Each month we feature a selection of your letters
ChatSend your letters to simon @ scubamagazine. co. uk to see if Phil slips on a patch of seaweed. Nothing staged. No“ hold still, mate.” Just two divers breaking the surface with a story already written across their faces.
You can see the teamwork. The friendship, the humour, and that shared sense of“ We must be mad to be doing this in the cold.” Most of the joy of diving is right there, heads bobbing, hearts racing and the adventure still fresh.
I’ ve got pictures of turtles, wrecks and big things with teeth. They look great online, but the memories that stick are moments like this one. Phil squinting through icy droplets. Dave emerging like the most patient parent on a school trip. The kind of dives we talk about afterwards over a well-earned pint.
The best bit is you don’ t need a pro setup to catch these moments.
Most of us have a perfectly good phone camera tucked away in a dry pocket. Modern phones capture the chaos beautifully with burst mode for the splash, water resistance for the reality, and no fuss when the moment won’ t wait.
Real world diver photography
I’ VE SPENT YEARS CHASING THE SOcalled‘ proper’ dive photos. The ones everyone claims they snapped effortlessly, while wrestling buoyancy and a startled parrotfish. Half the time the water is green, the subject has swum off, and later someone
22 squints at the screen and asks,‘ Is that a rock?’
Then there’ s this photo. My friend Phil is in front, looking knackered, freezing and thrilled, all at once. His expression says:“ Nope, definitely not cold at all.” Behind him is Dave, calm as usual, probably waiting
Overly affectionate?
A few simple tricks:
■ Shoot low at the waterline. It pulls the viewer right into the scene.
■ Capture movement. Splashes tell the real story
■ Keep it real. Divers are at their best when they forget the camera is there.
■ Include your buddy. Diving is never a solo adventure.
■ Embrace imperfections. Tilted frames and water droplets are the truth of the sport.
Diving isn’ t just about coral and turtles and wrecks. It’ s about how it makes us feel. Moments that stay with us long after our hair dries.
That’ s why I keep a phone ready before and after a dive. No fancy rig. No faff. Just point, shoot, and capture the moment. Diving gives us many things that never make it into magazines: adrenaline, laughter, wobbly exits, and the relief of seeing your mate appear right behind you. Maybe it’ s not National Geographic, but it’ s us, and that’ s the point. JAMES KEIGHTLEY
THE ARTICLE BY HARVEY NIX CASUALLY MENTIONS“ AN AFFECTIONATE NIBBLE through the drysuit”. I would like to point out that a bite by a seal can have very serious consequences. The mouths of most seals in UK waters carry a bacterium called Mycoplasma phocacerebrale which is normal, but can cause a serious bacterial infection in humans called‘ seal finger’. Mycoplasma phocacerebrale cannot be treated with the usual antibiotics, and any bite necessitates a rush visit to A & E, as untreated bites can lead to amputation and disabilities. So, while diving with seals is fantastic fun( and I’ ve done it), a healthy amount of caution is also required. JACOB‘ JIM’ FIERET, Swindon SAC and Basingstoke SAC