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I have the above and find that:
1) it’s really hard to remove with big dry gloves
2) there is no attachment for clipping off. Goes in drysuit pocket atm, but that’s a pain
Has anyone ‘modified’ their hard cap and can share ideas before I take a drill to it?
Thinking a hole through the rounded edge with a loop of cord through will solve both problems.
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The hard cap for the WWL-1B is not intended for use while diving, it is for storage and protection during travel. If you read the PDF manual for the lens it basically tells you to soak the lens in fresh water after use in saltwater, dry then install both the front and rear covers.
Hey Owen, mine is a pain too. I've drilled a small attachment point for a boltsnap (at the suggestion of Natalie Gibb and Adam Hanlon) which is definitely a must-do modification. The boltsnap is hard to operate in dry gloves though so I'll probably replace it with a bungee loop and a double ender. I think we're both diving similar conditions.
I've also drilled several vent holes in the hard cap in an effort to make it easier to get off underwater. I haven't actually dove it with the vent holes yet, so I'll let you know how it goes if you like!
The hard cap for the WWL-1B is not intended for use while diving, it is for storage and protection during travel. If you read the PDF manual for the lens it basically tells you to soak the lens in fresh water after use in saltwater, dry then install both the front and rear covers.
Some discussion on this topic here:
Hey Owen, mine is a pain too. I've drilled a small attachment point for a boltsnap (at the suggestion of Natalie Gibb and Adam Hanlon) which is definitely a must-do modification. The boltsnap is hard to operate in dry gloves though so I'll probably replace it with a bungee loop and a double ender. I think we're both diving similar conditions.
I've also drilled several vent holes in the hard cap in an effort to make it easier to get off underwater. I haven't actually dove it with the vent holes yet, so I'll let you know how it goes if you like!
4 hours ago, OwenF said:
Interesting. But the type of diving I do, I’m not getting in without a cover on the lens.
I assume they give a hard cap with the -1B because the neoprene doesn’t work with permanent bouyancy collar. Strange to design a lens that can’t be protected in the water
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I suspect they probably did design it that way for that reason. I would think you could readily adapt a small neoprene dome cover that is held on with bungee and/or velcro. One advantage of neoprene is keeps the front element wet until you can get it onto fresh water soak.
9 hours ago, OwenF said:Awesome Kees, that’s exactly what I was looking for!
Yes, let me know how you get on with the vent holes. If you remember next time you are with your lens, do you mind sending me a pic of where you drilled the attachment hole?
I've dropped you a picture on Facebook, but in case anyone stumbles on this thread in the future, I'll post it here too.
12 hours ago, OwenF said:
Interesting. But the type of diving I do, I’m not getting in without a cover on the lens.
I assume they give a hard cap with the -1B because the neoprene doesn’t work with permanent bouyancy collar. Strange to design a lens that can’t be protected in the water
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Hi Owen,
We all want to protect our expensive glass while in the water. When the WWL-1 was developed the buoyancy collar was not part of the original design that was added later so the 140mm neoprene dome cover worked well. Nauticam's WACP was the first wet optic offered with the hard cap and that was later offered for WWL-1 when the type "B" was introduced.
This does not seem like rocket science to me at least not if you are using a port with a zoom/focus wheel like the one for the Sony 28-60mm zoom. The photos show a 180mm neoprene port cover looped over the zoom wheel on one end and a velcro closer on the other end. I am sure some of you do-it-yourself guys can make this work.
Hi Owen,
We all want to protect our expensive glass while in the water. When the WWL-1 was developed the buoyancy collar was not part of the original design that was added later so the 140mm neoprene dome cover worked well. Nauticam's WACP was the first wet optic offered with the hard cap and that was later offered for WWL-1 when the type "B" was introduced.
This does not seem like rocket science to me at least not if you are using a port with a zoom/focus wheel like the one for the Sony 28-60mm zoom. The photos show a 180mm neoprene port cover looped over the zoom wheel on one end and a velcro closer on the other end. I am sure some of you do-it-yourself guys can make this work.
I've done something similar with a bolt snap but also a little different. My bolt snap is on a small piece of cave line that is attached through a hole I drilled. I also have the WWL-C and not the -1 or -1B.
Given the amount of gear, bailout bottles, etc. I dive with, I also feel better having the hard cap on for the dive.
The reason I have the extra line is that I keep the bolt snap attached to my Nauticam housing setup. There are a few small brackets with holes and I attach the bolt snap to that.
When I get to the bottom, I take off the cap and then just "let it go" knowing that it is attached to the housing and won't get "lost."
Two additional thoughts:
1) I have had a really hard time removing the cap at depth due to the vacuum effect I believe. While I don't cherish the idea of drilling more holes into the cap, I do like the idea from @keesbl since it will make it a LOT easier to remove at depth.
2) The length of my cave line is such that the cap can be on the wet lens and also connected to the housing. The downside is that it "floats" and sometimes gets in the way. I've thought about weighting it a little bit with tire weights so that it always is negative and below the GoPro I mount on top of my housing.
In addition, I also wear dry gloves on all my dives and have no problems operating the small bolt snap, but I also have plenty of practice given all the gear I carry on my dives.
- brett
I lost my original cap as I didn't have it quite seated when applied. Forked out $113 for a new overpriced cap. Modified the new cap with a bolt snap similar to images shown earlier in this thread. I just lost that one hanging off my BC the first day of a recent trip. I won't be purchasing another one. I have never lost a neoprene dome cover. Neoprene stuffs easily into a BC pocket and works just fine. It's also much more convenient when doing offshore snorkel trips where you're not wearing a BC to clip it to. Not sure why Nauticam went with an overpriced awkward solution like this. I've been using a wetsuit hood to cover the WWL1-B when entering/exiting the water until I can find a proper neoprene cover that fits.
Phil Rudin's dome cover photos look to be the best I've seen. Phil, would you mind sharing what brand of 180 mm cover you have?
7 minutes ago, JayceeB said:I lost my original cap as I didn't have it quite seated when applied. Forked out $113 for a new overpriced cap. Modified the new cap with a bolt snap similar to images shown earlier in this thread. I just lost that one hanging off my BC the first day of a recent trip. I won't be purchasing another one. I have never lost a neoprene dome cover. Neoprene stuffs easily into a BC pocket and works just fine. It's also much more convenient when doing offshore snorkel trips where you're not wearing a BC to clip it to. Not sure why Nauticam went with an overpriced awkward solution like this. I've been using a wetsuit hood to cover the WWL1-B when entering/exiting the water until I can find a proper neoprene cover that fits.
Phil Rudin's dome cover photos look to be the best I've seen. Phil, would you mind sharing what brand of 180 mm cover you have?
Sorry to hear. That definitely sucks.
That is one reason I put my bolt snap on the camera housing so that when I detach it from the lens, it isn't going anywhere (and I don't have to attach and detach it from me). If you had the bolt snap tight against the cap and not on a bungee or piece of cave line (similar to what @keesbl did), then I'm guessing the hard cap got wedged and the bolt snap opened. This is something that is very common when people put double enders on spools and don't do it "the right way." It is really easy for a bolt snap or double ender to get wedged in the right way and "pop off."
There are definitely advantages to using a neoprene cover. I personally like the hard cover due to the type of diving I do, but it does have downsides. Plus, as somebody else mentioned, I guess Nauticam only intended it to be used during transport/travel and not during diving.
- brett
I do rebreather dives with 3/4 stages and scooter and I leave the hard cap on the boat. It sucks. I have big hands (gloves size 11) and it's impossible to open with dry gloves. I really do not understand Nauticam solution.
Anyway I clip my setup (GH5 WWL-1B, two Keldan Luna, four float arms and monitor) to my right chest D ring through a 25 cm bungee and bolt snap. When I swim or ride with the scooter the housing sit perfectly on my side behind my armpit with the precious WWL facing up. I used the same conf. with the plastic 6" dome and I never had a scratch while diving.
In order for this setup to work, the whole gear needs to be nearly neutral, and simple friction with the water while swimming brings it into perfect position. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it in the water, but it's enough to have a bungee and a bolt snap of this length:
When I move a little between shots I slip my arm over the cord that acts as a handle between the two arms and carry it like a shopping bag. This way.
I spoke with Reef Photo. They pointed this out. Has anyone tried it on a mounted WWL-1B in the water?
On 1/4/2022 at 11:50 AM, JayceeB said:I spoke with Reef Photo. They pointed this out. Has anyone tried it on a mounted WWL-1B in the water?
I will be using this on a trip in two weeks time. I will let you know how it works.
On 1/6/2022 at 3:58 AM, Mark Green said:I will be using this on a trip in two weeks time. I will let you know how it works.
Did it work as intended? Could you show the rear part of the cover, has it a velcro?
About its weight in water...
Anyone know if there is a buoyancy difference between the original WWL-1 (with the foam collar) and the new alu one?
Thanks
42 minutes ago, Davide DB said:Did it work as intended? Could you show the rear part of the cover, has it a velcro?
About its weight in water...
Anyone know if there is a buoyancy difference between the original WWL-1 (with the foam collar) and the new alu one?
Thanks
a small difference, WWL-1B is 120gr -ve and WWL-1 with collar is 160gr -ve
Thank you Chris
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