Monterey Shootout

Phil Rudin · Issue 111, Nov/Dec 2019 · pp. 32–33

Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo again hosted the largest annual gathering of underwater photographers in the USA. The Monterey Shootout is a four-day weekend of diving, educational seminars, celebration, and a chance to win over $40,000 in prizes even with the simplest of underwater cameras. This year, 172 participants brought their friends and families to share the fun and see what amazing images can be made in a tight 36-hour window of contest diving and a full four days of fun. We were blessed with pancake flat Monterey Bay and again the Breakwater produced the most award winning videos and photos. For 30+ years divers have gathered to this event in Monterey to photograph invasions of jellies and kelp inhabitants, but this year went to the birds with diving cormorants stealing the spotlight. Frisky sea lions were everywhere and the classic fringeheads and nudibranchs continued to…