GoPro Hero 2 with BlurFix Lens.

[SurfLung]

Here's a Beautiful Video from GoPro...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucivXRBrP_0[/youtube]

[kgehring]

Colors boosted in post production.

[DaleC]

Here's another gopro video with the occulus solution: This time we are diving in a decommissioned Titan I missile silo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IsEB8ru ... ature=plcp

[scubasteve59]

Wow...is this your video? Not cracking on you but looks like a place to get hurt if not very careful.

[DaleC]

Yes, some of our club members went there last weekend. I'm the one with the red gloves.
Three missile silos (110' of water) connected by half flooded tunnels - what could go wrong?

Here's the link of the tour if you are interested:
http://www.underseaadventures.net/silo.htm

[Bryan]

I would consider putting on a drysuit again to dive this. One of those places that you do once just to see what it's like...

[scubasteve59]

Dale,

No doubts to your abilities or safety of site. Strikes me akin to cave diving.

Cheers,

Steve

[DaleC]

There is a similar site called Valhalla in Texas but it is much cleaner and set up.

While it looks a little funky it isn't really as long as common sense prevails and you aren't claustrophobic. The center of the silo is clear and there is air in the chamber above so what you are really doing is a deep AOW night dive with stuff on the sides to explore and look at. If one wasn't watching where they were going one could get pretty jammed up though.
The I beam cribwork around the edges supported the elevator system used to lift the missile to the surface and it was completely suspended by springs so the missile would not be damaged by earthquake or a first strike. That nozzle I was holding with the braided hose was the fuel line used to fill the missile. It took 15 minutes to prep and launch and the failure rate was such that they built three missiles per complex in hopes that one would fly.
The Titan I could hit mainland Russia but was soon replaced by Titan II's and then Submarine based systems. This place was basically run for three years and then abandoned by the military leaving most everything in place. 3 silos and two domed operations centers, all underground. A salvage company stripped some metals out in the seventies. Once the sump pumps were turned off the complex flooded because the water table is only 25 feet.

As far as the GoPro went, if I returned I would know better what shots to take and how to set them up. For a simple camera mounted on a dive light it works well but some clips are better than others. One issue I find I have to improve on is holding a shot long enough. I tend to pan things too fast instead of letting the scene develop. It also looks pretty good to turn off my light and capture another divers lights and what they illuminate.

One of my friends had a traditional camera with video lighting and I am waiting to see the quality of his footage to compare.

[scubasteve59]

I'm impressed! You're making me want to get a GoPro Hero.

[phsdive]

Great video Dale. Good diving by everyone - not much silt; and some of those beams had plenty on them.

[macado]

Somewhat related but I was diving a quarry in West Rutland, Vermont this weekend with my GoPro Hero2. I'd see if I can post some video but I think most of it was too dark. Didn't dive it vintage unfortunately but I might bring my double hoses up there again this year and play.

This quarry is called True Blue Quarry (actually it's real name is Esperanza but everyone calls it True Blue).

It's very interesting; It's old marble quarry that was mined in the 1800s. There are several miles of cavern and cave zone available to dive. Visibility is often fantastic 50+ feet which to me is really good for a quarry. It's probably the only place in New England where one can "cave dive" Several permanent guidelines have been installed.

The downside is it's cold, very cold. At depth at 130ft, I was getting 39-41f degrees. Even in my drysuit I was freezing. At 20ft, water is high 50s, allowed my fingers to thaw out on my deco stops.

[SurfLung]

As far as the GoPro went, if I returned I would know better what shots to take and how to set them up. For a simple camera mounted on a dive light it works well but some clips are better than others. One issue I find I have to improve on is holding a shot long enough. I tend to pan things too fast instead of letting the scene develop. It also looks pretty good to turn off my light and capture another divers lights and what they illuminate.

- Great video Dale. It was easy to see how well your flat GoPro lens was working... Crystal clear focus on the structural stuff. I tried a flashlight with my GoPro and all I could pick up was the center of the light. Your shots turned out much better.

[DaleC]

I have had to diffuse my UK light cannon quite a bit as I used to get a hot spot that whited out everything in the center. I cut out a plastic milk jug to put in front of the lens (on the inside) and duct taped over the rear reflector. Now it illuminates but does not glare but I still have bad shadowing issues with close ups of the little fish I study. I may need a secondary light for those shots.