Sea and Sea S2 Housing

I would probably stick with a line for solo entries. I have heard of people chasing there cameras (camera in first) but you better not have a problem equalizing!! Have you attatched a Boltsnap to your housing. You could use it to clip off to a line or your self.

Floating a bag wouldn't be much of a help if there is any wave or current either. I think the "tea bag method" on the line may be about the best with out any help from boat crew.

Since I live in central Texas and my photo ops have been in warm tropical waters, I have yet to be where my camera can't be handed to me but I'm sure it will come. Could you not use a lanyard that is attached to you to lower the camera into the water immediately before a giant stride? You would need enough slack to allow for the waves but the camera would be more stable in the water. If there was current it would drift away from you. If not you just steer around it when you jump in.

It's always fun trying to have someone hand it down to you as you drift away with the current! I've also got a coil lanyard that I attach to the handle of my housing, which I've used to lower it into the water with. Not real comforting actually, I'm always worried I'll end up on top of it...

I giant stride in with my camera held upwards -- and I push it upwards as the camera hits the water.

I've also seen people roll in backwards or fall in backwards with their housing held in front of them closely.

Hi Guys,

Hey my first post to this forum!

My $.02. In 15 years I have never had a single problem with the old or the new style Ikelite port retaining clips. They work great and I trust them a lot more than I trusted the screw-in port on my Aquatica 80. In fact, my Ikelites are the only housings I have ever had that have NEVER EVER leaked even a single drop. Wish I could say that for the Aquatica. Hence, I no longer own it.

As for the S&S, I got a chance to see one up close the other day and it is about as large as the MD Ikelite. So let me get this straight...it's as big as an Ikelite, it's plastic like an Ikelite (a good thing), but it costs twice as much? Huh?

The only conceivable reason I can imagine one would consider a S&S is because they have a nice LARGE dome for very wide lenses, which Ikelite does not. (Are you listening Ike???? Give us an 8" hemispherical dome for our 14mm and 16 mm lenses!!)

-Jonathan

Just my two penneth

Now had the S2 Ike housing for a few months and not long returned back from a 40 dive trip around Thailand, Malaysia and Pulau Weh Indonesia.

I remember when i first collected my housing from the shop and the guy there telling me about assembling it and saying you should assemble it i a clean enviroment such as your hotel room. What a laugh?

I only ever stayed in bamboo huts on the beach that was more sand than hut!

I got paranoid about contamination of the o'rings, so decided to keep them dry and not use any lubricant at all on the basis that the drier a seal the less likely something will stick to it.

Never had a problem. The port clips snapped in place very easily.

All the dives were from tiny speedboats or long tail boats, which required backroll entries. I found the best method was to cradle the camera on my lap, hold the left handle using my left hand and put the storbe arm (mounted on the right) into the crook of my right arm, leaving my right hand free to hold mask/reg.

I deveoloped this technique because of some of the ripping surface currents. I also quickly learned to tether the camera to my right arm. (pulling down a rope in a very strong current with camera and equalizing made me wish i had the arms of an octopus).

But i did hate having to hand up the camera at the end of a dive and wonder how the boatman was handling it when he got it up there.

Washing consisted of a 2 minute dip in warm water and dried off with a leather and stored inside for an hour before taking apart.

But i must say it was a good feeling when someone joins the dive trip with a Nikonos V setup and keeps sneeking envious peeks at my gear.

Mr. Fish,

Thanks for the information. I can't wait to see the photos from your trip!

Cheers

James