PHOTO / VIDEO: MAINTENANCE OF AN UNDERWATER BOX

After a summer mainly spent diving, I realized that a large majority of divers who are new to underwater images have no idea how to maintain this precious object ... An article was needed, m 'it seemed. Here then, in a few points, the figures imposed during this style exercise.

First of all, let's be clear. When you buy an underwater box, the only unknown in the equation is the date on which it will take up water… because as much to admit, it happens even to the best. In addition, imagine a little: electronic components are allergic to water, humidity, salt… in short, things started badly. You will understand, without a certain meticulousness, it is better to go your way!

O-RINGS?

Without the O-rings, your casing would take on water. They are the ones who make it watertight. Particular care must therefore be taken in their maintenance and installation.

What to do to prolong the life of your box and minimize the risk of drowning?

Three very distinct moments

The pre-dive:

This is the time when you assemble your equipment. Cleaning, preparation and minor checks must then be carried out. Allow 5 to 10 minutes depending on its complexity.

The post-dive:

This is the moment before opening the box to retrieve the memory card to finally visualize your masterpieces. Usually done at the hotel or at the dive center, this operation takes another 10 to 15 minutes.

Wintering:

Not going to dive for a few months? You must therefore prepare the beast to be put into hibernation.

The pre-dive:

It is therefore the moment which precedes your immersion, when you are going to assemble the box, box, flashes and / or video lighting… this is always done at home, in your hotel room, in your cabin, even in the “photo -room ”: very dry in any case. And preferably the night before, in order to avoid any form of precipitation ...

• If you are in a tropical country, it is highly recommended to operate in an air-conditioned room. Remember to leave the box open and empty - without a device - overnight. Air conditioning has the advantage of drying the ambient air and thus reducing the humidity level. Remember to assemble everything in the morning in the same room because as soon as you go out, the differences in temperature and humidity will form mist. Nothing serious since it will be confined to the outside of the box, which is supposed to be waterproof.

• If you are in a temperate country, you don't need to run after the air conditioning. It is nevertheless always essential to carry out these operations in a dry and calm place and especially not to do them on the boat or on a beach ...

CHECK LIST

• The box is perfectly dry.
• Opening of it.
• Extract the O-ring from the door.
• Clean the groove on the cabinet door with a soft, lint-free cloth.
• Check the cleanliness of the throat.
• Clean the joint with paper towel, for example.
• Take a pinch of silicone grease and pass it evenly over the joint.
• When applying, you will feel whether your seal is damaged or in good condition. Change it if necessary.
• Replace the gasket in the door groove.
• You can close the box.
• Visually inspect the assembly to make sure everything is in place.
• Turn on your device and do a test to validate that everything is working properly.

VIDEO OPERATION

IMPORTANT POINTS

• In order to extrude the seal, the easiest way is to pinch it between your fingers as in the video above. You have to take a hand but it's very simple. Some manufacturers offer more or less sophisticated tools. Why not, but these are likely to damage the seal ...

• Always use the grease supplied when purchasing your cabinet. In fact, there are seals that are softer than others, harder, more elastic… the silicone grease from each manufacturer is specially adapted to its own seals.

• Grease is applied sparingly! If you put too much of it, you risk an accident ... The idea is to have a shiny seal but especially not packets of silicone grease.

Between the dives

Remember to rinse your equipment with fresh water between each dive. If there is no freshwater tank on the boat, bring a towel that you will soak in seawater to roll up your precious equipment. This will protect it from the sun's rays, which keeps the casing cool and prevents sea salt from starting to dry and crystallize, which can damage the seals.

If the boat has a rinsing tank, avoid leaving your device floating in it for hours without supervision… you are certainly not the only one taking pictures and an accident can happen quickly ...

Digital has profoundly changed habits, take advantage of it! Do not open your case for a yes or a no. Most devices are quite capable of withstanding a day of diving without recharging, and your memory card has a much larger capacity than you can shoot. So, do not open your box on board.

The post-dive

Like pre-dive maintenance, post-dive maintenance is always done in your hotel room or cabin. Quiet.

Offer a last bath of fresh water to your box. You are at home and there is no rush, let it soak as long as possible. Take advantage of this moment to operate all the controls of the box. Remember that behind each button, behind each wheel hides a seal: it is important to make them take fresh water too.

“Post-dive”… iconographic error… sorry!

If you don't dive the next day, remove the seal from its groove. Indeed, when it is in place, it is always under tension and crushed by the door. It will eventually lose its round shape and flatten out. Remove it, clean it and place it in a small plastic bag inside the box, this will prevent you from forgetting that it is not on the door ...

Wintering

The box is a mechanical element subjected to severe test. The door seal is by definition accessible and must be changed every year.

On the other hand, a good number of joints are complicated to reach, or even inaccessible. Depending on the number of dives you make, it is important to have it revised by a professional at least every two years.

The pro's opinion

We contacted Hubert, from Plongimage, in order to obtain his opinion on the subject. Large g… .. and wise, his prescription is surprising:

“100% of the accidents we have to deal with happen on open and greased boxes between each dive. I don't change my car's cylinder head gasket every time I drive 50 kilometers! Just do the work once at the start of your stay and rinse off daily. I open my case, do a visual inspection and see if everything is OK. In this case, I do not touch anything and I close the box. I was recently in Egypt, five dives a day for a week, I have not regreased once.
You can still see and hear today that you have to remove and grease your gasket after each dive, it's criminal, two VERY important points:

- The grease is not a sealing element but a lubricating element,

- Fat is not soluble in water.
A little common sense and common sense are enough to avoid big problems… ”