So You’ve Never Flooded a Camera - Ever Wonder What it Feels Like?
By Leonard Cichowski
The morning in Cozumel started out as usual, humid with a colorless sky. As the sun emerged over the horizon, it cast a golden pall on the clouds that were gathering over the mainland. It was 5:30 am and the last bat was scurrying off to its refuge. Birds were taking advantage of the insects that had overnighted on the thatched cabanas. It was a good time to be alive. I felt as if the island belonged to me, and only me. It was time to ready my camera and underwater housing for the morning's adventure. We were to dive the sunken Mexican minesweeper Felipe Xicotencatl. The 184' ship was in 80' of water, with the top at 30'.
I decided that I would need to shoot the wreck with my 20mm wide-angle lens. Using the 20mm port on my housing has always introduced an element of stress to an otherwise calm event. I tested the camera and the strobe. I didn't put film in the camera because I wanted to retest the firing of the strobe. Repeatedly, I inspected the port and the o-ring. I took great care in preparation, as I am automatically nervous with this port. I twisted the port into place. Once again, I inspected the port and the connection to the housing. Satisfied that all was OK, I placed the back plate on the housing. But there was a voice in the back of my head that said test, test, test. So, I took the camera out to the hotel rinse tank and submersed it in fresh water. No tall tale bubbles. Relief! The camera was ready and now it was time for morning socialization... Breakfast.
By 8:15 am, cameras and dive gear started showing up on my patio. My room overlooked the pier that the dive boats embarked from. Talk centered on the previous night's dive and the adventure that was ahead. Anticipation was high, as this was the final day of diving for the 2002 HUPS Shootout. The "Dive Cat" showed up at exactly 8:30. Equipment and cameras were loaded and we were off. I was still nervous about my 20mm port, so I put the housing in the boat rinse tank. Once again, no bubbles or leakage.
Now it was time to dive. Divemasters had given their briefings. Noah and David were helping the divers make their entries. It was my turn. I hit the water,came up to the boat and David handed me my camera. As I started down, I turned the camera around to look through the port. Once again, all was water-tight. As I descended, I saw a beautiful series of small dunes and large ripples caused by the prevailing currents. But the current was not running today.
At 73' I went to turn my camera and strobe on. That's when I saw it. Only a few bubbles on the LCD window. My mind raced. How can this be? Surely these are on the outside and not the interior. I turned the front of the housing towards me. Boy, was I wrong! Water was flowing in like I had hit one of those mines that the minesweeper was suppose to disarm.
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Flood!
I looked over to the divemaster and then Janeen, my dive buddy, and signaled that I was headed for the surface. It seemed like hours ticked by as I hurried to the surface. The whole ocean seemed to be attacking my housing at a single point. Bubbles were streaming out of the port at the "3 o'clock" position. Water was boiling inside the housing. There was a loop of o-ring protruding out from where the bubbles were pouring forth. My next thought was to cut my airhose before I reached the surface... I would be at the mercy of my fellow HUPSters. I decided that I would be able to stand the test of their ridicule. I was actually more concerned about retaining the title of "Flood King."
Upon getting back on the "Dive Cat" I immediately removed the battery and dumped the camera and housing in fresh water. I guess you are suppose to feel better when you do that to something that is already toast. Jack Allyn offered me some alcohol to help dry the camera out. I really wanted to take a long hard drink. It was when I opened the back of the camera that I discovered that I had forgotten to put film in it. I laughed out loud as I thought, "Well, at least I didn't ruin a roll of film.""
The dive crew wanted to know what the value of the flooded camera, lens, and housing were. I actually felt guilty that my toys were quite expensive and these guys were working for tips.
Now, the moment that I dreaded most was upon me. Divers were beginning to return. Not just divers! These where HUPS divers; one of the world's most renowned group of underwater photographers. It would only be a matter of time before the news would get around the boat. I tried to hide in the corner. That didn't work. Thank goodness, no one was really too hard on me. That, I'm sure, will come at the next HUPS meeting.
I have been in contact with D.E.P.P., my underwater flood insurance company. Their camera/housing repair expert talked to me about what happened and said that the o-ring probably was seated well enough to protect against flooding in a shallow environment, but there was enough movement in the o-ring to allow it to move when higher pressure pushed in on it. This is what caused the protrusion. In his words, "It urped out." He is investigating the slim o-rings that were furnished by my housing manufacturer. The manufacturer is now replacing these o-rings with thicker o-rings, so I have heard. But I never got that thicker o-ring.
So now I have a couple of flooded cameras and 20mm lens that I plan to use as bookends for all of my underwater photography books. But more important, I was able to dive with a great group of friends at HUPS. Sure, they are laughing... but with me and not at me. Well, maybe they are laughing at me - after all, I am the "Flood King"!
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