If this was posted elsewhere, apologies (a quck search didn't show a related story...)

Thailand Bans Underwater Cameras on Deep Dives for Most Divers | PetaPixel
(somewhat sensationalisitic title, also somewhat incorrect)

Could be good for the coral, but this a bit of a slippery slope (& AOW or 40 dives is a pretty low bar to set)

We've got an episode of The Underwater Photography Show coming out about this later today.

Edited April 25Apr 25 by Alex_Mustard

Let’s see how these new regulations play out in practice. If enforcement is anything like it was in the Similan (Koh Bon, Koh Tachai) and Surin (Richelieu Rock)National Parks, well—I wouldn’t hold my breath...

The new rules about snorkeling zones are interesting too: snorkelers are now supposed to stick to areas where there's at least two metres of water above the coral, to avoid disturbing the reef. Sounds good on paper. Let’s see if operators actually drop people into those areas—and whether the breadcrumb buffets are finally off the reef fish menu...

Edited April 25Apr 25 by bghazzal

May be if it was AOW and 40 dives rather than "or" 40 dives, some places will spit out an AOW diver with 8-10 dives. Though even that doesn't guarantee a diver with decent buoyancy control.

My only comment to this is will it apply to selfie stick GoPro / DJI Osmo / Insta36 / iPhone and Android shooters too?

What about once a year divers who barely "survive the dive" as I call it? AOW rating means nothing in today's world.....I tink I read somewhere 50 dives is a bare minimum people get their weighting and buoyancy anywhere approaching horizontal and balanced.

I think it's window dressing but maybe it'll at least divers will think: "Some old guy told me if you can't feel your feet they're likely destroying the reef below !!!!!! !"

Reefs need protection and publicizing this is a good thing overall :)

DH

I think it's good that they're trying to do something to help protect the reefs......its going to be tricky to get a balance though!

I wonder if there could be places that would insist on a photography "certification" in the future - it's going to be hard to police either way.

Getting distracted is not a privilege of photographers and videographers. I stirred up a lot of sludge in the local quarries. In my opinion it may be more the mind-set of collecting images in/for public, i.e instagramming, that increases carelessness above and below the water. Banning does not work well on dry-land hot-spots either.

If I had a better idea, though, I‘d make it known in a second. Alas…

Edited April 25Apr 25 by Klaus

I've been to resorts that insist on a "check out dive" without a camera to make sure you aren't a complete disaster in the water, at least the first time we visited. And other resorts that banned gloves and touching.

I believe this law is mainly aimed at brand new divers who need to take their selfie stick on their first dive for their TikTok or whatever. But it's subject to interpretation by the resort and divemasters who may bend it to fit their own agenda.

Didnt Nauticam raise prices like 10% in november or december already.

This hobby is getting way more expensive fast (like if it wasnt already).

I'm pretty shy about saying this, but I've seen very experienced underwater photographers with their fins everywhere all over corals too, seeing pieces break off in front of my eyes.

Something needs to be done for sure, but should it just target newcomers?

I like the effort. Emphasizing being reef friendly photographers may help. Just thinking someone is watching you may make some think twice about more than a muck stick or finger in the sand.

Just back from Anilao, great trip, but was sooooo disappointed with my fellow divers/photographers at the molesting of the reef, creatures, and corals. Witnessed guides pushing pygmy seahorses around for their clients. The posing of creatures for shots, the laying all over the bottom, the herding of macro creatures for "better" images was shameful.

Edited yesterday at 11:50 AM1 day by aquabluedreams