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This is a practical guide that covers: from preparing your equipment before the dive, to the essential checks to avoid unpleasant surprises, all the way to refining your filming techniques to achieve even more spectacular videos.
The night before
The night before, format the SD card (only after saving the previously recorded videos!), then, after evaluating the dive parameters (time, depth, visibility, etc.), set the preset that is best suited.
Check the O-ring, ensuring it is clean and free from cuts or abrasions; only if necessary, carefully remove it (without using sharp objects) and clean it with a soft cloth.
When reinstalling, apply a thin layer of specific silicone grease, making sure it is correctly positioned in its groove. Also, charge the battery, which should only be inserted the following day.
Leaving it inside the GoPro overnight would almost certainly cause a reduction in charge.
Entering the water
Just before the dive (I usually do this about five minutes before the briefing from the guide), in a cool and dry place, insert the battery into the GoPro and carefully close the housing, attentively checking that the O-ring is not pinched and that there is no dirt (such as hair or dust). Once done, turn on the GoPro briefly to verify the battery level.
A few moments before entering the water, carefully secure the support (whether it’s the stick or stabilizer arms) to the Jacket, thoroughly checking the carabiner’s grip. If you wish to film the entry into the water (which I do on every dive), turn on the GoPro. During the dive, always hold it firmly in your hand: most loss incidents happen during the often hectic phases of entering and exiting the water.
Imagine the final result
To create high-quality videos, planning your shots during the dive is essential. It’s important never to improvise: if a fish approaches, you should already have the framing in mind and know how to position yourself for the best shot, because being in the right place at the right time can really make the difference. Planning your movements also helps to better utilize the light and your position relative to it, a factor that should always be considered.
While filming, keep in mind which platform will host the video: YouTube and websites (format 16:9) or Stories and Reels for social media (format 9:16), visualizing the crop mentally on the LCD screen. This helps ensure the subjects stay in frame, avoiding important parts of the scene from being cut out.
Depth and natural Light
The depth and, consequently, natural light are two fundamental parameters that must always be considered. To achieve vibrant colors and sharp, high-contrast clips, it’s best to stay within the first 15-20 meters, with particular attention in the very first meters: here, with strong sunlight and crystal-clear water, there’s a risk of overexposure.
To light the subject and obtain rich colors and details, it is always better to keep the sun behind you. However, backlighting (with the subject between the GoPro and the sun) can also create suggestive silhouettes, ideal for capturing the elegant shapes of sharks, turtles, mantas, and eagle rays.
Dive during the best hours
The time of day when you dive affects the quality of your footage.
Early morning dives, often the best for spectacular encounters, tend to have low light and limited visibility, resulting in dull colors and, especially in deeper dives, a lot of noise in the image.
Late morning provides better light, as the sun is higher, and the depth between 15 and 20 meters can offer sharp, vibrant images.
Around midday, the light comes from above, creating strong reflections, clear shadows, and vivid colors and details.
In the late afternoon, the light becomes warmer and golden, ideal for filming silhouettes against the surface or capturing softer atmospheres.
At dusk, the light quickly fades, and artificial lighting becomes essential to achieve good results.
Battery management
For a videomaker, battery and tank air are the most valuable assets: many of the most beautiful moments often happen towards the end of the dive — the most vibrant reef, the passing of a school of fish, an unexpected encounter with a large predator… Running out of battery or air would be frustrating.
Therefore, avoid wasting resources by filming continuously and without a valid reason. Instead, be selective and always choose what to record, focusing only on the moments that truly matter
Mindful interaction
Understanding the basic principles of animal behavior can improve the quality of your shots.
Many animals, especially the most cautious or preyed upon, interpret rapid and direct movements as a potential threat. Moving very slowly, predictably, or better yet, remaining still, significantly reduces the perception of being dangerous. If an animal does not immediately feel threatened, curiosity can take over the tendency to flee.
A stationary diver gives the animal more time to assess the situation, potentially approaching to investigate; conversely, a sudden movement will likely scare it away.
Additionally, staying still hands over control of the interaction to the animal, leaving it the decision to approach or not.
Image composition
The rule of thirds, fundamental for composing balanced and dynamic images, involves dividing the frame into nine parts using two vertical and two horizontal lines, and placing the subject at one of the intersections. Of course, for cropping in 9:16 format, this principle loses value, as it’s necessary to give central priority to the subject or, better yet, highlight it vertically.
A common mistake is filling the frame too much: it’s much better to use the “negative space” (the blue surrounding the subject) to help the scene “breathe” and create harmony between subject and environment. Less crowding evokes more emotion and tells the story better. Regarding angles, shots from above often appear flat; it’s preferable to film from the side or from the bottom up to add depth and create suggestive silhouettes of fish, divers, or wrecks.
Attention to detail
When filming other divers, it is essential to check that their equipment is in order. Loose regulators, foggy masks or masks with hair inside, and damaged or unsuitable wetsuits can compromise the footage.
Even more important are the buoyancy and the behavior of divers underwater. Clumsy gestures, such as resting on the bottom or on corals, poor buoyancy with a semi-vertical position, disorganized finning, and the use of hands — besides ruining the images — can also cause serious environmental damage.
Approaching subjects
The distance from the subject is key to good underwater filming. The GoPro performs best with close subjects, capturing sharper images with more detail, less digital noise, and more vibrant colors. A classic example is sharks in the blue: impressive in real life, but often reduced to small, barely recognizable silhouettes in video.
But how close? It’s important to experiment and find the right distance. When aiming for detail, such as the eye of a ray, maintaining around 25-30 centimeters ensures proper focus and good results. In other cases, overdoing it can be a mistake, as the subject might fill too much of the frame, losing its context. Filming close-up, it’s best to keep camera movements very stable; it’s always optimal to shoot at 60fps or higher, to increase visual impact and correct any shakiness with slow motion during editing.
Developing your own style
Developing your own style not only makes your videos unique but also helps build a recognizable visual identity online. It’s important to start with exploration, trying to vary shooting techniques, angles, and editing, and experimenting with colors, rhythm, and formats.
Consistency is key: recurring elements in your videos — such as subjects, editing style, or a characteristic color — make your work easily identifiable.
A style doesn’t develop in a day: it requires practice and commitment. It’s helpful to find inspiration in the work of other videographers, but only adopt what truly reflects your personality. With time and dedication, your style will emerge, becoming a distinctive trait.
The first few seconds of filming
The GoPro needs a few seconds at the start of each recording to analyze the scene and perform color calibrations that influence the final image. For example, if you are about to film a shark in the blue, it’s best to avoid pointing the camera directly at it; instead, start by filming the reef or a nearby buddy for a few seconds.
This allows the GoPro to detect a broader range of colors and perform more accurate calibrations.
A similar phenomenon occurs when, during filming, you surface: the video image can assume a strong (often violet) hue immediately after surfacing because the GoPro, which had adapted to compensate for the lack of red at depth, continues to hold that setting for a little while. Therefore, to obtain more accurate colors, always dedicate a moment at the beginning of a clip for the GoPro to calibrate and adapt to the new situation.
Maintaining stability
To achieve stable underwater footage, the first essential step is to avoid filming with the GoPro in your hand alone: the inevitable natural shake, amplified by water movement, currents, and your own finning motions, will inevitably result in shaky and unstable videos.
Likewise, relying on wrist supports or mask mounts is strongly discouraged. Although they may seem practical, these accessories offer limited stability and are highly susceptible to involuntary movements of the head or arm.
Beware of condensation
Condensation is a persistent issue, particularly towards the end of a dive. A fogged patch may become apparent on the lens element; should this occur, immediate action is imperative: cease recording and power down the camera to prevent internally generated heat from exacerbating the condition. Allow the unit to cool for several minutes before reactivation. Prompt intervention can often salvage the most recent footage. Furthermore, it should be noted that anti-fog inserts are highly effective in preventing this phenomenon.
SOS GoPro
It can happen that the GoPro displays certain error messages during a dive; here is the meaning of each one and how to proceed in those cases.
Camera is too hot
It means that the GoPro is overheating and may shut down soon.
The best solution is to immediately stop recording and let it cool down for a few minutes, hoping that the water temperature also helps to reduce the heat.
Memory card full
Not much can be done: the space on the microSD card has run out. Most likely, it was used without formatting in water, or it’s time to buy a larger card.
To optimize space, always be selective with the clips you choose to record.
SC card rating
A problem with the card has been detected.
The first step is to restart the camera. Often, a simple reboot allows the GoPro to automatically repair any damaged files.
Repairing your file
The GoPro is attempting to repair a damaged file, and it is important to let it complete the process.
If the repair takes too long, turn the camera off and then back on, being aware of the risk of losing the last clip.
Battery low, powering off
A classic nightmare! When the charge drops below 10%, an alert message appears. If the battery runs out during recording, the GoPro will save the video and turn off automatically.
In this case, there’s little to do except use the backup GoPro if available.
No batt
This unusual error (not covered in the user manual), despite the GoPro being turned on and functioning, recently appeared during a dive.
After searching for solutions online, I discovered that it’s a battery recognition issue and that pressing the “Mode” button for 8-10 seconds can help resolve it.