The hardest skill to master as a SCUBA diver is buoyancy control. That mid-water, floating-in-space, horizontal body position may look effortless, but learning to do it can be tricky and confusing. Buoyancy control is also the most important diving skill; in fact, it is the essence of diving, and a diver without buoyancy control is not really a diver at all. Buoyancy control means that you can place yourself exactly where you want when you’re underwater. You can achieve your intended depth and maintain it. You can ascend and descend calmly and efficiently. You can get close to the reef without touching it- no part of your fins, hands, face, or body ever make contact. Most importantly, you can “hover” in one place. This means that you don’t move significantly forward, backward, up or down. Hovering is the hardest of the buoyancy skills. It’s also critical for an underwater photographer. A photographer needs to hover to check the camera settings, frame a scene, get focus, and wait for the perfect shot. As an underwater photographer, your buoyancy will be tested to the extreme. A diver’s brain and body already have two tasks to manage (exploring the reef and controlling buoyancy); underwater photography adds a third, and the excitement and challenge of taking pictures often steals the spotlight. It’s not uncommon for an underwater photographer to crash into the reef, break coral, get stung by urchins, or float away from the group while focusing on the camera. These mistakes can injure both diver and reef. It’s easy to brush up against a venomous organism like a scorpionfish or hydroid (or worse) when you’re not paying attention. And from the reef’s perspective, a broken branch of coral is a big loss- coral only grows 5 centimeters per year, on average. Plus,
The hardest skill to master as a SCUBA diver is buoyancy control. That mid-water, floating-in-space, horizontal body position may look effortless, but learning to do it can be tricky and confusing. Buoyancy control is also the most important diving skill; in fact, it is the essence of diving, and a diver without buoyancy control is
Not to touch!! You’re probably familiar with those photos posted on FB, of people holding Starfish on some exotic beach, or holding a Sting Ray or Shark like it’s their pet… I personally find that incredibly annoying! I’m sure a lot of you would agree with me. This is not necessarily the fault of the people in the photo, they are just not educated enough. It’s mainly the fault of the people or the organizations which allow it. In my travels around the world I have seen quite a few dive masters and dive instructors feeding, touching or poking marine life to steer them closer to the divers, hoping for better tips. How would you feel if someone penetrated your house with a giant stick through the window and started poking you? I’ve seen quite a lot of snorkeling instructors lifting poor animals, which were minding their own business, only to get a few screams of excitement from a couple of girls in bikinis. There are better ways to hit on girls!! This is the source of the problem… So what would happen if you pet turtles, Sting Rays and other marine life? Getting bitten, burnt or stung are some of the dangers. Frankly, I don’t blame them. If a stranger would pick me up and start stroking me, I would bite him without hesitation. You will also expose these beautiful animals to diseases and infections. You see, many marine life have different types of slime on their skin (AKA Bio-Films), protecting them from various infections. Once a human lays hand on them, that protective film is compromised. Each animal also has defense mechanisms, to protect them in case of attacks. Those defense mechanisms are often dangerous to humans, if not deadly. Curiosity killed the cat as they say. A
Not to touch!! You’re probably familiar with those photos posted on FB, of people holding Starfish on some exotic beach, or holding a Sting Ray or Shark like it’s their pet… I personally find that incredibly annoying! I’m sure a lot of you would agree with me. This is not necessarily the fault of the
Shooting people UW is pure art. Benjamin Von Wong takes it to the next level. His latest work took place in Fiji, the South Pacific island nation. It involved a model acting as a "shark shepherd", with a beautiful white dress and sharks swimming around her in a magical UW cave. To create the perfect conditions for the shoot, Von Wong and his team had to do every thing in a two hour window (11am-1am) during the exact time when the sun rays enter the water in a perfect angle and the shark are most active. The amazing model Amber Bourke - a champion freediver, had to stay as still as possible so that the sharks will get close to her, you can see the surreal result yourself. This project supports a great cause. Von Wong wants to raise awareness for the threat of extinction Sharks are facing. His goal is to create a no-kill policy for Sharks and to start a new dawn for these beautiful creatures. If you find these shots magical and you wish to know how to take breathtaking photos of people underwater youself, you are welcome to join us on an UW fashion photography workshop with Zena Holloway.
Shooting people UW is pure art. Benjamin Von Wong takes it to the next level. His latest work took place in Fiji, the South Pacific island nation. It involved a model acting as a “shark shepherd”, with a beautiful white dress and sharks swimming around her in a magical UW cave. To create the perfect
When you go to dive centers around the world, you will usually encounter a dive master who is 100% certain that he knows exactly how much weights you really need. In many cases, he will be wrong! Don’t let him decide for you. He is likely to give you a default answer which might be wrong and misleading. Be responsible for yourself and put some thought into your lead! To determine the amount of weights you need, to dive safely and comfortably underwater, you need a deep understanding of the subject. One thing is certain – Proper weights make you a better diver! Let’s go over some of the misconceptions which are well spread around the world. Take 10% of your body weight in lead A common rule of thumb, adhered by many divers, claims that a diver must carry weights equivalent to 10% of his body weight. While that does give you a certain range of the amount of weights you need, it does not take many important factors into account. Factors such as muscle, fat, height, gear and exposure suit are crucial when choosing weights and should be taken into account. For example, muscles sink and fat floats. A muscular man weighing 180lbs would probably need much less than 18 pounds of weight (even with a long 5mm), whereas a short stalky fellow weighing 180lbs might actually need more than 18lbs. This rule has actually led to many over weighted divers. Don’t be overweight! Most beginner divers, and even some of the more experienced I know, dive with too much weight, either consciously or without knowing. Very bad practice! There is a common belief among new divers that it’s better to sink fast than to have a hard time going under. News flash! When using proper weights, it
When you go to dive centers around the world, you will usually encounter a dive master who is 100% certain that he knows exactly how much weights you really need. In many cases, he will be wrong! Don’t let him decide for you. He is likely to give you a default answer which might be
