To start things off, I recommend creating a complete checklist of all your gear. When I first started diving in 1983, I was instructed to do this to avoid getting on my buddy’s boat with my weight belt still sitting at home. Thus, it became a mantra that was memorized, ‘mask, snorkel, fins, booties, weight belt, B.C., wetsuit, hood, gloves, dive knife, tanks, and lunch. Woe to me if I had forgotten lunch!
Let’s apply this mantra to our camcorders and housing equipment. Most of these suggestions should be done long before you need to pack and go. If there’s a problem before the trip you’ll have time to set things right, make that unexpected purchase or have something repaired.
Before You Travel
Camcorders
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Camcorder batteries…make sure they are fully charged and tested before they’re ever packed for the trip. If the batteries have lost their ability to hold a charge then it’s time for a new one.
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Charger….make sure it’s working properly.
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Cables for the charger….boy, would you be stuck without these.
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Camcorder…. test it out and record something, play it back, make sure everything is working as it should.
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Tapes…. do you have enough for the trip? Better to have too many than too few.
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Head cleaning tape…. you shouldn’t need this but it is a great thing to have should the heads get dirty and ruin your clips in the middle of the trip. They are the size of a regular mini-dv tape and inexpensive.
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Power strip…. I never, ever go on a dive trip without one. On a dive boat there are frequently too few outlets for everyone to plug in their chargers. Having one of these along provides you with the outlets you’ll need.
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Outlet adaptors and voltage converter…. different countries use different currents so it’s best to be prepared on this count.
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UV and protection filters…there’s a great chance that you’ll be shooting some topside footage as well. Having these in your camera bag will provide the ability to protect your camcorder lens and reduce the effects of atmospheric haze by absorbing ultraviolet rays when outdoors.
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Dusting brush…. often with a squeeze attachment that can gently blow dust or lint off the lens and eyepiece. It’s much better to use one of these than to blow on them yourself. Lens cleaning papers are also recommended.
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Mark all batteries, chargers and parts with your initials or name, as there may be some on board with the same equipment. Having them marked will prevent confusion and possible loss.
Housing
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Long before you depart, place the camcorder in the housing and test all the controls. Make sure everything is working as expected.
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As with the camcorder, make sure your light batteries are fully charged.I place the lights in water and let them discharge. After a full burn, I recharge them again. You’re conditioning the battery by doing this. This is especially important if they haven’t been used in some time.
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If your housing has handles, make sure you have some extra handle batteries just in case the ones you have installed have aged a bit too much.
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O-rings…. clean and re-grease all o-rings before you start on your trip, but be careful not to leave too much grease on them as this can attract dust and hair which may cause a problem. Be sure to pack your Light & Motion o-ring grease and a spare o-ring kit.
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Lint free cloth…. cloth made for surgical use does not leave any residue. These serve well to clean and wipe the lens and other housing and camcorder parts. I find that micro-fiber cloth or new, cloth diapers are also an excellent alternative. I usually pack about three.
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A Light & Motion extended warrantee is a great idea and can save you time and expense in the future.
Okay, you’ve marked off each item on your checklist and are ready to pack. But there’s more that the prepared videographer should be aware of.
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When packing your housing don’t attach your large wide-angle lens onto the housing itself. Rough treatment by the airlines may cause a problem to the front plate of the housing. Much better to leave the lens unattached and separate.
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When traveling by air, be sure that your housing is not completely closed as the change in air pressure may create a partial vacuum within the housing making it difficult to open.
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When flying with your travel case, remember to adjust the depressurization knob so that the case will open easily.
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If you’re using another form of case, a larger cooler for example, make sure the housing, lights, and everything else is well protected. When using a cooler, I line it with thick bubble wrap and then use more bubble wrap individually around the housing and everything that was enclosed. Clothing and laundry provide additional padding and protection.
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With the heightened security at most airports, using a regular padlock or tie wraps is asking for trouble as these will be frequently cut off, This will leave your gear vulnerable to breakage or theft. I strongly recommend the use of TSA approved locks for additional and necessary protection.
Now that you’re finally packed you can be on your way. Proper planning and preparation are the keys to a successful imaging journey.
Next time…Part II: On the Boat or at the Resort and Home Again
Steve Douglas is one of the original and still active founders of the San Diego UnderSea Film Festival begun 7 years ago. He has won the 1999 Pacific Coast Underwater Film Competition, 2003 IVIE competition, 2004 Los Angeles Underwater Photographic competition, and the prestigious 2005 International Beneath the Sea Film Competition winning the Diver of the Year, and Stan Waterman Award for Video Production in 2005. Steve has sold underwater footage to the Busch Entertainment Corporation for use in their Sea World Parks Atlantis Productions, History channel's MegaDisaster productions,and worked on the major film production of 'The Deep Blue Sea'. He continues to be a major reviewer for Apple focused editing websites and a writer/contributor for ‘Asian Diver Magazine’. He leads several dive trips and safaris each year as co-owner of World Films & Travel.
See Steve’s films at www.divefilm.com and podcasts on the iTunes DiveFilm Podcast.
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