Underwater · 1 model
Underwater: inspection without a diver
The underwater unit is the odd one in the range: it is not watching a space, it is inspecting a surface. Mounted on a hull, a thruster tunnel or a rudder stock, it turns a dive into a look at a screen — on a schedule rather than on a budget.
What it is specified for
IP68, 2, 4 or 6 MP, a 2.8 or 4 mm lens, and under 3 kg. The wide lens and the close mounting distance are deliberate: the camera sits near the surface it inspects, and a narrow lens at that distance shows a patch of paint rather than a component.
It shares the Ex d IIC T6 Gb / Ex tD A21 marking with the rest of the range, which matters where the mounting position is inside a classified space such as a pump room or a cofferdam adjacent to cargo.
Where it pays for itself
Thruster tunnels and propeller areas are the classic case: a fouled or damaged prop shows up as vibration and fuel burn long before it shows up in a survey. A fixed underwater camera checked weekly turns that into a trend instead of a surprise.
Hull-mounted units along the waterline are the other case — inspecting for coating breakdown after a grounding or a heavy weather passage without waiting for the next dry dock.
The honest limits
Visibility is the constraint, not the camera. In harbour water the range is metres; in a silty estuary it can be centimetres. A unit that works in a clear-water trial can be useless alongside a dredger, so the specification has to be matched to the water the vessel actually works in.
And it is an inspection tool, not a navigation aid: the lens is wide and the IR reach is not the point. Where the requirement is "see what is happening under the hull at night in bad visibility", that is a different class of equipment.
The models on this page
| Model | Marking | IP | Resolution | Lens | IR | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underwater Camera | Ex d IIC T6 Gb/Ex tD A21 IP68 T80°C | IP68 | 2 MP / 4 MP / 6 MP | 2.8 / 4 mm | — | < 3 kg |
Transcribed from the the 2026 manufacturer catalogue. The full 17-model data sheet is on the hazardous-area camera page.
Specify it against these four points
- 2 / 4 / 6 MP with a 2.8 or 4 mm wide lens for close-range inspection
- IP68 under 3 kg — the mounting has to be designed into the hull, not added
- Match it to the water clarity where the vessel actually works
- Same hazardous-area marking as the deck cameras
Buyer questions
Underwater cameras
Does it replace a diver inspection?+−
It replaces the routine look, not the repair. A camera tells you something has changed; a diver or a dry dock still does the work.
Can it be retrofitted to an existing hull?+−
That is a hull-penetration question with a class implication, so it belongs in a dry dock with the naval architect. The camera itself is under 3 kg and IP68; the work is the mounting and the cable transit.
What resolution do I need?+−
The catalogue offers 2, 4 and 6 MP. For a thruster tunnel the extra pixels help at the far end of the frame; for a waterline patch, 2 MP is enough.
Will it work in harbour water?+−
Visibly, only as far as the water allows. Design for a few metres in clean water and expect much less in silt — that is a water problem, not a camera problem.