Inside Scuba Issue #42

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Andy Deitsch & Byron Conroy
September 07, 2025

Welcome to Issue #42 of Inside Scuba

Welcome to Issue #42 of Inside Scuba, where we invite you to dive into a different kind of adventure. This month, we're trading tropical warmth for the icy waters of the Arctic Circle to explore what it means to truly embrace cold water diving. From breathtaking expeditions to crucial industry news and cutting-edge photography techniques, this edition is packed with insights to fuel your passion. So grab your fins—and maybe a drysuit—and let's get into it.

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What’s happening in this edition?

Embracing the Cold: An Arctic Diving Adventure

For those of us living in Iceland, cold water diving becomes the "norm" and gets easier with time. This, in turn, opens up new destinations. My most recent trip was to the Arctic Circle with Blue Green Expeditions. To dive here is to strip diving back to its most primal form. You're no longer chasing reef fish or easy thrills; you're embracing the wilderness in its rawest state. This is diving as exploration, diving as discovery.

When I tell fellow divers I've just returned from the Arctic, it causes them to raise an eyebrow, to ask questions, and to engage much more than they would if I had said "warm destination." The popularity of polar trips is on the rise. It's new and unique, and people are very interested.

A diver enjoying an iceberg in Eastern Greenland

The Allure of the Arctic

I often fly from Iceland to America, and we cross over Greenland. Snow-capped mountains stretch endlessly, glaciers pour into the fjords like frozen rivers, and beyond them, the sea is scattered with ice. It feels like another planet—inaccessible and difficult with little infrastructure or human interference. This isolation and frozen state are the very appeal of the Arctic.

In each issue of our newsletter, we will curate some top dive news from around the world. Links to each of the original articles are available.

Dive Magazine: “South Australia installs bubble curtains to protect giant cuttlefish. The Australian government is investing AU$700,000 to install a ‘bubble curtain’ which will protect South Australia’s giant cuttlefish from a toxic algal bloom. Between May and August each year, hundreds of thousands of giant Australian cuttlefish (Sepia apama) migrate to the South Australian coastline near Whyalla to mate.”

Divernet: “Boy loses hand after scuba-tank explosion. A scuba-tank explosion at an Adriatic shore location in Montenegro has left a 14-year-old boy with serious injuries, resulting in his hand having to be amputated. Local press outlets reported that he had been at least 50m [164 ft] from the source of the explosion when he was struck on the wrist by a shard of flying metal.”

Follow on article:

Divernet: “Serbian arrested after dive-tank explosion. A 45-year-old man from Belgrade in Serbia, identified only by the initials ‘MB’, has been arrested by Montenegrin police in connection with the scuba-tank explosion at an Adriatic shore location that caused a teenager to lose a hand on 24 August.”

Dive Magazine: “Techical diving pioneer Michael Menduno recovering after stroke. Pioneering tech diver and journalist, Michael Menduno, Editor-in-Chief of InDEPTH Magazine, is recovering in a Florida hospital after suffering a stroke. Menduno, also known as ‘M2’ introduced technical, mixed-gas diving to the scuba diving mainstream in the early 1990s through his aquaCORPS tech diving magazine.”

Deeper Blue: “Russian Diver Spends 24 Hours Adrift In The Pacific. A senior Russian finance ministry official spent nearly 24 hours adrift in the North Pacific after a routine wreck-diving excursion off Sakhalin Island went horribly wrong. Elena Dorofeeva, a 63-year-old deputy director of a department in the finance ministry, was lost after signing up to explore the Anabar, a dredger that sank in the Tatar Strait in 2010. The wreck lies some 40 km/25 miles from Sakhalin, near the small island of Moneron. Reports confirm that she was an experienced diver.”

Men’s Journal: “Scuba Diver Finds World Series Ring at Bottom of Lake Michigan. Scuba-diver-for-hire Yohei Yamada explained how he crossed paths with a World Series hero in need of some serious assistance.”

Divernet: “Two divers die in Okinawa cave. Two Taiwanese divers are reported to have died after entering an underwater cave or cavern at a depth of around 30m in western Japan. The men were diving off Okinawa’s main island yesterday (1 August). According to regional media they were a 28-year-old surnamed Zhang, who had travelled to Okinawa with four friends, and a 24-year-old instructor surnamed Shao.”

Dive Magazine: “Diver dies at Houton Pier in Orkney, Scotland. A 63-year-old scuba diver has reportedly died after getting into difficulty at Houton Pier, near Orphir, on the Scottish island of Orkney. Emergency services were called to the pier shortly before 12 pm on Thursday, 28 August. The diver was rushed to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall, but died shortly after arrival.”

World Shootout: Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the prestigious underwater photography competition is launching a special initiative called "The Five Images of Two Decades." This retrospective will honor the most iconic photographs from the competition's history. A judging panel will select the top 100 images from thousands of submissions over the past two decades, with 20 finalists being chosen to move forward. As a new opportunity for 2025, any photo entered into this year's competition will automatically be considered for the top 100 list. The deadline for new entries is October 15, 2025.

Deeper Blue: “Australian Government Finalizes Bardi Jawi Gaara Marine Park. The Bardi Jawi Gaara Marine Park on the northwest coast of Australia has been finalized. It’s the country’s first-ever marine park co-designed with Traditional Owners. Covering 204,000 hectares/593,053 acres, including sanctuaries 10 times the size of Sydney Harbour, it protects whales, turtles, dugongs, corals and more, while honoring Bardi Jawi culture and Sea Country.”

Dive Magazine: “Divers Alert Network names Cliff Richardson as new president. Divers Alert Network (DAN) has appointed Cliff Richardson as its next president and chief executive officer. Richardson will succeed DAN’s current president Bill Ziefle, who first joined the organisation as a board member in 1998 and was appointed CEO in 2010.”

Divernet: “Jaw-dropping leopard seal wins U/W Awards Australasia. The nine category winners of the second annual underwater imaging competition focused on Australasia have been revealed on stage at the Go Diving Show ANZ in Sydney. “Best of Show” with his open-mouthed leopard seal shot Wide Open was US photographer James Ferrara, who took top spot in the International Waters category.”

Crossed Strobes or Inward Lighting?

By Alex Mustard and Matthew Sullivan

In this episode of the Underwater Photography Show, Matthew Sullivan and Alex Mustard discuss the differences between cross lighting and inward lighting, and when to use each technique.

In underwater photography, we give names to different types of lighting and strobe positions to help people learn and remember them. The naming is a memory aid and a way to understand the technique, as strobe positioning is a continuous movement, and these names refer to specific points in that movement. Both inward lighting and cross lighting can be used for wide-angle and macro photography, with slight differences in positioning for each. [0:53]

Cross Lighting

Cross lighting is a setup that creates a double side-lighting effect. Side-lighting is the best way to get the most texture in a picture, but using only one strobe can result in very uneven lighting. Cross lighting, or double sidelight, gives you lots of texture with even lighting. It is a very useful and flexible technique that can create powerful images easily.

In a macro setup, you want the strobes in line with the subject, shooting straight in from either side. Cross strobes are also valuable for creating texture in subjects like a warty frogfish or spiky coral.

For wide-angle…

When we think of the word “fashion,” our minds often jump to clothing, catwalks, and glossy magazines. But photography, especially underwater photography, is equally subject to fashion. Just as in the art world, what is considered fresh, innovative, and popular can change dramatically over time. Styles that once dominated competitions and magazines can fade into obscurity, while new techniques or destinations suddenly become the talk of the community. For underwater photographers, understanding these trends is more than just keeping up appearances. It’s about knowing how to ride the waves of creativity, how to stand out while still being relevant, and how to balance originality with awareness of the visual currents sweeping through the industry.

For me, as someone who teaches photo workshops, it is absolutely critical to be aware of trends, to have mastered the techniques behind them, and to be on top of all advances in technology. These are the subjects I get questioned about the most, as they are at the forefront of people’s minds.

The Nature of Trends in Underwater Photography

Underwater photography exists in a fascinating space between art and documentation. On one hand, it's our duty to show our non-diving family and friends what we see and to document it for them. On the other, we are artists, framing the ocean in ways that resonate with our fellow underwater photographers and divers. This dual role is precisely why trends emerge. As photographers innovate with techniques, equipment, and approaches, their work influences others, who then experiment, refine, and expand upon the style. Before long, an idea becomes a recognizable movement, and images start to share a common visual aesthetic.

This week's video highlight, captured by @lud_adventure, offers a rare glimpse into one of the ocean's most legendary battles: a sperm whale feeding on a giant squid. This incredible footage provides a raw look at the deep-sea hunt and the wild, untamed nature of marine life. It's a powerful reminder of the mysteries that still exist in the sea.

Summary

As we wrap up this issue, we hope we've given you plenty to think about, from the allure of polar expeditions to the latest news and photography trends shaping the dive world. Whether you're planning your next trip, refining your skills, or simply dreaming of the deep, remember that every dive is an opportunity for discovery. We'll be back soon with more stories, tips, and news to keep you connected to the world beneath the waves. Happy diving!

Andy & Byron

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