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Hello, I'll be diving off some boats this summer in North Carolina and from what I hear it's a bit of a wild ride on the surface! We're doing deco dives so we'll have extra bottles on. Handling a camera while getting in/out of the boat is going to be a major challenge. I was curious if anyone has any ideas for making a done cover that will protect the nauticam dome from scratches and from anything coming in contact with it. Ultimately, I would like something I can dive the rest if the dive with. Maybe a low/profile plastic guard that I can tuck into my harness during the dive. Anyone have any ideas? -Andy

Welcome to our neck of the woods...I dive with a S&S setup and keep the neoprene cover on the dome except when on the bottom. don't know if a neoprene cover is an option for nauticam. Take it off on the bottom and put it back on when going up. Will leave it on except for those days when the swell and current allow or if something impossible to pass up comes along. After 30 yrs, it has been very successful in preventing dings and I haven't found the need for a "hard" cap. Most professional NC charter captains and mates are pretty sensitive to handling photo gear - talk to them before hand and it shouldn't be a problem. Don't expect live aboard style rinse tanks and accommodations though. I bring my own box to keep it in - tuck in a corner and don't worry about rinse until I get back to the dock -- actually hotel room. Hope you have a good time and weather gods are kind.

As a point of reference, I do have one of the DSS Kydex plates that I use for travel. It's quite solid (it has supported doubles easily) and superbly made, as is all of the DSS gear - work of art is more like it.

In conjunction with a DSS tropical wing, it is incredibally ligtweight.

But that's assuming you use a BP/W, neh?


All the best, James

 

I would like to 2nd this....i just came back from Cocos Island. Used DSS Kydex backplate and 30lb wing...worked perfectly. Very light, very streamlined, packs and dives very small...no issues with 3mm suit and 15L steel tanks. Plus the backplates are available in different sizing for those divers out of the bell curve. Not cheap, but both shout "craftsmanship" when you see them.

thx for that heads up...I knew about the more "dangerous looking" tools - [though I am told by a buddy recently coming out of Cayman that they seem to pass on diving scissors for some reason (blunt edge?) but took his crescent wrench and others] -- , but I was about to put my single hex wrench in my think tank carryon, but I guess I will pass now. Sheesh....will they pull my plastic Sea and Sea tool to pull o-rings as well? only sort of ;-)

thx for the response Mike.

interesting....that cable does not fit my S&S MDX-D300 housing to Inon Strobe...is it because I have the Nikonos connector/bulkheads?

attached is the cable that fits my housing....the "silver" end has a much deeper/longer and smaller tip that fits into the housing; it is a SS-17100 and specifically says nikons 5 pin.

I wonder what model number the other one is.

I have the Sola 1200s (June 2011 vintage) and they have worked great...just wondering - any reason to upgrade to the 2000s? would there be a noticeable practical difference from that 50% increase in lumens?

thx