Underwater photography (sport)
| Highest governing body | CMAS |
|---|---|
| First played | before 1985 |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No |
| Team members | yes |
| Mixed gender | yes |
| Type | Aquatic |
| Equipment | diving mask, fins, open circuit scuba set, digital underwater camera system |
| Venue | ocean |
Underwater photography is a scuba-based underwater sport governed by Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) where teams of competitors using digital underwater camera systems all dive at the same saltwater ocean sites at the same time over a two-day period. The submitted digital images are then assessed and ranked by a jury using a maximum of five photographic categories as well as an overall score. The sport was developed prior to 1985 as a photographic film-based event and is currently mainly practised in non-English speaking countries.
At international level, competition is open to teams from all CMAS national federations regardless of affiliation status. Each federation can sent one team consisting of a captain and four divers - two being the photographers and the other two being the photographers' assistants. Each diver must be at least 16 years old at the time of competition, have a minimum diver certification of CMAS 2 star diver and be in 'good health'.
As of July 2013, the International Rules contained the following general principles.
The competition will be hosted by a diving federation affiliated to CMAS.
All competitors are to dive at the same site or similar sites at the same time on the same day.
The camera systems to be used are restricted to digital cameras without any means of wireless distribution of data such as WLAN or Bluetooth. While competitors can have multiple cameras, only one memory card is permitted per competitor and only one camera can be used in the water at a time.
Protection of the environment is a fundamental requirement where competitors will be subject to disqualification if found to have touched or moved living animals, caused deterioration to or have polluted the marine environment, used dead animals to compose scenes or used a diver propulsion vehicle.
...
Wikipedia