-ring on my BC. When I am doing deco stops I like to have both hands free so I can hang on a line and use the other hand to work my computer. It's all in the way you mount the clips and how anal you become when the thought of losing your system enters your mind. Somepeople don't like clipping at all. There are some instances, such as kelp diving, where clipping isn't preferable. I like to handle and maneuver my housing through the kelp myself, or it tends to snag.

Joe