Leaked saltwater
So, I have a Hero 12 Black and I’ve had it for about four years now.
It has worked flawlessly the entire time. I’ve used it for skiing, snorkeling, and scuba diving (with a dive housing, of course).
I’m currently in Cyprus on holiday with my family, and I always bring my GoPro to document the area, as well as my snorkeling and scuba diving adventures.
Unfortunately, this trip has been nothing but bad luck.
I did two dives with the GoPro and got some really great footage. Back at the hotel, I transferred my favorite clip to my phone using the Quik app.
I was really happy and looking forward to my next dives the following day.
The next day, when I turned on the GoPro underwater, I got an “SD card error” message. I tried a few times, but nothing worked. Because of that, I missed the chance to photograph a rare nudibranch we found. That was a real disappointment.
Back at the hotel, I removed and reinserted both the SD card and the battery several times, but still no luck. I ended up buying a cheap SD card from a local shop, and that one worked perfectly for my final dive the next day.
Later that day, I went snorkeling without the camera. Within minutes, I spotted a sea turtle and immediately regretted not bringing the GoPro. I went back to the hotel, grabbed it, and snorkeled for about five minutes. This time I didn’t use the dive housing, since I was only snorkeling.
When I got back to the hotel room, I was about to charge the camera. As soon as I opened the battery door, a few drops of seawater came out from inside the camera.
I turned it off immediately (it displayed a warning about water being detected inside the camera) and inspected the battery compartment. There was green corrosion inside the camera and on the battery contacts.
I carefully rinsed both the camera and the battery compartment with fresh water, but the green corrosion was still visible.
I let everything dry for 48 hours before trying it again. The camera now powers on, but it has “ghost clicks” (random button presses), and it occasionally shows a “No Battery” icon even though the battery is installed.
Do you think the camera can be saved, or is it time to throw it away?
I’m also worried about my original SD card (the good one). Could it have been damaged somehow, or have I potentially lost any data?
I honestly don’t understand how this could have happened. I’m always very careful to make sure the battery door is properly closed before going into the water.
Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas?