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Sea & Sea Underwater Photography · Recalled

CPSC & Sea & Sea Underwater Photography Recall Underwater Strobes

Other hazard

If the strobe becomes flooded, gas build-up can cause the battery cap to forcefully eject off of the strobe or cause the front section of the strobe to violently separate from the back section. Pieces of the strobe can strike the user or others in the vicinity.

Units
About 7,000
Reports
2
Injuries
2
Deaths
—
Price
$500–$800
Remedy
See notice

Reports, injuries, deaths and price are read out of the notice’s wording by rules, so they can miss unusual phrasing. The official notice is the record.

Affected

The recall of underwater camera strobe lights, used as a light source for photography to replace the battery cap, includes all model number YS-50 strobes. It also includes all model number YS-60 and YS-120 strobes with serial numbers beginning with 96 or 94. The serial numbers are written inside the plastic housing. They were sold in yellow, black and orange. Writing on the strobes includes "Sea & Sea" and "Japan."

The file

Sold at
Scuba dive centers and photography stores nationwide sold these strobes, from February 1988 through March 1999, for between $500 and $800.
Product type
Lights & Accessories
Made in
Japan
Recalled by
Sea & Sea Underwater Photography (U.S.A.) Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif.

Incident log

CPSC and Sea & Sea have received two reports of injury resulting from the strobes. The first incident, in the Caribbean, occurred when a repair technician had a tooth chipped as he was removing the battery cap. The second incident, in Japan, caused facial lacerations to a consumer when the strobe unit violently broke apart.

What the notice says to do

Consumers should immediately stop using these strobes. Any strobe suspected of being flooded, which is indicated when the unit either stops working or is corroded, should be returned to an authorized repair center for repair. Sea & Sea is offering a free replacement battery cap with a vent that prevents the gas build up within the strobe.

To locate the nearest authorized repair center or for more information, consumers should call Sea & Sea at (800) 732-7977 9 a.m to 5 p.m. PST Monday through Friday. Consumers also can write to: Sea & Sea Products Underwater Photography (U.S.A.) Inc., 1938 Kellogg Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92008 or email: service@seaandsea.com

Open official CPSC notice ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This site is independent: always confirm on the official notice before acting.

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