If you’re just getting started in underwater photography, almost every photographer forgets this crucial step to prevent water spots from forming.
Water spots don’t just ruin your images, they can leave a stain on your lens, and avoiding them should be a top priority before getting near the water.
The best way to minimize water spots is with the proper coating. That usually means using saliva or candle wax, but it depends on the type of port.
In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know to prevent water spots with a flat port, dome port, and GoPro.
How to remove water spots from a flat port?
There are two ways to avoid water spots from a flat port. The first method is to use a squeegee and the second method is to use wax.
If you don’t have wax or a squeegee, you can also use your wetsuit sleeve or gloves to remove water droplets.
Using wax to remove drops of water
The wax method is a simple way to keep wax off your lens for the duration of your session.
This is also the recommended method by aquatech camera housings.
What you’ll need is a white unscented candle.
Mark the wax on the lens port glass with the wax candle, and rub the wax in with a microfiber cloth.
Be sure to keep the wax layer thin to keep the glass element clear.
The candle wax will not damage the front element and will cause the the water to bead off the front glass.
Using a squeegee
If you don’t want to put wax on your front glass, you can use a squeegee. Find a small one, or cut it to the size of your front glass.
Then drill a hole in the plastic to loop it and attach it to your wrist or camera.
The only con of using a squeegee is you may not get all the spots and the squeegee may come in contact with your face or eyes when waves are barreling over you.
Here’s a cheap one you can attach to a wrist strap.
How to remove water spots from a dome port?
The easiest way to remove water spots from a dome port is to lick the glass dome. Adding saliva can be used as a protective barrier.
The more saliva you have the better protection against water spots.
The only problem is you’ll need to do this often or every time the sun starts to bake your front element.
How to remove water spots from a GoPro?
The simplest way to avoid water spots from a GoPro is to lick the lens or use a water repellant.
If you have the GoPro 10 or 11, these lenses have a hydrophobic lens “water-resistant design”, but this is still prone to failure.
If your camera is sprayed, you’ll have water droplets but a significantly lower amount than previous GoPros. If you dip the camera underwater, you’ll be able to remove most of these droplets.
Summary
Here are a few bullet points to remember before your next adventure.
– Use a squegee and candle wax for flat ports
– Dome ports and GoPros need Saliva or hyperphobic water repellant
– In a pinch use your wetsuit to clean the front element
