Under Water Camera for our new 54 Thoughts Please

[Olivia Grace]

We are thinking about installing an underwater camera on the new boat and wanted to get some thoughts.

Underwater Camera

Sea Vision SV27 Underwater Camera

The completely waterproof camera can be installed in any of the underwater light housings for steel, aluminum or fiberglass hulls. The camera is placed in the housing and fixed with a mounting kit. It has exterior focus and zoom rings from 0.16" to 0.31"/ 4.0mm to 8.0mm, it offers broadcast quality pictures are 470 color lines of resolution and is 110 A/C or 12 VDC. The underwater images can be fed to any number of monitors or plasma screens through out the boat. The camera comes with a three year warranty and all maintenance, like the underwater lights is from within the hull. This underwater camera is perfect for viewing the aquatic life, as well as offering safety and security benefits.

[pitch bait]

I have heard mixed things about them. I think it is great if you are chunking and are fighting a fis off the stern but I have heard that the bubbles in the prop was if the boat is running causes the zoom on the camera to go crazy. I have not ever used one.

[loliver]

I have one of these, SeaMaster 600 System Offshore Series
[SEM-600-SYS]

though I confess I have not really used it just played with it. I am thinking that I will use it as my downrigger weight, it is heavy, and that will get me under the wash for a fairly good pic. It is Hydrodynamic in shape and should troll well I had my new boat set up to view it on the E120's and also send it to a DVD recorder which I will let run all day and hopefully edit anything exciting out to a new disk. I agree with pitch bait that a through hull camera will see nothing but prop wash.

[reel fishy]

Problem with a fixed mount underwater camera is you can only see what swims in front of it. In murky water they are pretty much useless. You have to keep the housing sparkling clean. While trolling the camera does not help. If you use your underwater lights to fish at night all you need to do is look over the transom and see more than the camera. Now if you place it where you can see your running gear it could let you know when the bottom needs cleaned. Save the money for other useless boat toys!