A Practical Guide To Recording Dives

24/11/2025

There is a moment early in every freediver’s journey when they watch footage of themselves underwater for the first time. That moment can feel shocking and revealing in equal measure, as if the mirror had suddenly been lowered into the deep. The way we imagine ourselves moving through the water rarely matches what the camera shows. Filming dives is not simply a way to preserve a memory. It is a powerful means of learning how we truly move below the surface.

For photographer and master instructor Petra Oberucova, that realisation began long before she ever filmed a person on the line. She spent years documenting marine life in its purest form. Sharks, pelagic fish, wild animals that guided her eye toward patience, timing and awareness. When she eventually began filming divers, she brought that same sensitivity with her. In her view, the camera has become one of the most important teaching tools freedivers can use.

Social media might be the first reason many people reach for a camera. A deep dive on Instagram can look impressive, a slow descent on TikTok can feel like a dream. Yet the true value of recording dives lies in feedback. Coaches can explain technique at the surface. They can correct position or offer direction. But nothing compares to watching every movement unfold underwater. Filming reveals the details the body hides. It allows us to observe posture, fin rhythm, equalisation, and alignment without interpretation or memory getting in the way. It offers truth.

Light, Water and Timing

The first lesson takes place before a diver leaves the surface. Light is everything underwater. The angle of the sun will decide the shape of the shot and the visibility of the body. When the sunlight falls directly behind the diver, they become a silhouette. Dramatic if you want cinematic, difficult if your goal is technique review. When the sun strikes across the water, detail rises into clarity. Choosing the position of the camera relative to that light determines what the viewer will learn.

Visibility shapes the second lesson. When the water is open and clear, the camera can sit slightly apart from the diver, giving space to frame the entire body and the line. When visibility drops, the filmer must move closer and adapt. Good footage does not depend on ideal conditions. It depends on understanding the conditions and working within them.

The tool itself matters. Most freedivers film with action cameras. These devices are small and reliable, but they require intention. Petra prefers a rigid stick rather than a floating handle. It gives stability, control, and flexibility in difficult currents. The key is to think of the camera as part of the body rather than a separate tool. Press it against the shoulder if the flow increases. Adjust it vertically to see the entire diver from head to fin tip. Choose a moderate field of view instead of the widest available. Doing so preserves the proportions of the body without forcing the filmer to hover uncomfortably close.

Timing is where filming becomes an art. Beginners rarely communicate with the camera at the surface. They have enough to think about already. Their breath up, their mental focus, their equalisation. The camera operator must learn to read them. Petra watches the breathing rhythm, the removal of the snorkel, the pause before the final breath. When that moment appears, she descends first. By waiting those few seconds below, the frame opens in a way that feels natural and immersive. The diver appears above, the sunlight behind them, the water flowing around. Instead of chasing the dive, the filmmaker welcomes it.

A Different Way of Watching

With experienced divers the approach can change. Communication becomes possible. A small gesture can indicate readiness. The camera operator can prepare position and breath, then descend early and hold the frame at the desired depth. In this way the shot builds a story, rather than just documenting movement.

At the bottom of the line, everything slows. The camera holds. Diver meets depth. The frame rotates, following the ascent, face to face, letting the movement rise again toward sunlight. These moments reveal more about technique than any surface explanation ever could.

Filming dives is not a distraction from training. It is training. It asks for awareness, patience and presence. It teaches the diver about their own body while allowing the videographer to deepen their understanding of movement, water and time. In the end, a camera does not simply record a dive. It shows the diver who they are becoming.