SDI Underwater Photographer
Specialty Course · Bring the Dive Home · For Certified Divers
Come up with photos that look like the dive felt. The SDI Underwater Photographer course teaches you how light and color behave at depth, how to compose a shot, how to avoid backscatter, and how to shoot responsibly with no contact with marine life. And you don't need to own a camera to start, the shop has an Olympus TG-7 and Insta360 for you to use during the course. It counts as a specialty toward your Advanced Diver rating. You'll need your own mask, fins, boots, and snorkel, and the camera plus the rest of the rental gear are included.
Veterans can put their GI Bill toward their training, and families can use ESA or ClassWallet funds. See if you qualify.
Availability: Contact us for booking information
SDI Underwater Photographer Course
Everyone comes up from a great dive wanting to show someone what they saw. The SDI Underwater Photographer course teaches you to actually capture it: how light behaves as you go deeper, how to compose a shot, how to work a camera underwater, and how to come home with images that look like the dive felt. It's a conservation-minded course from the first minute, built on getting the shot without ever touching the reef. And you don't need to own a camera to take it. It counts as one specialty toward your SDI Advanced Diver rating.
What you'll be able to capture
By the end, your photos start to match what you actually saw down there:
- True colors at depth instead of everything washing out blue and green
- Sharp, well-composed subjects instead of blurry near-misses
- Clean water in the frame instead of backscatter and floating specks
- Images worth printing, sharing, and remembering the dive by
What you'll learn
The knowledge side is where good underwater photos actually start.
- How light behaves and color fades at different depths
- Working with available light, and when to add a strobe
- Composition, framing, and getting close to your subject
- Avoiding backscatter, plus camera care and image review
In-water skills you'll practice
You'll shoot on real dives while keeping your diving sharp and your buoyancy steady.
- Entering and diving with camera equipment under control
- Photographing subjects while staying aware of your surroundings
- Holding position and buoyancy with no contact with marine life
- Safe ascents with a safety stop, then a post-dive image debrief
No camera? No problem.
You don't need to buy anything to start shooting. Dive Arizona has cameras available for students to use during the course, so you can learn the skills first and decide on your own gear later.
- Olympus TG-7 — a rugged, beginner-friendly underwater camera
- Insta360 — for wide, immersive underwater capture
- Bring your own camera or housing if you have one, and we'll build the course around it
Who can enroll
Open to certified Open Water divers who want to bring the dive home.
- Certified SDI Open Water divers, or equivalent
- Minimum age 18, or 10 with parental consent (divers 10–14 dive with a parent, guardian, or pro)
- Anyone who wants comfortable buoyancy and a camera in the same dive
✓ What's included
- Instruction and your open water photography dives
- Use of a shop camera (Olympus TG-7 or Insta360) for the course
- Rental gear: BCD, regulator, computer, tank, weights, and wetsuit
- Your SDI Underwater Photographer certification, plus a credit toward your Advanced Diver rating
What to bring
- Your own mask, fins, boots, and snorkel (required, we don't rent these)
- Your Open Water certification card
- Your own camera or housing if you'd rather use it
- A swimsuit and a towel
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to own an underwater camera?
Do I need to own an underwater camera?
Why do my underwater photos look so blue?
Why do my underwater photos look so blue?
What is backscatter and how do I avoid it?
What is backscatter and how do I avoid it?
What are the prerequisites?
What are the prerequisites?
Is this hard on the reef or marine life?
Is this hard on the reef or marine life?
What gear do I need to own?
What gear do I need to own?
Does it count toward anything bigger?
Does it count toward anything bigger?
Let's. Go. Diving.
Come up with photos that look like the dive felt. Call the shop and we'll get you scheduled.
📞 Call the shop (480) 881-4013A specialty course that counts toward the SDI Advanced Diver rating. Prerequisite: an SDI Open Water certification (or equivalent). Cameras are available for student use during the course.
By booking, you agree to our Terms & Conditions.
