As a dive instructor, it’s not unusual to see students arrive for their first open-water session already armed with an underwater camera. Invariably, I must disappoint these would-be photographers; it’s a PADI performance requirement that cameras are left on dry land for the duration of an entry-level course. I agree entirely with this rule, despite empathizing with the new divers’ urge to record every aspect of the underwater world that they are about to discover. In fact, if it were up to me, divers of all certification levels would have to pass a competency test before taking a camera underwater with them, like a driver’s license for underwater photographers. While this is obviously not a realistic desire, I do think that divers must honestly assess their own abilities before attempting underwater photography, both for their own safety and for the health of the marine environment.
Operating a camera underwater is an all-consuming task, particularly for photographers using a DSLR with manual settings rather than a simple point-and-shoot. Because of this, you must be able to master other scuba skills, including controlling buoyancy and checking time, depth and remaining air. Too often, inexperienced divers try to take up photography before they have mastered even the most basic scuba skills, and get into trouble as a result. I have seen divers so absorbed in their new hobby that they forget completely about no-decompression limits and must spend the next day out of the water in accordance with emergency-decompression rules. I have seen divers crash repeatedly into the reef while attempting to compose an image of a beleaguered eel or ray, or drift at a dangerous rate towards the surface while trying to capture a passing mid-water pelagic. Usually, these divers are oblivious to their position in the water column, only realizing their mistake when they sustain a nasty coral graze, or they look away from their subject long enough to see the rest of the dive group far below them. I have even seen inexperienced underwater photographers end up in an out-of-air situation because they have been too busy taking photos to remember to check their air-pressure gauge. Inevitably, dive guides or buddies are called upon to provide assistance in situations like these, which puts them at risk, too.
Those divers who want to pursue underwater photography should put in as many dives as it takes to become completely competent in the water before diving with a camera. Otherwise, the pressure to take good photos and the responsibility for an expensive camera can be huge. When combined with all the other pressures and concerns a beginning diver usually faces, the stress of operating a camera can lead to task loading and anxiety. If you are considering taking up underwater photography, you should be confident that if an emergency situation arises underwater, you will be able to react quickly and effectively even with the reduced mobility that comes from carrying a cumbersome camera. One of the biggest problems with becoming too engrossed in what’s on your screen rather than what’s occurring around you is that separation from the group is almost inevitable. Divers often spend far too long trying to get that perfect shot, and when they look up, find themselves alone. Being lost is dangerous, because you can no longer rely on the buddy system for support should something go wrong. If you are not particularly confident in the water at the best of times, being lost is a stressful situation that could easily lead to panic. And panic, as we all know, is one of the greatest precipitators of diving incidents.
Diving with a camera before you’re ready not only impacts upon your personal safety, but also on the health of the marine environment. The old adage goes “leave nothing but bubbles, take nothing but photos,” and yet, underwater photographers who’ve not yet mastered buoyancy often do considerable damage while taking those photos. A diver’s poor buoyancy compounded by inattention to his surroundings often causes a collision with delicate coral structures, damaging them as a result. Again, if you want to try underwater photography, you owe it not only to yourself but also to the environment to become a competent diver first, however long it may take. Conscientious divers should take honest stock of their own abilities before purchasing and using a camera, remembering that their own safety and that of their dive buddy may be at stake.
Once you have perfected your buoyancy control and feel confidently able to react in an emergency situation, you can capture the wonders of the underwater world to your heart’s content, without negatively impacting the environment, or compromising anyone’s safety.
