Underwater Photo Gear

Sea Tech presents:

Our best products for caring for your gear.

We get a lot of queries about the best way to care for gear. Luckily for you, some of the best things you can do are also simple and very affordable. Here I count down our top four recommended products for extending and improving your gear's life.

4) NOVUS Polish – scratch remover for acrylic.

This stuff can be a lifesaver. Especially recommended for light scratches rather than deep ones, it really can rescue a port or lens you thought was a goner. We recommend light careful polishing motions. Please use the cloth that comes with the polish and keep it cleaned and dried. Even wiping your lens or dome on a piece of fabric not designed for glass can cause scratches – just ask someone you know who wears glasses every day!

3) Leak Insure.

Think of Leak Insure as your final line of defence against water. Alone, it’s not going to save your camera, but it might be just the thing to buy you some time to get to the surface if worst comes to worst and those leaks start to trickle in. It also seriously reduces fogging. It comes in four different sizes, including very handy teensy strips designed for GoPro that can be used for non-GoPro housings! Only a few extra bucks can save your camera.

2) Salt-Away Spray.

This is our number one recommendation for cleaning away salt from any of your dive gear and keeping everything in top shape. Yes, you read that right, any of your gear, from regulators to wetsuits to housings. All these items need some regular care and TLC to stay in their best working condition. And while you’re probably not risking your life if you skimp a little on your housing’s care, you may be risking your camera’s life. We recommend spraying with Salt-Away after you finish your dive, but 5-10 minutes before you soak it in warm soapy water. Don’t forget to really work those buttons!

(If you're looking for some more general info about housing care, try here.)

1) Silicone / lubricant / grease.

Keep those all-important O-rings in working order and protect them from friction and wear. Keep them lubricated and keep them clean. Some divers will tell you not to bother with silicone and to use spit as a lubricant (yep, really), but anyone worth their salt will know that you don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on dynamic seals, like buttons, where the O-rings deal with increased pressure on a regular basis.

Use the grease branded for the equipment you have. Not all O-rings are made from the same material and you don’t want to cause any unexpected problems. If you have multiple brands of underwater equipment, have multiple brands of grease.

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Newish stuff

The Fantansea FA6500 for the Sony a6500 & a6300

We just got this housing into stock and we're really impressed! Fantasea are increasingly becoming known for their streamlined, modern designs - and affordable prices. They only make a limited number of housings, but we like them all. The FA6500 (and its cousin the FA6000) were Fantasea's first foray into the world of ports and gears, so there are currently only a handful or port options available (which, to be honest, actually makes it easier to find the right one).

Our favourite features of this housing:

Easy-to-use, modern bayonet port lock system. It's safe and effective.
The release latch is smooth, easy and sophisticated.
Zoom dials are straightforward and strangely satisfying.
The overall design is ergonomic, lightweight and fits in your hands.
The price can't be beat.

CHECK IT OUT

Shades of Colour Underwater Photo Comp.

Want to show off your snaps to a crowd of others who know exactly how tricky that shot was? Get into our underwater photography competition, Shades of Colour! We love seeing your images - keeps us inspired! You can win Sea Tech vouchers and get published in Dive Pacific magazine!

You can find info about entering here. Just make sure to send us large files - we need 300dpi for printing in the magazine! Old galleries of photos are here - check 'em out, there're some stunners.

Issue 165 Aug/Sept winners.

Clockwise from Top Left: Advanced Winner: Simone Matucci, ‘Tornado of Blue Maomao’; Advanced Runner Up: Dave Weeks, ‘Potato Cod’; Novice Winner: Danny Lee, ‘Awestruck’; Novice Runner Up: Dan Westerkamp, ‘Dancing with Light'.
Above images heavily cropped - see originals and other entries here.