Using a camera underwater without compromising the dive

The camera should add to the experience, not be the axis around which the whole dive turns.

The photographer-diver’s mistake

Many divers new to photography forget to monitor their air, their buddy, and their position because they become absorbed in the photo.

The diver-first rule

Master diving before photography. Anyone who cannot balance well should not carry a camera while diving.

Priority order underwater

First your safety and your buddy’s safety. Second, enjoying the environment. Third, photography if it does not distract.

Training to combine them

• Dedicate some dives to photography only and some to enjoyment only at the start
• Progress toward combining them after months of separate practice
• Know when to put the camera aside and enjoy the scene with your naked eyes

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The most beautiful scene in your life may be the one in which you left the camera and settled for your eyes.