Shared Camera Rinse Tank Etiquette on a Dive Boat

Successfully capturing the stunning underwater world requires not only skill and passion but also meticulous care of your underwater photo equipment. One of the most overlooked yet crucial steps in this process is the post-dive rinse of your underwater camera housing. On dive boats, especially those with multiple photographers, shared rinse tanks are a vital resource—but they come with their own set of etiquette rules that every diver-photographer must respect.

In this guide, we'll explore best practices for using shared camera rinse tanks, emphasizing the importance of thorough saltwater removal, safe handling, and careful workspace habits. These best practices will help protect buttons, dials, hinges, and electrical connections strobe not firing on your housing, safeguard expensive strobe arms in rinse tanks, and ultimately prolong your equipment's lifetime.

Why Proper Rinsing Matters

Saltwater is notoriously corrosive. After each dive, residue salt and sand particles cling relentlessly to your housing’s outward surfaces—especially around buttons, dials, hinges, and the critical seals of electrical connections. If this salt is allowed to dry, it crystallizes and causes corrosion, sticky buttons, and ultimately, flooding risks. Rinsing your housing in freshwater immediately after your dive helps to gently dissolve and flush away these deposits.

On a dive boat, shared rinse tanks provide a practical, space-saving solution for rinsing multiple cameras. However, without proper etiquette, these tanks can become points of cross-contamination, equipment damage, and frustration among photographers.

Key Themes for Shared Rinse Tank Success

1. Controlled Freshwater Rinse

The goal in a rinse tank is not to just dunk your housing haphazardly but to provide a controlled freshwater rinse. This requires:

Gentle immersion: Slowly lowering your housing to avoid splashing saltwater back onto dry surfaces or causing disturbance.
Minimal agitation: Excessive movement increases the chance of collisions and knocks.
Selective submersion: Keep delicate components like strobe arms, buttons, and dials fully submerged but take care to avoid overfilling or submerging unnecessary attachments.

By adhering to a controlled rinse, you minimize residual salt buildup without inviting mechanical damage.

2. Safe Handling in Shared Rinse Tanks

Shared rinse tanks can become cramped places, so safe handling is essential:

Never let housings bang together: This is a cardinal rule. Your housing’s buttons, dials, and hinges are intricately engineered parts. Collisions risk damage or accidental activation in ways that can compromise the sealing mechanisms or cause mechanical failure.
Use holders or supports: If your dive boat offers partitions or holders inside the rinse tank, always use them. If not, gently cradle your housing or strobe arm so it’s isolated from other devices.
Mind strobe arms in rinse tank: Strobe arms are often attached and protrude, making them vulnerable. Keep them out of harm’s way by positioning your housing carefully or temporarily detaching arms before rinsing.
Communicate with other photographers: Agree on tank usage order and placement zones—avoid crowding a particular corner or rushing your rinse time.

3. Avoid Housing Collisions

To avoid housing collisions in rinse tanks:

Visualize space: Place your camera housing so that buttons and dials do not rub against others.
Temperature considerations: Avoid positioning metal contacts or electrical connectors touching other housings that might cause galvanic corrosion if residual saltwater is present.
Respect others’ belongings: Never rearrange another person’s equipment without permission, as you might inadvertently cause damage or misalign cables or settings.

4. Maintain a Dry Workspace to Avoid Corrosion

Your rinse tank is only one part of the post-dive cleaning process. A dry workspace to handle equipment after rinsing is equally essential:

Dedicated towels and microfiber cloths: Always dry your housing thoroughly, especially around buttons, dials, and electrical connectors.
Inspect o-rings with a flashlight: Use a tiny dedicated flashlight to check your housing’s o-rings before opening or closing.
Use clean, dry labeling: Avoid placing your housing directly on wet surfaces or stacking them—labels with masking tape help identify and separate belongings clearly.
Keep workspace organized: Avoid clutter to reduce accidental drops or bumps.

5. Two-Device Backups and Verification

In underwater photography, it’s common to shoot with two camera bodies—a primary and a backup. When dealing with rinse tank etiquette, ensure:

Both devices are rinsed under the same controlled conditions.
Verify data backups before rinsing: Double-check that your pictures are backed up on separate memory cards or external drives before handling equipment in rinse tanks or wet environments.
Label memory cards properly and keep spares dry.
Never format memory cards on the boat immediately without verifying at least two backups exist—this prevents catastrophic data loss.

My Typical Rinse Routine—Lessons Learned

After 12 years of underwater photo trips—shooting from small day boats to liveaboard expeditions—and flooding exactly one housing in my second year (never again!), I’ve developed this rinse process:

Step Action Why 1 Confirm all data backups are complete for both cameras Avoid formatting or data loss on day one 2 Label chargers, cables, and memory cards clearly with masking tape Reduces mix-up and confusion on busy boats 3 Carefully lower housings into rinse tank, avoiding strobe arms bumping neighbors Prevents hardware damage and accidental button presses 4 Use a small dedicated flashlight to inspect o-rings before opening or closing Ensures seals are intact, minimizing flood risk 5 Remove housings from rinse tank gently, dry thoroughly before next dive Minimizes corrosion and keeps buttons and dials smooth

Following these steps has saved me from floods, corrosion, and data loss more times than I can count.

Summary and Takeaways

Respecting shared camera rinse tank etiquette improves everyone’s dive photography experience and prolongs your gear’s lifespan. Key takeaways include:

Perform a controlled freshwater rinse to remove salt without causing damage.
Handle your housing and strobe arms carefully to avoid collisions and mechanical failures.
Keep your post-rinse workspace dry and organized to prevent corrosion.
Always back up your data twice before rinsing and formatting cards.
Communicate and coordinate with fellow photographers to maintain a respectful and safe rinsing environment.

With mindful practices and a little patience, the shared rinse tank can become a place of equipment care and camaraderie rather than frustration and damage.

Happy diving and even happier shooting!