Take your camera underwater. Make your own waterproof casing for almost nothing. This guide is divided into two parts – diving in shallow waters with underwater bags and deep water diving. Both designs in this article can be built in less than one hour. Both are extremely cheap or almost free.
Some supports, cages and underwater equipment look cool, but they can be expensive, problematic and hard to handle underwater. Underwater housing may not be available everywhere. Some supports are so poorly designed that they intimidate or upset the marine life you are trying to document.
Down under: Going underwater more than 120 feet.
What you need: One PVC tube or ABS pipe (black), plexiglass (clear and transparent) and silicon glue.
Step one: Get the right tube. Your camcorder or camera should fit in the ABS pipe. The ABS tube should have a rim to fit the plexiglass on one end. On the other end a the pipe should come with a screw-on lid.
Step two: Cut the plexiglass to fit the pipe and rim. Glue it with silicon glue to the front end of the tube or pipe. Let it dry.
Step three: Place you camera in the tube. Make sure your camera fits and is firm. Build some kind of support if it moves around.
Step four: Close the screw on lid of the pipe on the end side. Test the underwater camera housing without the camera. Use Teflon tape if it leaks.
Step five: Turn on your camera. Put it in again inside the tube. Secure it firmly. Close the lid, and dive down.
Underwater Cages: You can use plastic PVC tubes to create a cage or casing. Attach foam to the upper parts to make it more stable. Mount lights if you are going into dark waters. You can also mount arms for better holding.
Diving shallow waters with underwater “bags”
What you will need: Clear flexible PVC bag (or three condoms) and superglue. That is it? Yes, that is it. There is no need for special designs, nor expensive casing. The important thing is that it should work.
Everybody knows military used condoms to keep water out of their rifles when moving through water or coming down on beaches. So, yes, condoms will do the work. Just make sure to use two or three, to be safe.
What to do: Cover your camera with the PVC bag or the condoms. Make a knot and seal it off with superglue. If you are using condoms, do this two or three times.
Advice: String your waterproof bag so you won’t loose your camera in a wave or sudden tide.
A waterproof bag or casing should keep water from coming in contact with your camera. It should also allow you to access the commands. You should bee able to turn cameras on and off, zoom in and out, change menu settings and use the other functions.
Lenses: Some cameras have lenses that can be a problem when encapsulating them in a bag. You can use some kind of circular support to make sure the bag is in place.
Moist: Your camera will be safe from water but the temperature can cause humidity. Place desiccant paper inside the bag to avoid moist from building.
This article is not responsible for information, services, or content of external web sites. This article is not responsible for readers personal interpretations, constructions or experimentations. This article recommends safe diving.
