Recommended boroscope for hull and drive inspection?

[jsc7]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good boroscope for hull and drive inspection?

Basically I am hoping to find a boroscope with sort of a frame or articulated arm so that I can easily send it down under the boat and get a good look at any part of the hull or the props.

My boat has a 30" draft to the bottom of the drive and as much as a 5 foot freeboard near the bow. The freeboard at the stern is about 3 feet.

[Pete7]

Is the water too cold during the summer for a wetsuit and fins?

Pete

[jsc7]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Is the water too cold during the summer for a wetsuit and fins?

Pete

I would rather not be getting into the water unless I have to, especially near a dock which in my case has large shore power installations and a restaurant, street lights, etc.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by jsc7

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good boroscope for hull and drive inspection?

I have had good results with a Chinese clone of a Gopro camera. . For about $60 it came with a bunch of accessories, including a waterproof case that was allegedly good to 30 m. I'm doubting that, but I did test the case by itself before risking the camera. (of course an actual official GoPro camera is the best, but around $400 with all the accessories)

To inspect my keel and hull, I attached the camera (in its case) to a boathook, started video record, and then just carefully manoevered the camera around. It took a couple of tries to come up with the right path, but the camera is so wide-angle (170 degrees) that it's not too fussy, and you get useful imagery even if you come in close. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon on a mostly sunny day is more than enough light to see detail on the hull and keel.

Some of the cameras transmit a live video image to a tablet via wifi but I found that the wifi didn't penetrate when the camera was submerged.

[mvmojo]

A boroscope won't do it... they're designed to get into small spaces. They have a very limited field of view and are focused for very close up inspection. You need an underwater video camera that you can attach to a boat hook and use with a remote monitor (or one that will plug into a cell phone, tabled or laptop). Most will need a separate waterproof housing because the controls, micro-SD card slot, etc., aren't rated for anything other than "splash proof". A little Google searching should yield lots of results.

[sailormed]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Some of the cameras transmit a live video image to a tablet via wifi but I found that the wifi didn't penetrate when the camera was submerged.

You can overcome this by attaching an approprite coax cable to the underwater camera and have the other end of the coax above water close to the receiver. I did a .oogle search for this issue and found plenty of information.

[Falbala60]

Thank you SailorMed ...
I was also thinking that a underwater camera would be nice to inspect hull and even anchor I found this... but for the anchor the distance would be too much. A submersible drone ? Ha Ha

GoPro Underwater Wi-Fi cable setup

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by sailormed

You can overcome this by attaching an approprite coax cable to the underwater camera and have the other end of the coax above water close to the receiver. I did a .oogle search for this issue and found plenty of information.

[edit] Ahhhh...
I didn't get it til I saw Falbala's link. Cool!

[GregW1309]

I'm looking at this one on Amazon, has good reviews, should work both in the hull and in the water, up to 2 feet.

Depstech 1200P Semi-rigid Wireless Endoscope, 2.0 MP HD WiFi Borescope Inspection Camera,16 inch Focal Distance & 1800mAh Battery Snake Camera for Android & IOS Smartphone Tablet - Black 33FT

[roland stockham]

Second vote for the underwater camera, I have used this successfully. Best way to do it is with a pole clamp attaching the camera to the boat hook. If necessary add either weights or buoyancy so that is neutral. Don't know if it is available but what would make it more useful would be a bluetooth link so you can see the view while recording.
Another option that I have not tried and think would be more expensive is to use a commercial camera designed for inspecting drains. May be available at a tool hire shop depending on where you are.
I definitely agree that you are sensible not to dive in a busy dock both because of electric shock potential and water pollution.

[Falbala60]

I have no merit ... I just took the exact "phrase" of Sailormed...

"coax cable to the underwater camera"

and made a search with DuckDuckGo ... not Google I never use.

[Scaramanga F25]

Nothing like a haul-out for a real inspection. Visual does not reveal the required information.

[Mike Banks]

I bought an el-cheapo submersible video camera for sixty bucks and an extra fifteen for a 16 gig card. Mounted it on a pole, and from the dinghy I can have a good shufti at anything I like and view it in the cabin later.

Not only that--I can use it as a spray proof camera for wandering about ashore. It can also be used as a vehicle camera when driving.

[Symphony]

my Depstech boroscope is a fantastic device for getting into small or deep places, but it wouldn't be good for looking thru-hulls or running rig from under the boat.

cameras on a stick, as suggested above, is the thing to use. with a video light if you can.

[leftbrainstuff]

The cheapest you can find on Amazon.

Why not try a gopro?