Since 1973, the Sunset House has been our home-away-from-home for field-testing Ikelite equipment. Not only do trips provide an opportunity to "test drive" our new products , they provide opportunities to make new acquaintances like Captain Noel Veroba and his dive group from Orbit Marine Sports Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is always a pleasure to meet someone else who is as enthusiastic about diving as Captain Noel is.

During this most recent trip we spent much of our time enjoying the recently sunk USS Kittiwake. Armed with Ikelite DLSR housings, Compact Video Housings and lighting we left very little of this new artificial reef un-photographed. It is amazing that all of this photo gear is so easy to pack and carry; especially with today's airline weight restrictions. The three of us were able to carry five photo systems complete with lighting and accessories for each and room to spare.

Our new PRO-2800 LED Video Lite and our DS161 Substrobe are powerful lighting products that easily mount to both the SLR and compact systems. These lights provide terrific coverage and intensity that really shows off when swimming through something like the wheelhouse of the Kittiwake, or when squeezing into the ship's re-compression chamber. Then there is the stern of the vessel with that magnificent propeller! Overall, the ship creates an underwater adventure just begging to be captured with your underwater photos and videos.

Side Note: The PRO-2800 light head attaches directly to the top of our newer SLR-DC housing and is a must-have accessory if you're serious about shooting underwater video with your SLR. The PRO-2800 also attaches to the Compact Video Housings to provide the best possible lighting for your underwater high definition video.

In between dives, we took time to charge batteries and photograph Ikelite products utilizing an impromptu sea wall "studio". Unlike our Indiana studio, the real ocean—complete with the sound of real waves washing up on the shore—makes a pretty nice backdrop for product photos.

One of the great things about taking underwater pictures today is that you don't have to be a pro to enjoy underwater photography—taking underwater pictures is just plain fun! And if you want to shoot like a pro, then stop by Sunset House and talk to Cathy Church and her crew where you will receive excellent instruction and insight into the art of underwater photography.

Whenever we pack for Cayman, we know we are off to see old friends, meet new ones and enjoy shooting some of the latest and greatest underwater photo equipment. It is always an adventure, and I urge you to take the plunge.

Special thanks to Pete and all of the crew at Sunset Divers... they really take care of us and we like it!

Thought you may like to see a picture of one of your PCa lights that I found diving last weekend here in New Zealand. I found it in 50 feet of water and it was just one big lump of barnacle and crust. I took it home and cleaned it up. We all agreed it was under the sea for a very long time. It still worked fine with a weak glow from the batteries still inside. This is a picture after a big clean up—works fine. Wished I had taken a pic before I cleaned it up... Good product.

Regards, Bill

Hello Ikelite,

This is not a request, but a super big thank you. We bought our first Ikelite housing several years ago for our brand new Nikon 3100 camera and have been sticking with you and your WONDERFUL service department through 2 other cameras. When we get a new camera, we get another of your housings for it. About 6 or 7 years ago we purchased our first strobe - a DS 50 from you. Took a bunch of learning what with the manual controller, but we we able to get some very fine shots.

Two years ago we bought a Canon G11. We took it and our strobe (now a DS51) to Hawaii and got really nice photos. But we also noted the directional quality of the light from the strobe and had several shots where the arc of the DS 51 was smaller than the photo frame. So after that trip we added a second DS51.

WOW! WOW, WOW, WOW. We are in Bonaire finishing a week of diving and we've gotten the best photos we've ever taken. And the camera is so easy to use - the strobe automation allows Fran to focus (pun intended) on her subjects and forget most of the camera's controls. We are using your recommend AV setting and she is experimenting with different F stops, as you suggested.

Excellent product, wonderful company - we LOVE you. (This from two folks in the mid 60's!)

- Jim and Fran