The battle to prevent fogging...

I have an Ike housed G9. During the winter months fogging has not been an issue, even withouit silca gel desicant packs, probably due to comparitively cooler, drier, winter air.

Now the summer months are here, I am finding the Ike fogs on immersion, even before I fire of a shot and the internal flash creates any heat. I have fitted two desicant packs and use a ladies panty pad as a mop for a minor flood.

Almost always, my first dive of the day is fog free, probably due to the fact that I prepare the camera the evening before when ambient conditions are cooler (and less humid?) but on sunbesquent dives after I have changed out the camera battery and memory card, fogging usually occurs.

In fairness to the effectiveness of the silica gel, the fogging usually dissipates in 20-30 minutes but its still half a dive wasted...

I am considering using an air duster aerosol to largely purge the housing of ambient air and have considered that 100% pure, dry air may be effective. Has anyone any thoughts or alternative ideas?

Thanks, Tim

Air cylinders have dry air? Or you could try preparing the camera in the car with the AC on? Assuming you are diving inland.

Sorry not be able to be more help. I have never had fogging problems. Are they more common with plastic, rather than metal, housings?

Alex

Hi Alex,

Yes, since posting I've thought a little more latterally and realised that a long unused AP Valves buddy bottle, one of those SMB / lift bag inflator thingies and a hose would probably do the trick. It's all more toot though, innet?

Hi Alex,

 

Yes, since posting I've thought a little more latterally and realised that a long unused AP Valves buddy bottle, one of those SMB / lift bag inflator thingies and a hose would probably do the trick. It's all more toot though, innet?

Hi,

I have a g7 and ikelite and had this problem once. Here's what i normally do. I make sure that i house the camera in an AC room out of the sun. I see from your post that the first dive sems ok and the trouble starts post that. How do you keep the camera betwen dives ? Is it out in the sun ?

I make sur that the housing is completely wrapped in a nice thick towel out of the sun and hav had no problems. Obviously if the ambient temp on the boat is very hot and the housing is out in the sun...then the moment you jump into the water the problem would start. So basically keep the camera covered. In case this does not help then wet the towel and wrap it over the housing between dives.

Hope this is of some help and it works

Cheers,

Diggy

This may do the trick...

Perhaps a short length of valve rubber hosing is needed to direct the air into the housing. Its not an elegant solution for travelling, but I suspect my housing is more prone to fogging in UK waters.

I always had this problem as well. I then started carrying a HEAVY white towel, and still trying to keep it out of the sun. Additionally, I used 2 packets of silica gel, and did my best to get the camera in the water as soon as possible.

More than likely you are heating it up a bit in the last few minutes before the dive.

On day I even put mine in a ice bucket because the temperature outside was 90+ and the SST was about 50.

If I dive in high humidity with no access to air conditioning, I house the camera with dessicant the night before. Nice dry air by morning. Doesn't help for the third dive when you've run out of battery/storage though.

I'm with Alex. I have never had any fogging issues at all on the more than 100 dives I have done with cameras in Ikelite housings, and that includes tropical liveaboard trips with 4 dives a day.

I'm not sure why you are having problems.

Diving in Bermuda we have real humidity problems all year round.

I agree with prep the camera the night before for the first dive.

Second dive I prep the camera as quickly as possible after I come up from the first dive, then get the camera into a bucket of water onboard. The 30 minutes or so of surface interval in the bucket gives the silica gel time to do it's thing, then it is direct from bucket to ocean. You do need to check that the bucket water is not heating up in the sun though.

Doing this means that I have had few fogging issues.

Cheers

Hal

Well, today I did three camera dives in water between 14 celcius (surface) and 8 celcius (at depth) without any fogging issues. The housing was sealed immediately after purging with dry (triple filtered) breathing air from the little 400 cc buddy cylinder. Seems to work just fine...

Well, today I did three camera dives in water between 14 celcius (surface) and 8 celcius (at depth)

Burrr ...

Where do you put your desicant packs in the Ikelite housing?

Hi Jeremy,

I tape two sachets onto a ladies panty pad and slip it onto the floor of the housing where it rests under the mounting tray. "A panty pad?" I hear you say! Yup, it acts as a mop if a minor flood occurs.

Brrr? Brass monkeys actually! Especially in a semi-dry. The dry suit is having new wrist seals fitted... I must be a glutton for punishment doing three 60 minute plus dives.

I have found that letting the housing warm up prior to diving greatly increases the chances of fogging. I'm sure there is a tech reason for this (I did chemistry at uni. and dimly remember some stuff about dew points) but keeping the housing from warming up is definitely one way to reduce fogging. I have resorted to hanging the camera over the side in the surface interval on occassions but always remember to retrieve the camera when the anchor is being weighed