The Underwater Awards Australasia exhibition was one of the highlights of the Go Diving Show ANZ
The weekend of September 28th–29th, 2024, saw the very first Go Diving Show ANZ take place at the Sydney Showground. The event—the inaugural Australian edition of the popular UK dive show—was a great success, with organizers reporting just under 3,000 visitors over two days.
With over 100 exhibitors and dozens of speakers giving talks across four stages—Main Stage, Photo Stage, Tech Stage and ANZ/Inspiration stage—as well as try-dives and in-water skills demonstrations, there was something for everyone. In addition, of course, DPG, Underwater Australasia and UW Images, organizers of the first Underwater Awards Australasia, revealed the winners and runners-up of the competition, alongside an exhibition featuring stunning metal prints (made by local printer PhotoMart) of the awarded entries.
In this report, we focus on underwater photography related exhibitors that were at the show, in addition to various other booths that piqued our interest along the way. Check the show website for a complete list of exhibitors in attendance.
American underwater shooter Mike Bartick (far left) entertains DPG Managing Editor Ian Bongso-Seldrup while Nicolas Remy (center) talks to potential new members of The Underwater Club
Imaging Booths
From the DPG/The Underwater Club booth, we didn’t have to venture far to access the booths representing various manufacturers of underwater imaging equipment, notably retailers UW Images, Underwater Australasia, and Scubapix, aka Nauticam Australia.
UW Images
UW Images is a distributor of underwater imaging equipment based in Sydney. I caught up with owner and underwater photographer Brett Lobwein, who had Isotta housings for GoPros, OM System (Olympus) TG-series cameras, and Sony and Canon full-frame cameras on display. Kraken Sports housings, dive lights and strobes were also available, as well as OrcaTorch’s range of video lights, and a Mantis Sub housing for the Insta360 ONE R1.
As an Isotta ambassador, UW Images owner Brett Lobwein knows everything about these beautiful red aluminum housings
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Brett showed me Isotta’s new vacuum check system, which is designed to offer some flood resistance even if the user forgot to put the cap back. The electronics are sealed in a box within the housing for protection an against splash of saltwater
We looked at Kraken’s new KRM05-3000 5-inch monitor mounted on Isotta’s Sony A7S III housing. The monitor comes with three buttons and a dial wheel. The only O-rings to look after are those for the proprietary battery pack
The Mantis Sub housing for the Insta360 ONE R1: At the booth were two VR headsets that visitors could use to watch 360° footage captured with this camera
From left to right (back row): Kraken’s flagship KR-S160 strobe, smaller KR-S80 strobe, and a range of video lights. In front is the dedicated snoot for the KR-S160
Kraken’s RC02 remote control lets you access the various functions of the KR-S160 or KR-S80 strobe from one convenient location on the housing
Kraken’s Smart Housing 2.0 for smartphones, with a range of compatible macro and wide-angle wet lenses
A range of OrcaTorch video lights was also on display
Underwater Australasia
Next, I caught up with Tim Hochgrebe from Underwater Australasia, underwater technology retailer and distributor selling online and from their Byron Bay store. The booth featured not only underwater imaging gear, but also a range of underwater scooters and ROVs aka underwater drones, which were also demonstrated each day in the on-site dive tank.
No fewer than 12 different underwater scooters were on display at the Underwater Australasia booth!
Tim shows off his SeaLife goodies, including the Micro 3.0 fully sealed underwater camera (right) and the SportDiver Ultra smartphone housing with matching Six-Inch Wide Angle Dome Lens
Waterproof to 130 feet, the new SportDiver Ultra, SeaLife’s latest smartphone housing, is compatible with even the largest-sized smartphones
The six-inch dome port for the SportDiver housing increases the field of view and allows smartphone users to shoot split shots. Tim is also holding the Sea Dragon 2500F, one of SeaLife’s wide range of video lights that can be used with the company’s proprietary Flex Connect system of arms, grips and trays. This system easily lets you disconnect your video lights, so that you can position them remotely for creative lighting. There are also ball joint adapters available if you wish to integrate SeaLife’s video lights in a more conventional ball/clamp setup
Underwater Australasia also stocks Backscatter video lights and strobes, including the new Hybrid Flash (HF-1)—check out my DPG review of this excellent flash
Various versions of the Qysea Fifish underwater drone were also on display. The new frontier in underwater imaging?
Scubapix/Nauticam Australia
Scubapix sells imaging equipment online and from their store in Cairns, Queensland. I was greeted by owner Peter Mooney, who had a wide range of Nauticam products on display, including the very latest housings, wet lenses and water-contact optics. The company also sells strobes and video lights in Australia, with Keldan and Backscatter among other products on the stand.
Peter Mooney flanked by a range of shiny Nauticam camera housings
Nauticam’s housing for the Nikon Z8 with attached Fisheye Conversion Port (FCP-1)—check out my review on DPG. Behind is the Nikon Z9 housing with dual Backscatter Hybrid Flash (HF-1) strobes
Nauticam’s new Nikon Z6 III housing is smaller, lighter and more affordable than the company’s earlier Z-series full-frame housings. This is thanks to a change of design: The 120mm port opening has been brought closer to the camera, reducing the housing depth to only 141mm. Should you already own Z-mount/F-mount ports and focus gears from Nauticam, an optional adapter (22225) ensures full compatibility
The other newcomer was the Canon EOS R5 Mark II housing, which features an integrated cooling fan system (visible at the bottom of the rear shell), designed to delay overheating and extend the camera’s filming capabilities
Safely locked in the display were prototypes of Nauticam’s newest wet diopters (right), next to the WWL-C (left), a wet wide optic that works with compact and full-frame cameras alike
A minimalist super-macro setup: Housing for the Sony A7R V with the CMC-2 diopter (2.8x magnification) on a flip holder, and a single Backscatter Mini Flash 2 (MF-2) strobe and Optical Snoot (OS-1) for lighting
The Nauticam housing for the APS-C format Sony A6700 makes for a compact setup
Digital Diver
Next up, Digital Diver, an underwater imaging retailer that sells both online and from their physical store in Cairns, Queensland. On the booth, they had products from Ikelite, AOI, and Weefine.
Digital Diver stocks Ikelite, Aquatica, Sea&Sea, Fantasea, AOI, Weefine, and OM System housings
Ikelite housings for compact and mirrorless cameras were on display at Digital Diver. At the back is a lineup of Weefine video lights and various accessories. In between, the Hyperion diving mask is an innovative product with a flip magnifying lens, perfect for macro shooters who are scrutinising the reef for its tiniest inhabitants
A range of AOI housings, trays, arms, lights and wet optics was also on display. This included the unique UH-GPx housing for GoPros with its large built-in monitor, battery, vacuum check system, and rotatable handles; and housings for the latest OM System mirrorless cameras. The most recent iteration of the AOI Ultra Compact Strobe (UCS-Q1RC) was also on offer
Dive Lantern/DiveVolk
My next stop was the DiveVolk booth, shared with Dive Lantern, their Australian distributor and a retailer of underwater lighting gear based in Perth, Western Australia. There seemed to be a constant crowd drawn around this stand, and I had to come early on Sunday to find some quiet time. The proximity of a certain photo exhibition certainly helped, but I soon found out the booth’s main attraction: DiveVolk’s smartphone housing, a product with some interesting unique features.
The Dive Lantern/DiveVolk booth were lucky enough to be situated directly opposite the Underwater Awards Australasia exhibition
Instead of a traditional glass or plastic window, the DiveVolk housing uses a transparent soft gel pocket, which is in contact with the smartphone’s screen. This provides full touchscreen access while underwater, enabling in-water use of all your advanced photography and videography apps. Impressively, it still boasts a 200-feet/60-meter depth rating
Instead of an O-ring, the housing is secured with a soft rubber patch, which DiveVolk told me provides enhanced leak protection, by sealing over a thicker area
Optional 52mm and 67mm filter mounts let smartphone shooters use their existing wet diopters. Alternatively, you can use DiveVolk’s own filters and wet lenses. There were different packages on offer, including a dome port for split shots. A mounting bracket also facilitates attachment to a tray, and there is an L-shaped bracket available for those choosing to focus their whole dive on shooting vertical stills and videos
DiveVolk offers a compact tripod with a small piece of lead attached, helping shooters produce stable footage—or create a steady underwater selfie station!
DiveLantern has a range of video lights on offer. The top-of-the-range V180 boasts 18,000 lumens (with white/red/blue modes) and a 120° beam angle, which I was told would suffice to light GoPro footage instead of using two lights with a narrower coverage. The magnetic charging plug is a nice safety feature: It would disconnect if someone were to trip on the charging cable
I asked DiveVolk when we might see smartphones being able to trigger a strobe underwater, but I was told that it would require dealing with various smartphone brands’ own pre-flash protocols, which remained a challenge to solve. Still, the stunning photos on display at the booth certainly illustrated that great underwater stills can be crafted with video lights—under the right conditions.
DPG and The Underwater Club
A stone’s throw from the Photo Stage were your favorite resources for underwater imaging news and education: DPG, the number one underwater photography media by readers numbers, and The Underwater Club, the first online underwater photography school and club, with members in 18 countries.
In today’s digital world, this was a chance for manufacturers, retailers and dive operators to discuss advertising in-person with DPG’s Chief Operating Officer Ian Bongso-Seldrup. For myself and other DPG contributors, it was great to chat with the man who curates DPG content, ensuring it stays at the highest standard.
Together with Léna Remy (my partner in life and in business), it was wonderful to catch up with local and interstate members of The Underwater Club. We also enjoyed chatting with new and experienced shooters about the membership, monthly webinars and our recently launched GoPro video course.
Members of The Underwater Club sporting their new 2024 T-shirts
Being located in the “photo area” of the dive show, there was a constant flow of visitors jumping in to discuss anything underwater photography related, from cameras, lenses and lighting, right to rebreathers. From left to right: Ian Bongso-Seldrup (DPG), the author (The Underwater Club/DPG), and Alex, Gemma and Joanna from the Scubaholics Social Club
Other Booths
Besides covering the photography-related booths and delivering a talk on the photo stage—“Which Lenses for Which Underwater Photographs”—I managed to pay a visit to several more of the exhibitors present at the show.
Ana and Reggie from Silver Reef Dive Resorts
As I strolled through the stands, I met with Ana and Reggie from Silver Reef Dive Resorts. Located in Dauin—one of the Philippines’ best macro regions—this SSI Diamond Dive Center has everything to make underwater photographers feel at home, including a camera room, flexible dive times, and even an underwater scooter/taxi service—to get you quickly to your next macro subject!
They run a yearly photography competition as part of the Dive 7 festivals (now in their fourth year), in partnership with other local dive centers, such as AivyMaes Divers Resort, whose owner, Mark, I also met at the show. For a wide-angle treat, Apo Island’s reefs can be reached within a day trip, not to mention Oslob’s whale sharks. The cherry on the cake: Silver Reef Dive Resorts are rebreather-friendly, and you can get certified on the Mares Horizon SCR during your stay.
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions operates liveaboard expeditions to some of the best dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef
Harriet Burke from Spirit of Freedom
While it is well known that parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered repeated coral bleaching events, the largest coral reef system in the world is a very big place (about 133,000 square miles), and many of its reefs are still teeming with life and healthy corals. Liveaboards are your best option to reach these places, and I had a chance to meet with two of Cairns’ well-known operators, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions and Spirit of Freedom, both offering multi-day liveaboard itineraries visiting some of the most stunning reefs on the planet.
Volivoli Beach Resort’s Simon Doughty (right)
Simon Doughty from Volivoli Beach Resort told me wonderful things about their photography-friendly resort, which is located at the northern tip of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. Wide-angle shooters love being located right in the vibrant Bligh Waters, an area often referred to as “the soft coral capital of the world.” Resort guests enjoy unlimited diving at the three house reefs, which are recommended for macro lovers. The 14-person camera room and the support offered to rebreather divers (CCR and SCR alike) are two more reasons why I may well pay Simon a visit someday…
Martha from Walindi Plantation Resort and Jordi from Tufi Resort
The Papua New Guinea Divers Association was also represented at the show, and I had a chance to meet with Jordi from Tufi Resort, located in Oro Province (250 miles east of Port Moresby), and Martha from Walindi Plantation Resort, who are based in Kimbe Bay. Both resorts offer exclusive access to some of Papua New Guinea’s vibrant coral reefs.
Benita Vincent (right) of Benni Marine Designs
Tasmania-based underwater photographer and artist Benita Vincent was exhibiting her latest collection of eco-friendly clothing, inspired by the marine critters featured in her photographs.
The author (left) with Viz Group founder Marco Bordieri
“Sydney Viz Group” is a growing Facebook community of 15,000-plus ocean enthusiasts from the Greater Sydney region, who exchange insights on local visibility and diving conditions. It was great catching up with founder Marco Bordieri, a passionate Sydney diver who has spent dozens of hours scanning the local dive sites on his scooter to produce detailed underwater maps. (The best part? They are accessible for free online.) Marco was also giving away some amazing old bottles that he found during his exploratory dives—some over 100 years old!
Final Thoughts
A dive show is also a chance for industry professionals to meet and network, and the organizers had ensured there would be plenty of opportunities for that, with a dinner party on the Saturday evening. It was a fantastic night, and I greatly enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones, so much so that I forgot to take any photos of the venue—take this as a double thumbs-up!
The Go Diving Show has been running for five years in the UK and is a well-known quantity in Europe. As an exhibitor, speaker and visitor, I was very impressed by its debut in Australia, and I’m thrilled to hear that it will return to Sydney in September 2025. Hope to see you there!
About the Reviewer: Nicolas Remy is an Australia-based pro shooter and founder of online underwater photography school and photo club, The Underwater Club, with members in 18 countries. He serves as an ambassador for Mares and Nauticam. Nicolas’ images have been widely published in print and digital media, and have won more than 40 international photo awards. To see images by Nicolas and his wife Léna, visit their website, www.nicolaslenaremy.com.