Blackwater for Beginners

Phil Rudin · Issue 110, Sep/Oct 2019 · pp. 50–55

Products mentioned: Sony A7R III, Sony 90mm F/2.8 macro lens, Nauticam NA-A7R III Housing, Inon Z-330 strobes, RGBlue video light, S-Turtle Smart, Olympus EM1 MkII, Olympus 30mm f/3.5 macro lens, Nauticam NA-EN1 II Housing, Inon Z-240 strobes, WeeFine ring light

With over 6000 dives to date I would be considered a very advanced diver but when it comes to blackwater diving I am still a novice. For those not yet baptized into the world of blackwater diving these are a few things you need to know both as a diver and photographer. First let me warn you that blackwater diving can become very addictive, sometimes to the point of abandoning all other areas of diving. I have several friends that are making blackwater dives several times a week in my area of south-east Florida and plan their international dive trips around blackwater diving. During the past three or four years blackwater diving has become an international pursuit for many divers and underwater photographers. Fuelled by an explosion of quality images that are circulating the internet on sites like Facebook, Instagram and in underwater specific photo competitions. Dive resorts around the w…