If you’ve ever surfaced from a dive wishing you could’ve captured the experience more vividly—those swirling schools of fish, the way light filters through a wreck, or a sea turtle cruising by—you’re not alone. The PADI Underwater Videographer course is designed for divers who want to take their underwater storytelling to the next level by learning how to create compelling, high-quality videos of the underwater world. Whether you’re diving for fun, documenting marine life, or thinking about a future in dive media, this course opens the door to creative expression and technical know-how.

What You’ll Learn

• How to choose the right underwater video system for your needs and budget
• Basic camera handling techniques, including white balance, panning, focus, and steady framing
• How to plan and sequence shots to tell a story
• Proper exposure and lighting principles for video
• Techniques for steady, smooth movement underwater
• Editing basics to turn raw footage into a watchable final product
• Best practices for protecting marine life while filming

Why It Is Important

• Preserving underwater moments helps you share your dives with friends, family, or clients in a dynamic way
• Enhances your buoyancy control and overall dive skills
• Fosters a deeper awareness of the environment—videographers naturally pay closer attention to marine behavior and ecosystem interactions
• Encourages responsible interaction with underwater life
• Builds useful skills that can be applied to conservation work, professional content creation, or even dive tourism careers

Course Structure

• Knowledge development through independent study and instructor guidance
• Two open water training dives focused on camera work and shot planning
• Post-dive review and discussion, including how to improve footage and storytelling techniques
• Optional editing session for reviewing how to assemble and polish your final video

Course Highlights

• Hands-on experience with real-world camera gear
• Practical tips to help you adapt your shooting style to different dive environments—from wrecks and reefs to blue water and sandy bottoms
• Instructor feedback after each dive to refine your filming and approach
• Support in building your confidence filming in varied lighting and visibility conditions
• Real-time problem-solving when facing common challenges like backscatter, shaky footage, or camera fogging

Requirements

• PADI Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent from another recognized agency)
• Minimum age: 10 years old
• Comfortable buoyancy control is essential for steady camera work—taking the Peak Performance Buoyancy course first is strongly recommended
• Equipment needed: Underwater video camera system (this can be anything from a GoPro, scuba-ready digital camera, to a DSLR in housing), lights or strobes, and a way to review footage between dives. Your instructor can help you choose or rent gear suited to your goals and experience level

Benefits

• Learn how to tell a visual story, not just capture random clips
• Capture your dives in a way that helps others feel like they’re right there with you
• Create meaningful videos to support ocean education or marine conservation
• Improve control, composure, and awareness underwater
• Great for dive travelers, bloggers, dive pros-in-training, or anyone who wants to share their passion for diving through video

Course Duration

• Typically completed in 1–2 days depending on the pace of dives and post-dive video review
• May be combined with other specialties like Underwater Naturalist, Fish ID, or Digital Underwater Photographer for a well-rounded skillset

Who This Course Is Best Suited For

• Recreational divers who want more than just photos—they want motion, emotion, and a complete dive story
• Travel divers looking to document their experiences without bulky or complicated equipment
• Aspiring content creators, vloggers, or educators in the dive industry
• Divers who want to contribute to citizen science, reef monitoring, or environmental storytelling
• Anyone who’s curious about the creative side of diving and wants to enhance their time underwater with purpose and play

Whether you’re capturing your dive buddy’s joyful fin-kick or chronicling an encounter with a passing manta, the PADI Underwater Videographer course empowers you to do more than just see the underwater world—it teaches you how to share it.