Underwater PU Video and Data Cable for monitoring and recording of dives — commercial diving video hybrid cable combining 75-ohm coaxial video, power conductors, and data/Ethernet cores in one PU-jacketed umbilical. For surface-supply diver camera systems, LED work light power, and diver monitoring stations. Flexible PUR jacket, tinned copper, rated for continuous subsea use.
This Underwater PU Video and Data Cable for monitoring and recording of dives is a purpose-engineered composite cable for commercial surface-supply diving operations that integrates every electrical medium required for a modern diver video system into a single, manageably sized umbilical. The cable eliminates the need for separate video, power, and communication runs alongside the diver's gas supply hose — reducing total umbilical bundle diameter, topside handling complexity, and the risk of differential tether twist between separately routed cable elements.
The coaxial video element transmits real-time HD helmet camera footage from the diver to the surface monitoring station, enabling diving supervisors to see exactly what the diver sees — a requirement on every commercial diving project for safety supervision, inspection documentation, and quality assurance. The integrated power conductors supply the diver's LED work lights, helmet-mounted camera, and any powered tools or instruments. The signal/data pairs carry diver communications, depth sensor data, and gas monitoring telemetry back to the surface control panel.
| Parameter | Standard Video Hybrid | HD Ethernet Video Hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Video Element | 75-Ohm coax, mini or RG59 | 75-Ohm RG59 coax (HD-SDI) |
| Video Standard | CCTV / SDTV 270 Mbps | HD-SDI 1.485 Gbps |
| Power Conductors | 2–4 × 18–14 AWG, 300V | 2–4 × 14 AWG, 300V |
| Signal / Data Pairs | 1–3 × STP 22–24 AWG | Cat5e 4-pair + 1–2 × STP |
| Conductor Material | Tinned stranded copper | Tinned stranded copper |
| Insulation | PVC 300V / XLPE | XLPE 300V |
| Outer Jacket | Polyurethane (PU/PUR) | Polyurethane (PU/PUR) |
| Jacket Colour | Black or yellow | Black or yellow |
| Temp. Range | -25°C to +80°C | -25°C to +80°C |
| OD Range | 10–18 mm | 14–22 mm |
| Depth Rating | 50 m (standard) / 300 m (reinforced) | 50 m / 300 m |
| Shield | Al/mylar + 95% TC braid (coax); Al/mylar per signal pair | Same + overall TC braid option |
HD-SDI video transmitted over the 75-ohm coaxial element requires consistent impedance throughout the cable length — any deviation from 75 ohms causes reflections that manifest as sparkle noise, tearing, and sync failures in the surface monitor image. Our precision coaxial construction maintains impedance within ±1.5 ohms over the full cable length, ensuring clean, artefact-free HD video at any operating depth and cable length within rated specification.
Running power conductors (carrying LED driver switching current at 10–50 kHz) alongside unshielded signal pairs generates conducted EMI in the signal cables — causing buzzing in audio communications and data errors in depth sensor telemetry. Our aluminium/mylar shield with tinned copper drain wire on each signal pair provides greater than 40 dB common-mode rejection at signal frequencies, ensuring clean audio and error-free data even when the LED power conductors are at maximum current.
Diving umbilicals are subject to severe mechanical abuse that rapidly destroys PVC-jacketed cables — deck edge chafing against steel coamings, wave-wash abrasion at the water surface, kinking during diver entry and exit, and crushing under equipment weights on deck. Polyurethane (PUR) jacket has 5–10× the abrasion resistance of PVC and maintains its flexibility and abrasion resistance throughout the typical 5–7 year service life of a commercial diving umbilical, where a PVC-jacketed equivalent would need jacket repair within 12–18 months of regular use.
Running separate video, power, and communication cables alongside the diver's gas supply hose creates a bundle that is difficult to manage, prone to entanglement, and generates significant hydrodynamic drag on the diver at depth. A single composite cable containing all electrical functions reduces the diver's umbilical to one manageable element — reducing drag, tangle risk, and diver fatigue on long bottom times.
| Configuration | Video | Power | Signal/Data | OD (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic video + power | 1× 75Ω coax | 2×18AWG 300V | None | 10–12 |
| Video + power + signal | 1× 75Ω coax | 2×16AWG 300V | 1×2 STP 24AWG | 12–15 |
| Video + power + 2 signal | 1× 75Ω coax | 2–4×14AWG 300V | 2×2 STP 22AWG | 14–18 |
| HD + Ethernet + power | 1× RG59 75Ω | 4×14AWG 300V | Cat5e 4-pair | 18–22 |
| Full monitoring hybrid | 1× RG59 75Ω | 4×14AWG 300V | Cat5e + 2×STP | 20–24 |
| Armoured version | 1× RG59 75Ω | 4×12AWG 300V | Cat5e + 2×STP | 26–32 |
Store video umbilicals on a dedicated drum with a minimum barrel diameter of 15× cable OD to prevent permanent coaxial core deformation from tight spooling. The coaxial foam dielectric is the most sensitive element — do not allow the umbilical to be stored kinked or under side-load pressure at any point along its length. Use a level-wind mechanism to ensure even layer distribution; uneven spooling creates cross-layer pressure that deforms the coax geometry and shifts impedance locally.
Before each diving operation, connect the full umbilical length between topside video processor and a test camera and verify: (1) video signal is present and free of noise artefacts at the surface monitor; (2) LED work light illuminates at correct brightness; (3) audio communication is clear in both directions; (4) depth sensor data is updating correctly on the surface panel. Any fault identified at surface must be resolved before the diver enters the water — troubleshooting an electrical fault with a diver in the water wastes bottom time and compromises safety.
After each diving shift, flush the umbilical and all connector fittings with fresh water — salt crystal deposits at connector seals accelerate corrosion and eventually wick seawater past O-ring faces. Hang the umbilical vertically for complete drainage. Inspect the jacket at known abrasion points (entry/exit sheave, deck edge, water surface zone) for cuts or chafe. Apply PU jacket repair compound to any jacket breach before the next shift — even small jacket punctures allow seawater to track along the core and reach conductor terminations.
Specify video standard (CCTV/HD-SDI), power core AWG and count, signal pair protocol and count, jacket colour, and total length — we supply the exact composite video cable for your commercial diving operation.
75-Ohm HD coax | LED power | Data/Ethernet | PUR jacket | Custom lengths to 500 m
