Yeah, well you know kayakers. Nothing they own can will ever stay dry. Of course I’m not implying all kayakers have bladder problems so don’t get your Depends in a twist! When it comes to our cameras, we want to get them all out in the water. Well, these days there are all sorts of gadgets, cases, and bags made to help you get those great shots on the water. We’re all aware these days of Pentax Optio series that seem to upgrade every 12 weeks and those funky tube lenses that allow you to put a camera lens on a pole while the rest of your gear is safely stored in a dry box on your deck. This is the sort of thing Justine uses to make all those wonderful movies. Something Wendy Killoran and I have been working to acquire for our trip with Taino to Puerto Rico later in the summer. But my little handy cam was sitting on the shelf saying “I wanna play too!”.

You see I liked my Optio until of course it got wet for the second time and it went out with a digital whimper. (My new one is coming in a day or so by the way.) The Optio does do a fairly good job with video. But when I’m at the pool I’d like to have more time, better resolution and once in awhile be able to shoot in widescreen format as well. I’ve got a really nice Sony handycam. I kept thinking I’d love to take it in the water if I could find a way. Well, here’s the way. This is the Sony “Sports Pack SPK-HCB”. A dive case that fits a variety of handcams for just $99 bucks. Hey, at that price it’s worth a try. Sad to say however the price just went up at Amazon today to $166.94.

I have a DCR-DVD92 which burns video directly to DVD. It saves me tons of time moving video to my computer. However Amazon did not list my Handcam as compatible. I looked all over the web for a matching waterproof case. Interestingly everywhere but Amazon listed the SPK-HCB as the compatible case. So what do you do? Well, order it and cross your fingers. Happily I can tell you this is the right case.

Set up is pretty simple. You just rub a bit of anti-fog (2 or 3 drops) on the inside of the lens, attach the camera to the bracket, plug in the remote and side it in. It’s a good idea to put a few drops of oil on the o-ring before you close it up. One thing I like is the locking mechanism needs two small sliders released in unison to unlock it, making it very un-likely you will accidentally open the case. (unlike the silly Optio!) The down side of course is the size. These big *ss cases are a real pain and not all that practical while paddling. But for rough weather on the land, near shore or a day in the pool they are worthwhile. The SPK-HCB will handle a depth just up to 17 feet so it’s not really a dive case. Something to keep in mind.

Well, next on my list is to get it in the water. Stay tuned. . .