it's good to be of assistance and I am glad you like the photos - we were blessed with great vis on that particular day...
On the camera/housing combo choice, my 2c are that it depends on the intended use.
If you need a camera only to take photos of your catch or shoot videos for the web, then maybe the smaller Ixus or Coolpix is a better choice. G9 is a high-end more expensive digicam and it's pointless to buy it and not use it to the max.
Besides, even the smaller than Ikelite Canon G9 housing is significantly larger than the housing for the Ixus. I've managed to design and build with a help from a friend a G7 camera stay for my Rob Allen to shoot videos. The drag was terrible, and even though I learned to cope with it, it's a major point. For that purpose a smaller camera/housing combo would be a better choice.
The price is also a factor and you don't want to end up worrying every time whether the camera and the housing are doing alright on the float.
If you want more from your camera though then the advanced digicam is a must. The ability of the G9 to shoot RAW format alone is a major factor. Even though it's not a DSLR type of RAW, it still allows you to tweak the white balance later, which is a must for underwater freedive use.
On the subjective note - after only few dives I found out that I am more interested in taking photos and the gun remained on float. I ended up using it only when I need fish for dinner.
I have only few real memories of a spearfishing season - the ones with catch or rendezvous that deserve to be memorized. With the camera, now I can recall almost every dive and every creature I saw. I also found out that even when exploiting my spearfishing techniques to the max, taking a good shot with the camera is much harder than doing it with a gun, so it's also a great challenge.
I sold my G7 in a rush to pile some cash and move to a DSLR. Now I regret it - I had to keep it and have it on the float when spearfishing.
Cheers!
Ivan