Sounds like you've had the same problem we have in looking for a boat camera. While I am only an amateur, and have no interest in producing, I am looking for some waterproof equipment for footage to convince my friends that I'm not as sane as they may think. There are waterproof bullet cameras out there, but the recording equipment isn't waterproof, so unless the recorder is in a waterproof bag inside a hull or something, it's toast.

The Sony Viewman (or whatever) seems the most compact recorder that can be used with those waterproof bullet cams. Perhaps this has potential, or was that the setup that was destroyed on Cat Fever? Also, should you be looking to test any equipment, contact team Fully Involved, as Les has managed to break parts on boats that no one has ever managed to break. If it survives his test, it can survive anything!