Palau Siren-Portable rinse tank needed??

Hello Wetpixelers! QUESTION: I will be taking my first-ever liveaboard trip on the Palau Siren in 1 months time. For those of you who have been on this boat, wondering if it's necessary to bring my own soft sided-cooler/rinse tank? We'll be going to New Zealand afterwards, so not too crazy about lugging this thing around, but my camera's well-being comes first over mine...obviously.....

Thank you in advance, wondering because I've heard some reports of rinse tank bad-behavior on other liveaboards, (which is to be expected, I suppose), so wanted to see what the rinse-tank to diver ratio might be on this one.

-KTDG

No, the Siren boats are well fitted for photographers. They have camera only rinse tanks and camera tables with electrical receptacles and storage drawers inside the galley.

Palau is a great dive trip, you will enjoy it

Elmer

Hey Katy-kid

Sounds like the problem is solved. Might be worth though sticking a big heavy plastic garbage bag in your dive bag. They make great emergency rinse tanks - especially if you can find a crate and use the bag to line it. I usually travel with one just in case.

This is perfect advice, thank you both gentlemen

You will need a reef hook for the Blue Corner and the German Channel.

Also good wet hiking shoes and a back pack to carry your rig to Jellyfish Lake.

Plus a good wide and medium land lens for Peleliu

Elmer

I have a related question. When using portable rinse tanks(let's say you brought your own on any type of boat) are you also bringing your own fresh water? I'm guessing you must be.

I have a related question. When using portable rinse tanks(let's say you brought your own on any type of boat) are you also bringing your own fresh water? I'm guessing you must be.

Sure, I usually have Evian or Fiji water for mine. Fiji is nicer as the label on the bottle matches the colour of my BC trim.

Seriously, it depends what you need the rinse tank for. Yeah, I know that sounds odd.

I reckon if all I need to do is stop my housing/dome from drying out (and risk salt marks/crystals) between dives, then I fill the rinse tank with sea water. After all, what's the difference? It's been in sea water for the last hour or two anyway. But if I am going to have to open the housing or changes lenses then I would really want to rinse the system in fresh water. If the boat doesn't have fresh water available (say in a RIB), I guess I am not going to be opening/changing anything - and who would want to in a RIB? But my experience has been that most larger boats have fresh water - or at least enough to rinse the system briefly.

To soak (rather than splash water on) my system in my cool bag needs around 2 litres of water. I'd be very reluctant to add yet another 2 kilos (= 2 litres) to the amount of gear I'm lugging already.