Sfruttare la risacca e trasformare una difficoltà in belle riprese

Harnessing the surge: turning a challenge into great footage

At the end of a recent dive at Elphinstone Reef, in southern Egypt, we encountered a strong surge hitting the reef flat at a depth of about 4-5 meters.
Surge is the horizontal, cyclic movement caused by waves that, after hitting the reef, pull back, creating a constant shift first toward the reef and then out toward the blue.
In this situation, I saw several divers struggling to get stable shots as they fought the force of the water, finning hard. Even worse, some were unfortunately grabbing onto the coral, undoubtedly causing environmental damage.

My suggestion, instead, is to adapt to the situation: once you have achieved perfect neutral buoyancy, you can let yourself be carried by the rhythm of the water without moving.
By doing so, you begin to use the movement of the surge, which at regular intervals will cyclically bring you closer to your subject. After a series of “back and forth” movements, you will eventually have the chance to find yourself face-to-face with your chosen subject. This lucky moment often happens only once, so you must always be ready to seize the opportunity.
This approach reduces the animals’ wariness, as the lack of movement and the very calm breathing—allowed by this state of stasis—prevents them from being startled.
To achieve maximum sharpness in these close encounters, using the AOI UWL-03 lens on my GoPro HERO13 was essential, as it allowed me to focus correctly even at very short distances.

In the videos, you can see the result of this technique applied to a pair consisting of a Chaetodon semilarvatus (known as the Blue-cheek Butterflyfish) and a Schooling Bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes), as well as a Coral Grouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus), which in normal conditions would rarely have allowed such a direct approach.
The last video, instead, shows the different approach cycles to the butterflyfish in real-time.
In conclusion, the next time the current or surge seems to make your life difficult, don’t fight it. Breathe, find your buoyancy, and let the water carry you where you want to go. Your tank (and the reef) will thank you.