Cameras on the boat

[NoNo]

So I've noticed several of you take lovely pictures from your kayaks. I had a great little point-and-shoot Coolpix but several months back the lens stopped opening. I have my D70, but I worry about taking my nice camera on the boat. I was looking at some deck bags, but I don't know if I want to put out that kind of money yet. And then I was looking at waterproof bags, but I have doubts about how waterproof they are. Paddling in the harbor today, waves were sloshing over the boat, so I definitely want water protection. I could keep something under the spray skirt, but it would be annoying to keep reaching in every time I want to snap a picture. So what are you using and how/where are you storing it? I want to start taking something other than cell phone pictures of my travels, especially when I go to Canada next month!

[Zen]

I use a Pelican case but when I'm shooting the camera has no protection
When I'm not shooting, the box stays in the cockpit with me. No spray skirt and it's a small box for the P&S

[Cataboo]

Alright - basically, if you are in salt water - get a waterproof camera. Ziplock baggies do not work.

And whatever you do - TETHER your camera.

I've got a waterproof kodak playsport video camera that takes HD video & takes 5 megapixel pics. It has no optical zoom but does a good job. If you want more info on it, tell me & I'll post a link to my review (it's on cpakayaker.com 's forums) and sample pics & video. You can get it for about $130 - or $110.

Otherwise - waterproof cameras - I use the pentax optio w60 - the new one is the w90 - some reviews & pics over at goingprepared.com, I have my review of the w60 over there and there's a comparison of the different waterproof cameras. I would avoid the olympus because it uses proproietary cards. The panassonic & canon get the best reviews - the canon is a funky shape. The fuji is probably the cheapest and it's not bad, I can link to some pics my friend took with it if you're interested.

I keep my waterproof camera tethered to the shoulder strap of my PFD, I tuck the camera in my pfd when not in use. I keep a carabiner on the shoulder strap of the pfd, so I can just hook the camera on, my nose plugs and things like that.

I use a fat gecko mount (tripod mount that's a huge suction cup) on my kodak playsport - but again, the mount is tethered and so is the camera.


When I want to take my good camera with me - that's my dslr, I have a pelican case on it. I drilled two holes through the back flanges of the pelican case, I have cord that goes through it, and I have cord that goes around and through the handle - the pelican case is tied down to my front or back decklines... So if I roll the boat, the camera is attached. The problem with just putting things inside your cockpit with you is that if the boat flips, you may very well lose it. and I will take the camera out when it's calm on the water or when I get to whereever I am going, because it doesn't take much salt water to fry electronics.


As for deck bags - I've been through a couple of them and I would not trust a camera to them... Whereever the waterproof zip ends,there is usually a little gap that lets in water - if that's salt water, your camera is toast.


As for waterproof electronics - virtually all waterproof electronics eventually end up not being waterproof. My waterproof gps is kept in a drybag - we have two of them, and both of them let in some water one of the first times it went out on the kayak. To their credit, they kept working after getting wet... But now they have their own little drybags. As does almost everything else. My waterproof camera has let in water once (luckily it was fresh water) - little grains of sand get stuck in the doors to the batteries and stuff and can interfere with the seal - so clean those often, and I use vacuum grease on all the gaskets on all my electronics periodically to help maintain the waterproofness.

Again - tether. My cell phone has its own drybag (I really like the drypak cases), which is tethered to deck lines, as does the gps, as does the VHF radio. If my boat rolls, everything stays attached. Nylon cords stretch when wet, polypropylene rope doesn't stretch and is cheaper. Best knot to know is the prussik, because it's a tension knot that you can tighten- also the best knot for cartopping kayaks.

[Cataboo]

oh yeah - my spray skirt has a zippered pocket for it.

Oh, and as someone who just lost a 2nd pair of prescription sunglasses to the water - you really should get in the habit of wearing croakies or something on your glasses.

[Zen]

my little box has a 'biner and is tethered.

I have been eying that Fuji.

[Cataboo]

K. Locking biners work a bit better, 'cause some of the others can spontaneously open and lose things (keep one on your keychain and see how often you lose keys)

They do make plastic bags/housings that go over cameras - and they mostly work, the plastic does tend to turn color with age, and you don't get as good of results shooting through plastic - not to mention it's hard to use the buttons. And if you're in salt water, you get salt deposits all over the bag.

Same with the waterproof housings that canon makes for their camera - absolutely awesome if you're snorkeling or diving - but bulky and almost always covered with salt in a kayak. (expensive as well)

I put a little bag of dessicant salts in my drybags for electronics, 'cause you get condensation of moisture inside the bag - and that's killed my cell phone a few times.

[Cataboo]

w90 sample pics:
http://forums.goingprepared.com/view...hp?f=19&t=2374

[Cataboo]

Couple other suggestions - if any of your electronics get wet and it's not salt water, take out the batteries without turning it on (turning it on can short the electronics) and let it dry out - toaster oven on low heat, dessication chamber if you work in a lab, or front dashboard of your car on a sunny day.

If it's salt water, you probably don't have a chance of saving it.


And another reason to keep your cell phone in a bag on your front deck - you can use it if you need to call for help. I can still use my cell phone in the drypak bags and it's strapped to my deck (arguably, you can strap it to the pfd or keep it in your pfd pocket)... if you've got your cell phone stashed in a drybag or a deckbag with a bunch of other stuff and you're out of the boat or there's some emergency, you don't have a waterproof way of getting it out and using it.

VHF radios are great (for those - remember that they need to be tethered, because a lot of them do not float and will sink like a log even if they're waterproof) - but they work via line of sight. if you're in the water or just barely above the water, you're possibly not high enough up to get a signal without having an extendable antenna for it. In a lot of places, cell phones are a better bet for getting help.

As for signal flares, I've seen a couple flare demonstrations where people grab the flares they've been carrying around in their kayaks for just in case and then start trying to shoot them off... usually roughly about 20% of those actually work because of the age, water damage, whatever... stashing those flares individually in condoms seems to be very effective at keeping them working though.

[HillSlugger]

Olympus has a line of digital point-and-shoot cameras that are waterproof, shock resistant, and cold tolerant. I have the Stylus 850SW. I used it last year on our tubing trip, it got soaked, but worked great.

eta: now they are calling them the Stylus "Tough" series

[NoNo]

I think I'm leaning towards the Stylus Tough 8010, although the Sony TX5 looked interesting, too. Based on my hands-on testing with the Pentax W90, I'm ruling that one out. I really hate the look of the Canon but it does seem to get good reviews for image quality. I have three weeks until my trip to Canada, so I'd better make a decision soon!

[Zen]

I like that Canon. It looks nautical.