First trip with dSLR -- Suggestions? Advice?

congrats on your setup.

 

before diving... be really careful with the o-rings.  they can take a lot of punishment, but I am really careful re: lint, dirt.  The nice thing about Ike housing is that they are clear.  You get a real good look at the o-ring at the back of the housing. 

 

make sure you have extra of the Ikelite lube, extra o-rings just in case.  My last trip, my sync cord failed so i now have a redundant cable. 

 

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Remember that the main O-ring on the Ike rigs does NOT require grease. There is no advantage to grease o-rings that don't require it.

A silly one. Make sure that your diopter is on (if required), and lens cap off. As mentioned by others, a quick above water snap with the housing sealed up is a good check. Am I the only one who has brought a rig diving with the lens cap still on?

A short laminated check list is a good idea to get you in the rhythm.

Good luck

All the above plus:

if the dive leader produces a map (typically drawn on a white board during the briefing) I take a pic of it to

a) check my rig is working/lens cap is off (no donjaussi, you are NOT the only one)etc,

B) to use as a reminder of the layout of the site via my LCD if I forget during the dive (frequent!) and

c) as a reference when the images are stored on my pc.

I always assume that everyone else on the boat has NO idea of the cost or fragility of my equipment & so I position it accordingly; away from feet, tanks, etc - are always as close to the deck as possible!

Electrical supply on boats is notoriously erratic so consider an in-line surge protector for your laptop. I always take a LONG extension lead, as where you sit/recharge may be some way away from the wall socket.

Make sure that the boat boys know how to handle you rig if they are passing it to/from you - I learnt the hard way when a willing helper walked off with my DSLR holding it ONLY by the flexible arm

Martin Edge's book is a must - the single best piece of advice I can give (& was given) is get in close, then closer - then closer still!

Good luck!