Still/Video Housing Maintenace

I've just finished setting up our cameras - 20d/Aquatica, PD170/Amphibico, Z1U/Amphibico and am wondering if I may be just too anal with it all. Thought I might ask the board, especially those who dive on a consistent basis how they go about their business.

We use these cameras almost daily and it really is time consuming dealing with the O-rings, ports and different silicones with the strobes/sync cords, etc. I've always wondered if I was overkill (I know that doesn't really exist in u/w photography) -

Here's how I handle it:

1. Main Orings get cleaned daily

2. Port Orings get cleaned probably after ever two to three days of diving

3. Sync Cords - daily

4. Strobes - daily

This may be a completely worthless/obvious topic to the board, but I just got fed up today after the hour + it took me (and I'm fast now) to get everything setup and wondered if some of you get away with much less care to the housings -

For instance, when on a liveaboard, how many days do you guys clean the ports? How long do you keep your ports connected to the housing without doing any maintenance? I've only flooded 1 camera in over 3000 dives with them, so I feel my technique may be the norm and the best way, but I (being a bum in Hawaii) would love to get away with much less work.

I hear flippant remarks of how people never clean their stuff and never have any issues, but wanted to hear first hand from a few of you, your thoughts.

Aloha

Bryce

Bryce I go by the clean them every few days.

I try not to touch the housing much, messing with it makes for something to go unless there's something already wrong with it.

The port O-rings once sealed shouldn't be touched if you do a thorough job of cleaning it out. Of course every time you open the housing the main O-ring needs to be inspected, but cleaning takes place every few days (including lubing and cleaning out the grooves)

This is of course dependent on where I'm diving. If I dive in mucky areas where sand gets into the grooves, then I clean more often. Blue water stuff I tend to let it slide.

I always soak the housing and dry immediately if I can.

I have YET to drown a housing from Oring failure.

Bryce, I don't have such an expensive set up as you do but I do have a similar cleaning routine for still and video housing.

I agree that the more you mess with the housing the more likely something will go wrong but it is now a habit for me. I always soak the housing after use and work the controls as it is soaking.

The other downside to repeated cleaning is that you tend to stretch the oring and over a period of time it will become larger. But that may also make you replace it earlier.

I have seen several consumer cameras and housings being flooded by our guests and nearly everytime it is user error. Failing to check the o ring is seating correctly as the door is closed is probably most popular but a close second is leaving you expensive set up unattended when travelling in a fast boat.

Lastly I once read that the most likely cause of damage to the camera or housing is leaving it in the boat rinse tank when travelling to or from the dive site.

Byrce.

Check the Oring on the main door when ever you open it, lube it if you want but only a tiny bit.

Front port orings, I hardly ever do it, but will from time to time to inspect and clean.

Washing, if you are using the things everyday, under the shower and dry or garden hose at the end of the day, but soak if you want to. Don't leave then soaking to long with the camera's inside. How many people have had floods because of that. Dry the glass as water can stain it if it has lots of calcium in it etc.

Once a year pull all the controls out and service if you can or get it serviced.

Like Drew I have never lost a camera due to a flood in over 12 years. Most times it's human eror.

Wags, you know it's really bad karma to say something like that. I'm afraid to go back into the water now.

Har Har.... I have been saying it for years...

It is good to check it out as you go down and then you also have those red flashing di dode thingys to help you.

Even better if the housing is see through....

I'll pull the Phenom apart in a couple months and post some pics.

i do like 10 live aboards each year included around 20 dives, in the begining of each trip i give the housing and the O-rings a really nice treat, and then in most cases i do not clean the o-rings enymore for the rest of the week, i give them every time i open and close the housing a visual chek that is and if i see somthing they get a treat again.

The port o-rings i almost do not clean till now i never opens the port during trips, this is going to change beceause i just ordered the wide angle port from LMI for my Bluefin.

i also clean the wet connectors from the lightning and the external monitor almost every trip, i use sandpaper to let them shine again and put a little O-ring greasse on it when i put them away for a few weeks.

and from time to time i pull apart every part possible (like 2 times a year or so and clean whatever possible

1 really big mistake is to greasse to much your O-rings, a O-ring just need to be clean and soft.

this is my openion about maintenace a housing and it works allready for 1500 dives whitout a drop of water inside!

and i am also not afraid to say that :-)

i have pulled the main oring off my D70 housing maybe 3 times now....

i have pulled the Phenom main oring off.... never...

Both of these i am anal about making sure they are clean with a visual inspection before i close the housing, usually by licking my finger and rubbing off the dirt or whatever. but there is no need to take the oring off, just asking for more trouble that way, getting something inside the groove.. i do add some lube to them sometimes if it looks like getting dry.

I usually pull off the port orings and grease em on the D70 when changing ports, if i am not changing the port out from one day to the next or one week to the next, no use pulling it off and cleaning it...

synch cords.... only if i take em off for some reason

i usually suggest to newbies if they are diving for a full week to take off the main oring and clean and lube it once in the middle of the week and make sure it is clean each and everytime they close it by doing visual inspection

I have been thinking about this topic whilst servicing our rental stock which requires replacing all the o rings in the reg regardless of their condition. I decided I am being a bit anal.

My thoughts were that if I am not going to totally disassemble the housing to clean all those small o rings for the controls etc why am I worrying about the ones that I can see and remove.

In future I am going to keep the pre dive inspection down to an inspection rather than a removing and cleaning operation unless the housing has been left unused for some time.

I agree with Wagsy checking for bubbles coming from the housing as you descend is an often overlooked proceedure and is ignored by most inexperienced divers. I think it is because diving is still a new experience for them and so looking after the camera comes after clearing ears controlling bouyancy etc.

My descent usually consists of checking the housing, turning the camera on and making sure the settings are all correct but then again I have eustacian tubes the size of the Blackwall Tunnel and rarely need to worry about my ears.

Simple rule of thumb:

If you disturb an 'O' ring (ie by opening or removing something) then clean, check and relubricate it. For items such as flash cord 'O' rings and port 'O' rings - I'd suggest cleaning once every few days.

DO replace 'O' rings as per manufacturer's recommendations and DO have gear serviced, again as per manufacturer's recommendations. I've had to deal with too many items which should have been serviced, but it was left until it was late with the inevitable higher costs to rectify problems as a result.

Neurosis in an underwater photographer is a pretty good thing when it comes to caring for gear!