Cheap Underwater Gear, Big Results

I recently spent two incredible weeks on a liveaboard dive ship at Tiger Beach, surrounded by some of the most impressive sharks in the ocean. Alongside 8 other divers, I had the chance to swim with tiger sharks, reef sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, and even a great hammerhead make an appearance. With an experience this rare, it’s no surprise that nearly every diver had a camera in hand, eager to capture the moment.

But what did surprise me was the gear they were using.

The GoPro Takeover

One thing that immediately stood out was the overwhelming presence of GoPros. A few years ago, the standard for underwater photography was a traditional camera in a waterproof housing, but on this trip, nearly everyone had opted for an action camera instead.

Oliver Sjöström (Unsplash)

It makes sense. They’re compact, easy to use, and deliver high-quality footage without the hassle of bulky gear. But what really caught my attention wasn’t the camera choice—it was the accessories.

More than half the GoPros I saw were mounted on trays with underwater strobe lights. These weren’t budget setups, either. Just one low-tier underwater strobe can set you back $400 or more. Some divers had two high quality strobes, plus the required frame to mount everything together.

I get why strobes are essential in darker waters—like back home in British Columbia—where natural light is limited. But at Tiger Beach? We were diving in shallow, crystal-clear water with strong natur-al light penetration. Nothing wrong with spending extra for marginal improvements, photographers do it all the time. But here’s the kicker:

I was the only one using a red filter.

The Instant Difference Maker

Below are two unedited images taken seconds apart—one with a red filter, one without. The difference is immediate and undeniable. The filtered image has better color contrast, and the subject pops more. This isn’t just a trick of white balance. The filter creates a true color separation in the raw image, giving you a much stronger base to work from.

But just to test how much post-processing could help, I spent 5-10 minutes editing the unfiltered image—adjusting White Balance, Shadows, Highlights, Global Contrast, Blue Hue and Saturation, plus masking the sand to desaturate the blue tones and masking the shark to add extra warmth and contrast.

Even after all that work, the filtered image—with zero editing—still looks a bit better.

The unfiltered version, despite all the adjustments, retains a vague blue wash, a certain flatness, and loses some of the natural highlights on the shark. The filtered shot, on the other hand, captures more natural depth and contrast right from the start. Plus now my editing time can be spent improving the image, not just correcting it.

And the cost of this upgrade? $30.

Why Aren’t More People Using Red Filters?

Curious about why I was the only one using a red filter, I did a quick search for “how to take good underwater GoPro photos” and “underwater camera red filters.” What I found was surprising—most online guides downplayed their usefulness or dismiss them altogether.

Many sources said things like:

• “Some small improvements, but don’t expect miracles.”

• “After GoPro 6, Auto White Balance is good enough that filters aren’t really necessary.”

  • Quick Note: Never use Auto White Balance when shooting GoPro video, it causes all sorts of issues.

But looking at my side-by-side images, I’d say the difference is more than just a small improvement. My Auto White Balance (on a much newer model than GoPro 6) does a decent job at overall balancing, but can't fix colour depth issues —something a red filter naturally corrects.

So why aren’t filters recommended more often? It’s hard to say for sure. Maybe GoPro software makes them unnecessary in most other conditions. Maybe sites using affiliate links have a profitability bias towards bigger, more technical solutions like strobes. Or maybe it’s just an overlooked piece of kit that doesn’t get as much attention. Who can say.

At the end of the day, use what works for you—but don’t fall into the trap of assuming that more expensive = better results. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best ones.