Beneficial to have a camera pointed at the props?

[rustybucket]

We are beginning the install of a pile of underwater lights and 1 camera in the next week or so. One of my buddies made the comment that I should put a camera pointed at each prop. While that sounds like a great idea, to be able to check out the props for debris, lines...etc sounds like a great idea, but just sorting through the logistics of it kinda have me scratching my head a little....

The cameras will be mounted in a thru-hull fitting, 2.5" to be exact. The lenses on the fittings are 3/8" thick high strength acrylic. Looking at them I could probably beat the crap outta them with a hammer and they wouldn't break. They seem overbuilt for the use.

Also, the thru-hull fittings have threaded end-caps, so even if the lens did break/let go it would not be a hull breach.

Ok, so given all this, I had already planned on placing two underwater lights facing down, outboard of the props. They are wide angle lights so they would definitely shine light onto the props.

So if I wanted to add cameras on the props where would you put them? It seems like the only way a thru-hull fitting would be looking at the prop would be if it were directly over the prop, slightly inboard. Not sure why, but that doesn't sit very well in the pit of my stomach.

Anybody here ever have experience with putting cams looking at their props? What am I missing here? Seems like a very handy thing to have, just not sure of the logistics of it.

Any thoughts?

[Fish Tales]

I have a camera system on my 65c. I do have two underwater cameras. One shoots down between the trim tabs, I can see the bottom in clear water. The other shoots out the stern, I can see the dock in clear water. As soon as the boat starts to move, the turbulence makes them useless except at night with the underwater lights on. Then it is a lightening show.

Looking at props could be fun until in gear.

Tim
Fishtales
65c

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Sometimes what's in the dryer is better than what's on the tube. I'm thinking this might be the case here.

[rustybucket]

The main reason for this for us is that we OFTEN pickup debris. We are probably going to add line cutters at some point. We spend a lot of time traveling at night, we spend of lot of time alongside weedlines and floatsam, often crossing of the middle of it.

It is rare that we don't come back with a little something on the props.

Some alternatives are rigging a go-pro on a stick to take a peek at them, but who has time for that offhsore. Sooooo many times we've been faced with the question, do we need to dive under and cut it all out or can we just run with it? Would be so much easier to answer that question if we could easily put eyes on it.

I understand that running or even a fast troll the turbulance would make the cams unusable, but in neutral or drifting at night with the lights on might be pretty badass.

[Cricket]

Sometimes less is more.....
I took out our 2 huge underwater lights that went thru the bottom, always worried me.

Stick a GoPro on a long stick over the side to look at the prop, no worries that way.

[SEVEN]

I love the idea but you’d have to Dive and clean the lens every few weeks or so to get a clear picture. So if you’re diving that often you could be checking for debris. I do however like the idea.

[rustybucket]

I love the idea but you’d have to Dive and clean the lens every few weeks or so to get a clear picture. So if you’re diving that often you could be checking for debris. I do however like the idea.

We normally dive the bottom and inspect the gear before every trip. We usually wipe all the underwater lights off at that time. So it would be no problem to wipe the cam lenses then.

The debris we have issue with is picking up something while 100+ miles offshore. There is always the decision to be made dive/clear it vs just ride it out. Sometimes you don't have a choice.

[Pascal]

The fewer holes the better I feel . I have used a GoPro on a boat hook to check the wheels, it s ok in calm waters and with decent light.

We run in debris free water so I rarely pick stuff up but the few times I did the decision to go under was based on the vibration at the rpm I needed to run at. Looking at the wheels isn’t critical. If there is little vibration I may not take the risk to go clear it until we re in sheltered water. If the vibration is bad then it s got to be cleared. Looking at an image doesn’t matter much

[Boatsb]

Lumishore has cameras that fit in the light modules.

I have 8 on the 92 footer I run. The 2 out the transom are great when the girls go skinny dipping

[rustybucket]

Sometimes less is more.....
I took out our 2 huge underwater lights that went thru the bottom, always worried me.

Wish that were an option, but in the Gulf around the rigs you gotta be bright if you wanna catch bait sometimes.