1.   Make sure your O ring is intact

The O ring is what guarantees no water will enter your camera. Check for dryness or cracks — any sign of those, you should replace the O ring immediately (contact manufacture for replacement).

If your camera is an underwater model that needs no waterhousing, the battery and card compartments will have door seals. You’ll need to look closely but you should see fine plastic rings sealing those compartments.

With underwater housings, the O ring extends around the whole housing, so it’s much easier to locate. Good maintenance includes putting tiny amounts of lubricant on the O ring to help prevent it drying.

2.   Make sure all compartments are closed

Before taking your camera into the water, make sure all compartment doors are properly sealed. Visually check for any openings. Even the slightest opening will allow enough water in to seriously damage your equipment.

3. Prevent condensation

Aside from causing fogging, condensation can also damage your equipment.  Only open and close compartment doors in dry places. When storing the camera, use silica gel crystals, if possible. You can also place some silica gel bags inside the waterhousing. This should prevent condensation and fogging.

4.   Respect the maximum depth

Underwater “point ’n’ shoot” cameras are not made to go beyond a maximum depth of 10 metres — less with some models. Refer to your camera’s manual for advice on maximum depth which is another way of saying how much water pressure the camera can handle. Exceeding that depth can not only cause water to leak into the camera, damaging its electronics, it can also cause cracks to the body and LCD screen.

5.   Rinse your equipment

Before opening any compartments or taking your camera out of the waterhousing, soak your equipment in hot water for a few minutes. Salt, sand, and clorine will often obstruct the buttons, making them tough to press. Soaking in hot water will help prevent this.

6.   Dry your equipment

Make sure your equipment is completely dry before opening any compartment. A single drop of water in the battery department can cause electronic problems.

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