Cinebags Underwater - CB70 Square Grouper

Hey guys

I'm sure like many of us, I've played around with travelling rinse tanks. I've quite often bought a plastic laundry basket on a dive trip and have used that to carry my camera around and then as a rinse tank on a dive boat or at the resort or hotel. I give it away at the end of the trip.

I keep toying with the idea of a Cinebag Grouper bag: https://www.cinebagsunderwater.com/cb70-square-grouper but then think, way more expensive than a $5 laundry basket and yet another thing to cram into my dive bag.

But now having moved to a dive island and on boats a lot (yay!), I'm back to toying with the idea of  Cinebag Grouper again.

I'd welcome thoughts from anyone who uses one - and especially on the zips. I've tried several times to use soft zip-up cool bags but after a couple of trips the zips are trashed and solid with salt. Cinebags describes the YKK zips as being "salt resistant".  I'd be really interested in real life experience. Do they solder hard after a few dives? Or do they remain happily open-able and close-able even after getting a good salt spray?

Thanks!

4 hours ago, TimG said:

Hey guys

I'm sure like many of us, I've played around with travelling rinse tanks. I've quite often bought a plastic laundry basket on a dive trip and have used that to carry my camera around and then as a rinse tank on a dive boat or at the resort or hotel. I give it away at the end of the trip.

I keep toying with the idea of a Cinebag Grouper bag: https://www.cinebagsunderwater.com/cb70-square-grouper but then think, way more expensive than a $5 laundry basket and yet another thing to cram into my dive bag.

But now having moved to a dive island and on boats a lot (yay!), I'm back to toying with the idea of  Cinebag Grouper again.

I'd welcome thoughts from anyone who uses one - and especially on the zips. I've tried several times to use soft zip-up cool bags but after a couple of trips the zips are trashed and solid with salt. Cinebags describes the YKK zips as being "salt resistant".  I'd be really interested in real life experience. Do they solder hard after a few dives? Or do they remain happily open-able and close-able even after getting a good salt spray?

Thanks!

Hi Tim,

I have been using this bag :  https://www.polarbearcoolers.com/product/original-48-pack-soft-cooler/

since 2012. Yes the zippers tend to get verdigris but every time I am back from a trip I just spray some silicone based spray such as 

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Silicone-Lubricant-Net-Fill/dp/B0002BBX4Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Aerol®+Silicone+Lubricant+Spray%2C+(300g%2F513+ml)&qid=1600410007&sr=8-1

and the bag is still going strong ! 

Its very large and takes in a Nauticam Housing for a 7D with arms and strobes all well tucked in. Also works well as a rinse tank and protection for your housing/camera.

One of the image shows the verdigris on the zipper. But all works well.

Cheers,

Diggy

The CB70 is a great bag.  I've been using one for the past 4-5 years in both fresh and saltwater and I've not had any trouble with the zipper.  I use it to carry an Oly 4/3 system and  I can get the set up camera and strobes, 3 ports, a couple of lenses and the CB76 toolkit, which is very handy, in the bag. It also folds flat for travel, I flatten it and put it in the checked bag with the rest of the dive kit, photo kit gets carried on.

Bryce

Hey Bryce and Diggy

Many thanks indeed. That's really helpful.

Best wishes

Tim

Hi,

I recently got an AO Cooler bag: https://aocoolers.com/24-pack-carbon-cooler-black.html

I got the black carbon model because it is very water repellent and dries really quickly. I typically just hose it down at the end of the day, then wipe it down dry. Salt seems to just slide off, did not notice any salt build up on the zippers. Used it for about 3 weeks out on fieldwork for my camera system. It worked well on the boat.

For travel what I did was I bought a camera bag insert: https://fstopgear.com/products/icu/pro-icu-large

So the cooler serves double duty as my camera bag during travel. I typically arrive at my destination and i can just pull out the camera insert and all my stuff is there. That camera insert stays in the hotel room nice and dry. Then I assemble my camera and just drop it in cooler bag and that serves as my wet bag which i can take onto the boat.

Hope it helps


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Thanks Pomacentridae!

On 9/18/2020 at 7:21 PM, TimG said:

Hey Bryce and Diggy

Many thanks indeed. That's really helpful.

Best wishes

Tim

 

And this one may work too. Also its cheaper.  Thanks to Pomacentridae I may buy one of these.

https://aocoolers.com/48-pack-mossy-oak-elements-manta-cooler.html

24 minutes ago, Pomacentridae said:

Hi,

I recently got an AO Cooler bag: https://aocoolers.com/24-pack-carbon-cooler-black.html

I got the black carbon model because it is very water repellent and dries really quickly. I typically just hose it down at the end of the day, then wipe it down dry. Salt seems to just slide off, did not notice any salt build up on the zippers. Used it for about 3 weeks out on fieldwork for my camera system. It worked well on the boat.

For travel what I did was I bought a camera bag insert: https://fstopgear.com/products/icu/pro-icu-large

So the cooler serves double duty as my camera bag during travel. I typically arrive at my destination and i can just pull out the camera insert and all my stuff is there. That camera insert stays in the hotel room nice and dry. Then I assemble my camera and just drop it in cooler bag and that serves as my wet bag which i can take onto the boat.

Hope it helps


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Thanks for this.

I have a NorChill 48 can cooler, similar to this one (2018 version): https://norchillcoolers.com/collections/cooler-bags/products/boat-bag-xtreme-marine-cooler-bag?variant=22109546381360

It is similar to Diggy's and Pomacentridae's bag and serves very well the purpose at home, when I travel to the diving places by car and from there also on the boat. It is very well polstered and the Nauticam EM1II assembly fits without problem (probably any other camera would fit also). I did not take it on airplanes, since it is too bulky to fold and takes a lot of lugagge space in the suitcase. The solution of Pomacentridae looks interesting, but I wonder how this would fit in the cabin lugagge (does it?). I do not give camera, lenses and flashes into the check-in lugagge.

For airoplane travelling the square grouper looks good to me, since the advertisment says it can be folded easily and fits better into the suitcase...

Wolfgang

P.S.: Only now see that Trygon confirms that the Grouper is good for traveling (I just ordered one for my wife as a birthday gift - probably the Grouper is the bag for all purpose, but polstering may be better in the NorChill)... 

48 minutes ago, Architeuthis said:

I have a NorChill 48 can cooler, similar to this one (2018 version): https://norchillcoolers.com/collections/cooler-bags/products/boat-bag-xtreme-marine-cooler-bag?variant=22109546381360

It is similar to Diggy's and Pomacentridae's bag and serves very well the purpose at home, when I travel to the diving places by car and from there also on the boat. It is very well polstered and the Nauticam EM1II assembly fits without problem (probably any other camera would fit also). I did not take it on airplanes, since it is too bulky to fold and takes a lot of lugagge space in the suitcase. The solution of Pomacentridae looks interesting, but I wonder how this would fit in the cabin lugagge (does it?). I do not give camera, lenses and flashes into the check-in lugagge.

For airoplane travelling the square grouper looks good to me, since the advertisment says it can be folded easily and fits better into the suitcase...

 

Wolfgang

 

Haha Where was this NorChill bag when I was looking for cooler bags? I was looking for a cooler bag with that over-sized front pocket, unfortunately when I was buying AO Cooler no longer made that version of theirs.

The Cooler Bag version I have is the 24-can size (17" x 12" x 10") it is small enough for carry-on. If I recall my research right, you can go up to the 36-can model and it still meets carry-on requirements. The 48-can model unfortunately isn't carry-on compliant.

The 24-can size fits my Compact Camera with Dome Port, 2 x floater arms and 2 x Z330 strobes (but barely!). You got to contort the arms and strobes a bit in order to close the bag. But if you leave the bag open it'll swallow it up no problem. I just keep the bag open if I am just setting my camera down on the boat but neatly fold my strobe arms to close the bag when we are moving. I can imagine the 36-can version to be okay for a Mirrorless or DLSR setup?

The CB70 Square Grouper is most likely carry-on compliant as well given the size at 16" x 12" x 11".

Well.. I will be the cheapskate and say I use the big IKEA bag. No zippers but works for me. Maybe for me it's a temporary soak tank for me on destination that does not have good clean water for soaking..

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I've got a Square Grouper and love it!

No problems with the zips thus far.

Adam

Thanks Adam!

Had to chuckle at hellhole's big IKEA bag... One of the blue ones with big strappy handles? How do you keep water in that!? How do you even keep your housing from falling out of it? 

For those in Europe or Canada, Decathlon has an inflatable cooler which is quite convenient for traveling or storage:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/ice-box-for-camping-and-walking-compact-fresh-35-litres/_/R-p-310516?mc=8572258&c=GREEN_KHAKI

It's quite cheaper than the other coolers quoted above.

On 9/23/2020 at 2:56 PM, Algwyn said:

For those in Europe or Canada, Decathlon has an inflatable cooler which is quite convenient for traveling or storage:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/ice-box-for-camping-and-walking-compact-fresh-35-litres/_/R-p-310516?mc=8572258&c=GREEN_KHAKI

It's quite cheaper than the other coolers quoted above.

@Algwyn do you have this yourself? If so how has it held up? 

6 minutes ago, sinetwo said:

@Algwyn do you have this yourself? If so how has it held up? 

Is the zip plastic or metal? 

This is another excellent option if you favor light weight over padding.

Tim:

I have a square grouper but it petty much never gets used.  As you know, I fly to dive and it is so bulky that I don't pack it.  If I did not need to take it in luggage it would get a lot more use.  Instead, what I use often is this:

https://www.nrs.com/nrs-big-basin-water-container/pnft

It's sole purpose in life is as a rinse bucket.  I can get a D500 housing and two retras in it with he arms folded up a bit.  The supporting ring on the top rim of the bucket broke after a few trips, but that does not seem to impair function and at $40 US, I can replace it if it fails.  I typically fill it in a shower or from a hose when I get back from dives and the housing and strobes then stay in in it until the next morning, so my gear gets a long fresh water soak every day.

I do not think it would work well for transport, or for protection on a rough boat ride, etc.  it is just a collapsible bucket.  But it folds completely flat or rolls up and weighs almost nothing.

21 minutes ago, Draq said:

 

  If I did not need to take it in luggage it would get a lot more use.  Instead, what I use often is this:

https://www.nrs.com/nrs-big-basin-water-container/pnft

It's sole purpose in life is as a rinse bucket. 

 

Wow, that's pretty cool AND they are on special at the moment! Good one!

I do know what you mean about the size of the Square Grouper (SG) and not wanting to pack one. I had the same view. However on a recent trip to Turks and Caicos (small island hopper planes) I decided to use the SG as my carry-my-housing cabin bag.

I got the Subal ND500/camera, macro port, 2x Retras and various bits of hardware and the usual travel niff, naff and trivia. No problem. I was even able to squeeze the gear under the seat on Embraers. I'm not sure what I would have done if the carriers had insisted on hold-loading the, errr, 20 kgs it weighed. Probably the usual: whine, weep, cry, plead, beg routine..... we've all been there.

Using the SG for cabin-loading was pretty successful and I'd be tempted to do that again.

On 8/28/2022 at 10:11 AM, Phil Rudin said:

This is another excellent option if you favor light weight over padding.

Phil:  I was unaware of these.  This could be great for taking camera to the boat and a place for camera on boat when there is no table.  Can you give an idea or post a photo of how flat it packs up?  It would travel in luggage until arrival at hotel or resort, so size matters.