Kayak + 20D + water = ....(advice on waterproof bags)

[PrimaryCanary]

I haven't been around in a while and I figured the perfect time to return is when I need something. ***Sounds like some of my relatives***

Anyway. I recently started kayaking the local streams and lakes in the area. The amount of wildlife I have come across is amazing and just dying to be captured digitally.

The problem-I have already flipped my kayak twice. I am not willing to take my camera with me because it cost me $1500 + memory card + lenses. I've been looking around the net at waterproof bags that look like zip-lock bags. You can still use the camera and god-forbid I fall in, the camera is safe.

Does anyone have any experience with these "bags" and if so do you have any suggestions. Or am I going about this all wrong?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Torus34]

Triple 'Zip Lock' [tm] the gear in freezer bags. It can't be beat for total cost.

 

[zedin]

You might also look into getting the camera insured. I have my gear covered from anything (theft, water, dropping) and it is not that much per year at all. It is a nice backup incase your bag fails.

 

[Big Mike]

I also have my gear insured under my house insurance...it brings a lot of Piece of Mind.

I know the bags you are talking about...they have a "lens" and the rest is a thick plastic bag. I've never used one so I don't know how well they work.

Have you looked for water proof casings? I know they make these for specific cameras...I don't know about any for DSLR...although somebody must make something of the sort.

Have you considered getting a water proof P&S digital camera? I've seen water proof/resistant models for under $300.

 

[PrimaryCanary]

Have you considered getting a water proof P&S digital camera? I've seen water proof/resistant models for under $300.

The guy at the camera store suggested this too. I guess it's not a bad idea.

The rigid housings are buku bucks. ~$2000 for quality models for the ones I saw from name brands.

I guess I'm going to have to research the waterproof p&s camera market.

 

[PrimaryCanary]

You might also look into getting the camera insured. I have my gear covered from anything (theft, water, dropping) and it is not that much per year at all. It is a nice backup incase your bag fails.

Who do you have your insurance through?

 

[Antarctican]

Sounds like you must go kayaking in whitewater or wavy conditions if you're tipping. My kayaking has been in the high Arctic, on Georgian Bay, and in the Toronto harbour, so I don't have personal experience with kayaking in whitewater or rough conditions.

When I go kayaking I usually only take my pns. I guess I've been lucky in that I've never tipped, as the camera isn't waterproof. I keep the pns in a waterproof bag until I get out to where I want to take pictures...the tippiest time for me seems to be when entering the kayak. Once the pns is outta the bag, I just tuck it inside my lifevest when it's not in use...sometimes slipped into a ziploc or a waterproof bag in case I get splashed (ie the bag isn't sealed, but it offers protection from splashes, not immersion). That cam is small enough that I can still paddle with it shoved down my lifevest.

I have a waterproof bag from which one can supposedly shoot the pns, but find it awkward to manipulate the controls through the plastic. To the point where I think it's useless. But the bags are cheap ($10 to $25). One to fit a dSLR would need to be bigger and therefore a little more expensive.

I have a larger waterproof bag (rolltop) that i use on the rare occasion I take my dSLR out in the kayak. Due to that camera's larger size, I have to keep it inside the kayak, which means you need plenty of lead time to undo the skirt, take out and undo the waterproof bag, take the cam outta the bag, replace the skirt etc. So that only really works for landscape shots, or shots of other kayakers, or if you plan on staying in one spot to shoot wildlife etc.

So to make that long story short, look into the insurance, and maybe look into building your confidence level in the kayak so you don't tip

 

[carolwrite]

If I spent that much money on a camera, I would not trust it to a ziplock bag. I would get a housing made for waterproof, which is pricey. Before I trusted insurance to cover it with the ziplocs, I would clarify with insurance what conditions they will and will not cover for water damage.

If you go to digideep.com, you will find info on housings. There is a flexible kind of housing, a ziplock kind of thing which is much less pricey (EWA marine). It's up to you whether you want to trust it for protection. I think they are good up to 30 ft. depth which makes them useless for SCUBA, which is what I need.

There are also fairly inexpensive cameras made for water, SEA&SEA and others, but if you use the 20D, I doubt you would be happy with the pics from these inexpensive cams. You can find info on these cams at digideep.

Happy Kayaking.

 

[zedin]

Who do you have your insurance through?

I use State Farm. Total value for all my gear insured is around $2500 and costs me 30 bucks a year.

 

[Big Mike]

I just called up my home/auto insurance company. They said that my camera gear was already insured (under house policy) for personal use. However, the deductible on that policy is something like $1000. I had them put a rider on the policy, for my camera gear, with a deductible of $25. That way, I only have to pay $25 to make a claim for any of my camera gear. For over $3200 worth of gear, I pay less than $10 a month...or something like that.

 

[PrimaryCanary]

Sounds like you must go kayaking in whitewater or wavy conditions if you're tipping.

You'd have a good laugh, but no. I love exploring the streams that connect just about every lake in the area. Most streams get incredibly narrow (I have to put the paddle length-wise with the kayak or it will snag on over hanging brush and trees. It is here where I usually tip by making a mistake like trying to not hit my head on overhead branches and leaning too far and tipping.

I've been playing with my brothers p&s digital and I hate it. It has every example of why I ditched mine and bought a dslr. I press the shutter and about 3 days later it takes a picture, the view finder is stuck on "earthquake" mode and is like watching an amateur video clip without a tripod...of course these examples are exagerated for persuasive purposes.

Insurance is starting to sound good.