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S.U.P.E.R. Part 8: INON Weight Plate

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INON Weight Plate

In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown from Frogfish Photography review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too. 

For the eighth instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at the Inon Weight Plate.

INON Weight Plate

As soon as I saw the INON Weight Plate had been developed I was keen to get my hands on one to try out. It is such a simple idea, but one that has so many potential uses. Basically, it allows you to use a standard diving weight as a base for a strobe, video light or action camera.

weight plateThere are two different versions of the INON Weight Plate; one where you attach the plate using a series of screws, and another that uses a simple Velcro strap. I plan to use the screw version at home in the UK, keeping it permanently attached to a 2 or 3kg weight, and use the Velcro version for overseas trips, where there are fewer parts to go missing, it is lighter, and it can be easily switched as you move locations. The Weight Plate is designed to take various INON adapters so that you can have a ball mounted onto the plate to attached arms, strobes, lights or action video camera.

velcro weight plateSo far, I have used the INON Weight Plate in Capernwray (A UK quarry in the north of England) where I attached my INON Z-240 strobe. This allowed me to easily place a remote strobe anywhere I wanted to, knowing that it would stay firmly in position. I can see us using this system a great deal for remote lighting in wrecks, and can see cave photographers loving this for the same reasons.

I have also used this in the Bahamas and it is an amazing tool for mounting our GoPro. I usually attach the GoPro on my camera, as we focus on still photography, but this led to shaky and sea-sickness inducing clips. On this trip, where we were focusing on shark dives, I simply mounted the GoPro on the INON Weight Plate and left it out in front of me to record the sharks as they passed.

s_remote strobes in wrecks_Remote strobe lighting in Capernwray

This flexible new accessory will also be great for mounting a video light and setting up snoot-style images where you can aim your beam of light on a subject before you take your photo. You can line the beam of light up easily and know that it will stay put, while you get yourself and your camera into position.

Whilst I do not encourage divers to place this onto delicate reef systems, I can see this being hugely popular with wreck divers, cave divers, those going on shark feed dives and for those that love their macro photography in places like Lembeh or the Scottish Lochs, where the INON Weight Plate can be put down safely onto sand or wreck structures without doing any environmental damage.

s_lemon with GoPro on INON Weight Plate

The Weight Plate is easy to use and only takes a moment to set up. In days where every accessory that you desire seems to cost a fortune, this one, at £34.99 is a veritable bargain. It will certainly be a firm feature in our kit bag, both for UK diving and for overseas trips.

For more information about INON products visit www.inonuk.com.

To find out more about Nick and Caroline and Frogfish Photography, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.

Nick and Caroline (Frogfish Photography) are a married couple of conservation driven underwater photo-journalists and authors. Both have honours degrees from Manchester University, in Environmental Biology and Biology respectively, with Nick being a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, a former high school science teacher with a DipEd in Teaching Studies. Caroline has an MSc in Animal Behaviour specializing in Caribbean Ecology. They are multiple award-winning photographers and along with 4 published books, feature regularly in the diving, wildlife and international press They are the Underwater Photography and Deputy Editors at Scubaverse and Dive Travel Adventures. Winners of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Photo-journalist of the Year for a feature on Shark Diving in The Bahamas, and they have been placed in every year they have entered. Nick and Caroline regularly use their free time to visit schools, both in the UK and on their travels, to discuss the important issues of marine conservation, sharks and plastic pollution. They are ambassadors for Sharks4Kids and founders of SeaStraw. They are Dive Ambassadors for The Islands of The Bahamas and are supported by Mares, Paralenz, Nauticam and Olympus. To find out more visit www.frogfishphotography.com

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GEAR REVIEW: JOBY SeaPal Underwater Housing for iPhone and Samsung Galaxy (Watch Video)

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JOBY SeaPal

In a video shot exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman reviews the JOBY SeaPal underwater housing for iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones.

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Four opportunities to go pro in 2024 with Dive Friends Bonaire

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idc

Dive Friends teaches the Instructor Development Course (IDC) several times a year to students who are eager to share their passion for diving with the world.

Dive Friends is known for the personal approach throughout the course. Their in-house course director will lead the students through every essential step, mentoring them to achieve their fullest potential as a dive instructor.

Applications for the following IDC start dates are now open:

  • 12 April
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Partnership with Casita Palma

If the student opts for the IDC-Deluxe or IDC-Supreme package, their accommodation will be arranged for them at Casita Palma. This small and quiet resort is within walking distance from Dive Friends Bonaire’s main dive shop location and has everything you need to relax after an intense day of IDC training. Breakfast is included, so the student will always be fuelled and ready for their day.

Contact Dive Friends Bonaire’s Course Director Eddy for more information: coursedirector@divefriendsbonaire.com.

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