Nauticam Safety Lock buttons..........stuck

Not sure if anyone else has had this issue. The red safety lock buttons are becoming increasingly difficult to press in when I am opening my housing. Its a NAD7100 housing and I'm getting worried that my camera will one day become trapped inside.

So just wondering what might be a good solution to ease the buttons up a bit. Would soaking the entire housing in salt away be a good idea? Or is there some sort of lubricant that might help free up the buttons movement. As always any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hey balagan

That does sound a bit of a worry.

I'm not a Nauticam user but some general thoughts: can you see salt build-up either around the lock buttons on any other part to the locking mechanism? If you can I'd suggest wrapping some some tissues soaked in white vinegar and water (1:1) around salt-encrusted areas to get rid of it. Then cleaning the area with rubbing alcohol or something similar. You shouldn't really need to soak the whole housing. A mix of white vinegar and warm water works just was well as Salt-x or similar products. But obviously if you have ?Saltaway in the house you could use that.

I'd hold off on the lubricants until you have a better idea what the problem is - or until a knowledgable Nauticam user can chip-in here.

Tim is right, it's probably salt build up - but it could also be fine grans of sand being stuck in there. I've heard of that happening with older Nauticam housings. If cleaning with water and vinegar doesn't work I'd suggest contacting your Nauticam rep, they should be able to help.

This isn't unheard of, especially in mucky spots. A good flush under running water from a hose helps.

These parts are constantly being improved, with ongoing revisions to make these buttons more resistant to sticking. The latest revision is a significant improvement, and is installed by service centers at no charge under warranty, or as a part of annual overhauls.

Yes, I've had the problem with my NA-D7100. Replacement catches installed by Nautical UK have certainly improved matters.

After many trouble free dives, the problem manifested itself in the muck of Lembeh, and subsequently to a lesser extent in Anilao so I think it is associated with diving in high sediment areas.

Prior to replacement of the catches, my greater concern than the camera getting trapped inside was the red buttons not popping out and latching properly after the housing was closed. If this isn't noticed, it could leave the housing vulnerable to flooding on or near the surface, especially if a vacuum system is not being used.

Now if I find the buttons getting a bit tight or gritty, I use a few drops of McNett Silicone spray on the mechanism and that seems to work quite well.

Mark

This happened to my D7000 housing recently, the buttons bloat over time and start to stick. I took it to scubacam in Singapore and they replaced the buttons with the newly designed buttons which are meant to resist bloating better. Comparing the old a new buttons you could see how much it had bloated. I have had the housing for over two years before it became a problem however and wasn't to expensive to change over.

A small amount of WD-40 frees them.

A small amount of WD-40 frees them.

I would be reluctant to use a penetrating oil like WD40 because it can be absorbed into o-rings causing them to swell and leak.

This was a regular occurrence on my d7000 housing years ago almost from the time I bought it new. Nothing really solved the issue. Water and vinegar flush would help for a little while, but then it would stick again. It was my biggest gripe with the housing. Seems more of a design flaw then just salt build up. I have a nauticam 7d mk 2 housing now and the button operation is vastly smoother. I would see if you can get someone to swap out the old parts for new...

Thanks for all the comments folks. I will speak to the local rep about getting the buttons replaced, in the meantime I'll try flushing it all out. As for the Wd-40 - there aren't any O-rings in that part so it may be ok, as long as I am conservative with what I use. Will give it a try.

Thanks for all the comments folks. I will speak to the local rep about getting the buttons replaced, in the meantime I'll try flushing it all out. As for the Wd-40 - there aren't any O-rings in that part so it may be ok, as long as I am conservative with what I use. Will give it a try.

WD40 is just going to wash away in the ocean and although it is a small amount, it will add to water pollution as a petroleum oil. Why not use something inert like christo-lube or tribolube.