Hard to have a bad time sailing to Catalina Island. In fact, it seems impossible to have a bad time there, period. It's a special place. If you've never been, change that. Summer time is great because it's bumping with people. And winter is just as good, when it's quiet and sleepy. Either way you win. We were out there last month, and spent just about the whole time in the water looking for fish.
Picked up an underwater camera housing from Aquatech a while back, and just got around to shooting with it last month. Thing is a blast, and opens up incredible opportunities that would otherwise be completely out of reach. Just like anything, it take some getting used to. I chose the Aquatech over others in the field because it seems to offer the most options when it comes to camera operation. You can tell right when you get the rig set up, that it's solid. And (knock on wood) you have very little worries about leaks. After playing around a bit, you easily get a feel for it, and understand how get comfortable with it. I only have the widest angle lens dome port, because I only want to shoot things like you see below. I'm not a surf photographer. What you see was done close to shore and lit with strobes. That to me, is fun. Don't get me wrong, I'll get out in the waves with my friends, but I have more fun with strobes. The shutter button is a little hard to push down, but probably necessary. And it's also a little awkward to hold with two hands. So I definitely recommend getting the trigger handle. It will make your life a lot easier (looks cool too). Another thing you definitely wanna pay attention to is the back piece. It has to be precisely in place or the buttons won't operate the camera properly. Again, something that just needs a little getting used to. Overall, I love the rig and can't wait to use it in clearer waters.
