Go Pro 3+ Warning

I have purchased over 50 GoPro cameras for my business since they came out years ago. I started with several GoPro I's, upgraded to the GoPro II's and now have added some of the latest GoPro III's. I manage a staff of 26 photographers and everyone has at least one GoPro.

I noticed the plastic material of the stock Gopro III+ housing is different than previous models. It seems to be thinner and the workmanship is of a lesser quality in my opinion.

When I was diving in Nassau using my brand new GoPro III+ on my cruise I noticed a small drop of water in my housing on my second dive. My first dive was to about 66 feet. I aborted the second dive to dry off the camera and hope for the best. The drop was small and I tried to keep the drop out of the camera openings. I dried the camera off when on the boat and it worked when I put it away.

The next day the camera was completely dead - salt water had entered the camera and corrupted the electronics.

On our next stop, now diving with a GoPro II, I noticed another diver about to make his first dive with his brand new GoPro III+. I shared my recent experience with him and shared my warning. On the second dive he surfaced with the same problem, a small amount of water had entered his stock GoPro III+ housing.

I plan to clean the edges and dive the GoPro III+ housing with the damaged camera to see if I can repeat the same conditions to see if it floods again.

I share this warning in hopes of saving someone else's camera.

I did notice with my GoPro HD Hero (1), that if I have anything on the seal it will leak. Hair, dust, lint from a towel. I always have to clean the seal with a lint free cloth before putting the camera in it.

Thank you for the warning.

Sure hope others see this.

Here are some of the photos taken with my GoPro3+ with a backscatter flip filter.

Reccomended:

Link to Backscatter Flip Filter

Skirack, Thank you for your post. I want to buy a GoPro for our trip to Alaska in June. I was thinking of the 3+ because it is supposed to be better in low light however I have read the image is not better at distances. I plan to use the camera for whale watching in Alaska but then diving later. Which would you go with the 3 or the 3+

Thank you!!!

I'm making this contribution based on about 20 yrs. experience with O-rings

on the old Nikonos underwater film cameras, back in the 1970s and 80s.

Small tubes of silicone grease were supplied with every packet of new/replacement O-rings

when it became necessary to replace the rings.

As you dive deeper, pressure squeezes O-rings

and they have no option but to move and slide ever so slightly in their "seats"

-thus the silicone grease to allow them to slide smoothly.

Dry O-rings cannot operate properly and will eventually fail.

Question: does the GoPro case come with silicone grease

or are people using their housings in the water with virgin-dry rings?

.

I'm making this contribution based on about 20 yrs. experience with O-rings

on the old Nikonos underwater film cameras, back in the 1970s and 80s.

 

 

Question: does the GoPro case come with silicone grease

or are people using their housings in the water with virgin-dry rings?

 

.

Also a Nikonos user here. YOU MUST MAKE sure that surfaces are completely clean and use very little silicone grease. The grease DOES NOT seal the camera, it lubes it. Yes the GoPro is dry. Before I hade the Nikonos I used an Ikelite housing and would place tampons in the case. Just in case:)