Traveling Abroad with Gear

Chances are you don’t live in a tropical paradise that offers full-time access to amazing diving opportunities, but don’t let that deter you from traveling to such places. I personally don’t live anywhere near half the places I've dreamt of diving so I pack up my gear and go to them.

Living in Piedmont North Carolina has its perks but when it comes to scuba diving there is slim pickings. Unless you enjoy zero visibility diving in muddy lakes then where I live is perfect but otherwise you’ll need to get in a car, train or plane and hightail it elsewhere for that great dive vacation.

In five years of diving I've only dove outside of the United States twice, only transporting gear once. The notion of leaving thousands of dollars of scuba gear in the faithful hands of the airport can seem a bit daunting which is why many people choose to rent gear when traveling abroad. In the case where I dove in Costa Rica I decided it would be best to rent equipment rather than dealing with the hassle of transporting gear. Even though I chose not to bring along all of my gear I did bring the necessities, my mask, snorkel, boots and dive camera.

If you feel comfortable enough to bring all of your gear then there are a few recommendations I have. Obviously, don’t carry on a dive knife or anything that may be deemed as a weapon (spear-gun). I’m sure you can get it cleared but with the cost of specialized equipment I wouldn't want to risk having it confiscated. There is no need to transport your own weights or tank. It just adds extra pounds that you will have to pay for.

What I have determined from traveling by plane is that it is best to bring the bare necessities. Personalized equipment such as a mask and boots are invaluable because when scuba diving you want to be comfortable. If you need to bring along the other stuff then just consider what is worth packing, it may just save you a pretty penny.  

Tips and Tricks to get those Perfect Shots

Underwater photography is a beast in itself. Along with the focus of getting the perfect shot you still have to be aware of your surroundings. Keeping an eye on depth gauges, computers, equipment are just a few of the worries that go along with lugging camera gear beneath the water’s surface.

 Luckily I had the privilege of studying under Tim Grollimund. Tim taught me the majority of what I know about using a camera and how to get those sought after shots that you've seen of scuba divers. However, this post isn't intended to teach you everything you need to know about taking photos. I just intend to tell some key points that proved beneficial when I went through a course on underwater photography.

Similar to taking photos in general it is best to be as close as possible to your subject matter. However, this is not always the easiest when trying to take an image of an animal.

Patience, patience, patience. Like anything, if you chase after it (animal) chances are it is not going to stick around. So, whenever possible it is best to let the subject (animal) of your photo come to you. Chances are the majority of your shots have the fish however it has turned around and is swimming away from you. This ties into the issue of having patience but it was also something I had to understand if I wanted to become a good photographer. Nobody wants to look at the tail end of a fish. The best photos are never the ones of the fish swimming away. So, whenever possible it is ideal to try and take shots of the side or the front of a fish.

Another hint that I learned from Tim’s course was to try to get below what you are trying to take a photo of. If that is not possible then try shooting on the same level but avoid taking a photo looking down on something. How I see it is that anybody can look down and see the fish swimming around but it is more unique to have those photos looking directly at the animals/plants.

While you should focus on getting good photos you should never become careless. When trying to get close-ups avoid accidentally brushing up against sensitive organisms such as coral. This can be prevented by constantly reading depth gauges and monitoring you breathing. Remember, the most important aspect of scuba diving is to remain safe so don't get too consumed in trying to get the perfect shot.