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PSA: Don't trust a 'waterproof' phone case from a gas station for dive site photos
Bought one for 40 bucks on the way to a job in Pensacola last month. Figured I'd snap some shots of the hull we were inspecting. Made it about 15 feet down before it filled up like a tiny aquarium. Phone was toast. Has anyone found a decent, cheap housing that actually holds up?
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gray1171mo ago
Learned that lesson the hard way too. I grabbed a cheap bag from a big box store and it flooded in a pool. Ended up getting a DiCAPac case for like sixty bucks. It's a soft bag you roll closed, and I've taken it down thirty feet a few times with no issues. Just make sure you test it in the sink with a paper towel inside first.
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ryanhayes1mo ago
You said it filled up like a tiny aquarium at 15 feet. That's a pretty specific failure depth. Were you moving around a lot down there, or was it just sitting still when it flooded? I wonder if the pressure from even a basic swimming motion is enough to pop a cheap seal.
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juliagonzalez21d ago
That pressure thing is a really good point. Even just kicking your legs to stay in place puts way more strain on a cheap seal than sitting still. I bet the bag was fine until you moved and changed the water pressure around it. Those gas station cases are basically just plastic bags with a bad zipper, they can't handle any real force.
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