Tips for Divers and Snorkellers
1. Take your time getting good shots, but if you're on a dive charter be sure you follow all instructions about arriving back at meeting points on time.
2. Take lots of film; twice the amount you first estimated.
3. Bring a back-up camera system and take your time cleaning and checking camera gear before each dive.
4. Even if you're only snorkelling, it's best to pair with a non-photographic dive or snorkel "buddy", who is prepared to hang back and move at your pace.
5. If you are on a drift dive, it is best to work with one camera system at a time. However, if the water is shallow and there are no currents, take a wide-angle camera and close-up rig together on each dive. This eliminates the need to surface, dry off and change film. It also lets you make decisions while underwater, unless, of course, you have a zoom lens fitted. You may want to take both a still and video camera down at the same time.
6. Remember that you are a long way from a decompression chamber. Don't be tempted into deeper water and take extreme care with depth and bottom-time management.