Article by Pat Schrawder
UNDERWATER VIEWING
How many times have you been out on your boat either fishing or just cruising and looked down into the water wondering just what it looks like under there? Well, according to one major manufacturer, AirMar, you no longer have to wonder.
AirMar manufactures a waterproof, underwater camera; model CA500, that they call the “ultimate underwater observation system.” The actual camera is a Sony 1/3” CCD placed in a thru hull housing just like the one your fishfinder might have but, in this case, the housing protects an underwater camera. The unit comes with one cable that splits into two with one side going to the display and one to the power source. The display connection is a simple RCA plug that is compatible with any monitor that receives NTSC or PAL signals like the Furuno NavNet series of GPS/plotter/radar units.
The underwater camera in this case is a low lux (0.01) model for day or night viewing and is protected by a sapphire viewing window to resist scratches and/or cracking. The housing itself is available in plastic, bronze or stainless steel and its insert is retractable so that the camera can be removed for cleaning while the boat is still in the water.
Installation of this accessory is really quite simple. It is only available as a through-hull unit so a hole must be cut in hull of your boat. The diameter is 2.94” which might make some of you a little squeamish, but this is the same size hole as a typical through-hull flush mounted transducer and we do those all the time. The cable must then be run up to your display unit and connected via an RCA plug to that display’s NTSC or Pal data input jack. With one of the currently popular, multi function displays, you can add the camera as one of your “hot pages”.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the image you will see on the display is going to vary a great deal according to the depth of the water, the temperature of the water and its relative clarity at the time you are out. As we all know, water in the southern climes such as Florida and the Keys is clearer and more blue than it is off Ocean City, although there are days and places where our deep water can be quite clear.
In any event, items like debris, approaching seabed and fish directly under the boat should be able to be seen once they are close enough. Because there are so many variables, it is hard to say just how far down the camera will see, but you can look at a live image of the CA500 in operation by going to YouTube.com and searching for “CA500 underwater camera”.
Is this item a necessary one? The answer is no, but it is one of those items that could be a lot of fun to use. The question, as always, is whether it’s worth the money to you. The unit will most likely be discounted and you may be able to install it yourself but the list price of the bronze housing model is $699 whereas the plastic one retails for $599.
Pat and her husband, Larry are owners of L&L Marine Electronics in West Ocean City, MD.
