FANTASEA FRX100 VA without vacuum

Aigverte wrote:

Hey all,

Quick question, I am currently in Belize with my RX100 III and my fantasea housing and I've just realized that I forgot the pump to seal the housing. Of course. I was wondering if it is safe to use it without pumping the air: I know there is another version of this housing without the sealing process and the pump which is basically the same. When I bought it I was told that the pumping system was just there for extra safety but that not sealing it wouldn't be an issue.

Should I try or should I sadly leave my camera at the hotel?

Thanks!

There are a few essential parts that if you forget, you're probably SOL for the trip.  You're not going to find a spare.

1- battery charger

2- sync cord

3- zoom/focus gear

The pump is unlikely to be replaceable as well, but is not a must have.   Keep in mind that at 66 ft, the housing is under 3atm of pressure.   Whether you remove half an atm with a pump or not, the pressure at depth is much more substantial.

The vacuum you create does 3 useful functions

1- tests the integrity of the seal.   10 years ago, we just had to keep the o-rings clean and free of hairs.  The moisture tester + the rinse tank may identify a problem, but maybe not.  I did a few hundred dives without mishap.

2- prevent opening of the housing in error.  Tiny bit of value, but not something you're going to do at depth.

3- effectively reduce moisture inside - port should be less prone to fogging.   More a concern with the compacts or the gopros - sometimes had to wait a few minutes into the dive for it to go away.   In the early days with my housed 20D, I would only open and close it up in the A/C room.   But eventually I saw that everyone was changing batteries and ports on the camera table on the back of the boat and I stopped worrying.  The temp change from AC to tropical is a bigger cause of condensation.

So in your case - if you have a rinse tank, do the pre dive submerge test.   Does the housing have a moisture detector?

Have you used this housing for a number of dives in the past?   If you didn't experience an indicated vacuum seal failure before, you're probably doing alright in the handling.  But you are removing one of the safety nets.