bghazzal

Thank Craig, this is food for thought. I'm building the whole kit from the ground up, so it will be macro only at first (which is fine as this is what I’m focusing on at the moment anyway), expanding to cover wide angle as well at a later stage 🤞 I now think a Zeiss Touit 50mm - combined with diopters on a flip holder as Davide was suggesting - is really the way to go for now. I already have the CMC-1 and also have the Inon UCL-165 +6 or an AOI +12.5 as weaker to slightly weaker options - might go for CMC-2 later on, but the AOI UCL-09 is similar and a nice lens to work with. The one thing I’m a little worried about is the range the 50mm on its own would give me on APS-C, especially for BW type scenarios, where it would also be nice to be able to shoot larger subjects like salps or squid, typically in the 10/20cm range. But based on sensor calculation equivalents, unless I'm reading it all wrong, I think it should be fine. For such larger subjects I’m shooting removing diopters and shooting at a 36mm equivalent on a 1” sensor at f/11, which is equivalent to 98.2mm at f/30 on FF. Which is, in turn, equivalent to 60.5mm on APS-C, so actually tighter than the native 50mm lens, if I'm not mistaken. Meaning the 50mm should allow me to film larger subjects in the 10/20cm range while also having enough magnification work in the 1cm to 5mm range with diopters.

Thanks for all the advice, this is really useful. I would love to know your opinion on the following - as stated, I've recently started shooting small planktonic critters (so small, 10- 5cm for the largest to 0.5mm range) in blackwater/bonfire type settings, which I most likely will be concentrating on in the future. On the 1" compact I currently shoot with, I have a zoom lens , and I'm working mostly with my 36-72mm equivalent lens at zoomed in to 50mm equivalent, combined with a +6 diopter - this is my default shooting mode and works well in most BW-type situations (at f/11, I get a working distance of min: 30mm max: 210mm with this setup) Now this is all on a 1" sensor, so a crop factor of 2.7. I zoom out to 36mm for larger subjects (eventually removing the diopter for bigger ones like squids). I sometimes shoot with a stronger diopter (+12.5, in this clip for instance) also in zoomed to 50mm equivalent, but rarely go beyond 60mm equivalent with either diopters as it's very difficult to handle (shake and in-camera spotting/framing issues) Now switching to Sony ASP-C will be a completely different game of course,. Looking at the macro options mentioned above a 50mm like the Zeiss (plus diopters on a flip-mount) should give me required magnification with good image quality. However, I'm a little concerned about flexibility, and wondering if in this type of scenario it might not be better to go with a zoom lens, like a 16-50mm, which has been suggested. Keep in mind that this is for video, so as much as I love pixel-peeping, it's a little different with moving pictures. Two things I'm concerned about with a zoom lens is: 1. having to work in the telephoto range more often than not (which will increase shake and increase distortion) 2. autofocus performance, which might be slower than with a prime? Any thoughts on this, 50mm prime vs. 16-50mm zoom for bw-type video on an ASP-C sensor? thanks!

Here's a related thread on the infamous photogear tax. I wouldn't be surprised if they started applying it to scuba gear more regularly as well (has happened before, as well as for golf clubs and other equipment)

Agree - more than visitors, action would need come from diving operators and dive-tourism stakeholders first. If dive operations - both Mexican and foreign-owned - in Mexico's main dive-tourism areas, primarily the States of Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur, worked together on a joint petition addressed both to their State's local government and also, bringing the issue up on a national level (to the Mexican Secretary of Tourism / Secretaría de Turismo) this could carry some weight. Such a petition would need to stress how the current application of taxation on tourist imaging equipment is damaging their respective businesses and also the image of Mexico as a flourishing dive-tourism destination (and is thus detrimental to the tourism-based economy in their area), and should aim for an offical amendment to current regulations (ie. a tax exemption for camera equipment to be used by tourists during their visit for amateur purposes, equipment which will not be staying in the country), and/or to the way regulations are applied on the ground by customs personel. If dive operators in Cozumel, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, as well as La Paz, Cabo Pulmo and Cabo San Lucas and Bahia Magdalena petitioned their local governmental authorities and nation while also submitting a joint petition on national level, this might have more luck in acheiving something. But I imagine local politics, rivalries and strife (along with general indifference on their part? 😅) might make this more complex than it sounds in reality. Ruthless application of tax regulations (and this is not just for camera equipment) has been getting worse across the country recently, but the camera import levies issue has been going on for years...

As a sidenote, if you want to try it "on the cheap", just buy a pair of the strongest cheap reading glasses you can find (usually +3 or +4), remove the arms and replace with a strap. My vision is dropping fast as well, but I've been using this system for 2 years for shooting macro to supermacro video, and it's fine. What I really like about this system is that the readers can be moved up or down (I usually have them low when I'm spotting, and covering the field of vision when I'm shooting), and removed as well (I just fit them on the mask at depth). And it's super cheap as well. Just make sure you have a clip on the reader's strap so you can clip them to something when not in use. This is what my current kit of DIY readers look like: There's also a thread on the subject here cheers

Underwater image-maker getting ready to cross Mexican customs with his camera gear... 😁

Thank I'll look into these - main reason for putting the R7 is the crop factor applied for 4K video - to quote what I've been reading online on the subject, on the R7 uncropped 4k60fps is line-skipped, and the image quality is not as good as in 4K fine (which is oversampled from 7K) or 4k60 crop (which is a 1:1 4K “cutout” of the R7’s sensor) - specs on 4K modes are here maybe I'm reading this wrong but it seems like R7 sensor crop implementation is not as efficient as on the similarly priced A6700. But yes, i'm a little worried about WB on the Sony... Thanks, I’ll do some digging. Good to know for macro lenses - a primarily BW shooter also mentioned that some people using the A7R are using the monster adapter to use the Nikon 60 macro But not sure if this would work on the A6700 as well. 90mm on a cropped sensor will be too much to handle for BW type scenarios I think. The A6*** range is a little odd, so I'm really happy to hear feedback from someone using one for video. I don't really understand the positioning, seem to me these are mainly aimed a v-loggers and professionnal land shooters look for a cheaper B-cam? Very little info for UW use, even less for UW video. But on the spec front, it looks pretty capable, with a somewhat similar lineup to the FX3 range - not sure how this works in real life though, and if I had the choice, I would prefer a camera which isn't a hybrid since I don't shoot stills, but these are in a different price bracket. Thanks Chris - yes, it’s tricky and I still do have reservations regarding the Sony when it comes to wide-angle WB (which for me will be with a Keldan filter and/or mixed lighting) - for this I would love to reunited with Canon colours, but at the same time in terms of image quality/sensor and AF Sony does seem to have the lead for video in this price range. I didn’t know for the Marelux A6700, thanks for the heads-up. Regarding M43, this was indeed my go to choice until recently - unbeatable plan was to get a second-hand GH5s rig, and work with that for a while as it’s a great tool. But something came up, unfortunately... a growing interest in plankton and BW/bonfire type shooting scenarios, for which I really need a workable video AF. Working in manual works fine for wide or standard ground-based macro/supermacro, but when it comes to small critters moving in the water column, the combination of shallow depth of field and erratic movement makes manual focus too much to handle. What happens is that I get the animal in focus (using peaking as my ref) and start shooting, but they tend to move in and out of focus range too fast for me to make the small adjustments required to follow-focus at this magnification level. I’ve even played around with Panasonic tracking AF, and can get the tracking locked on the critter (it’s amazingly good - possibly because this is a high-contrast situation), but the lens / actual AF is way too slow to follow and make the required micro-adjustment in time (as in really slow, 3 seconds of so...), so manual focus and following with the camera is more efficient. And I can't adjust manually on the camera itself - I need to lose a hand to reach the knob, which moves/shakes the camera a lot at this magnification level, and also the adjustement range is not precise enough to follow-focus. So I just follow in manual by moving the camera, using peaking as a reference - we're talking small adjustments forward of back, of a couple of cm, but it's tough to try to read critter movement. And this is where AF would come in - logically, if the lens is fast enough to do its bit while I also follow along, working together should work well and extend the in-focus duration of encounters Also having 60fps will allow me to slow down to 50% speed, which will help as well compared to 30fps. But all this said and done, the main issue I’m having here is that it’s very difficult to estimate underwater AF performance for macro video, where I would need the camera to work with me and make small focal adjustements so we follow the critter together. I think it's doable as I'm already able to tracking-lock on critters, which is pointless but shows that even a Panasonic can track. Then it's just a question of lens AF efficiency. cheers ben

Sounds like rebreather dives would be tricky for blackwater-style diving and anything requiring frequent buoyancy changes... It's a shame because bubbles have - in theory at least - a marked effect on planktonic critters who are thought to be primarily guided by uw noise and water movement (“vortexes”) marine life makes... If planktonic critters can sense creatures pulsating, undulating, jetstreaming or finning, imagine the effect a regular flow of OC bubbles must be having on the encounters 😅

Hello all, I'm started looking into future upgrade options for my video rig, and APS-C cameras seem to be the best in my price range (otherwise I would like a cropped sensor more than FF) Currently looking into the Sony A6700, which seems to be a better package than the Canon R7 in the APS-C range (though I do have reservations about WB possibilities), and more financially accessible than the Sony FX30 However, I'm completely clueless in the Sony ecosystem and practical for lenses for video, so was wondering what your recommendations would be for: - a wide lens AF is not really important here (I will be shooting in manual), but I would like to avoid corner distortion. Doesn't have to be super-duper wide. The Sony 11mm F1.8 SEL11F18 has been recommended - maybe rectilinear options? Matching port recommendations for a Nauticam housing would be welcome - a macro lens This would need good AF support, as main application would be blackwater/bonfire type scenarios (again, video only) AF is one of the reasons (along with 4K60fps, HDMI monitor support and battery life) prompting the interest in an update, as following fast moving small critters on a tiny focal plane is tricky - there's only some much you can do with elbows and it's too fast for manual adjustements. Since this is an APS-C cropped sensor with a x1.5 crop, I'm thinking a 60mm macro would be good in this type of scenario? Looking forward to reading your wise insights cheers! ben

Thanks Val. Looking forward to your feedback on the FX3. I shoot macro/super macro in manual as well, but for blackwater-type video I'm finding it very difficult to handle small critters moving in an out of the focal range - it's too fast to make adjustments manually - if the critter is slow enough you can follow with your elbows using peaking, but in and out movement is often erratic, so that's left me longing for some AF tracking, which puts on the Sony/Canon trail 😄 cheers

Thanks - Yes, I agree. my idea was to avoid being locked in an all-inclusive resort, which is not my cup of tea in general, but if there's nothing around, then there's no way around it. If i go there it's really for the night-diving blackwater/bonfire diving scene, meaning late-ish nights and not much day diving (if any), so logistically it would make more sense to stay in a place organizing it. I also don't think cheaper homestays would be able to organize BW, which is pretty specific. I was asking because quite a few places I've worked in or visitied in SE Asia (Indonesia, Thailand) have the diving scene grouped up in one small walkable area, with a little town of hotels, eats and restaurants, which is for me anyway - much nicer than eating/staying at a resort. Even when I was working in Palau, which is mostly resorts, guests would have the option to stay in downtown Koror, 15minute pick-up from Malakal where the diving leaves from. But some more remote places are pretty much resort/homestay only - I now understand Anilao is this type of place. cheers

Good to know, thanks - I'm not a big fan of all-inclusive resorts in general, so I was wondering, but if it's far and there's no much around, not ideal (I had a foretaste of Filipino food / cooking when I was working in Palau, 80% of the workforce is from PH...) My primary interest in the area is blackwater/bonfire diving, if I do go there I don't think I'll be diving much during the day, so logistically it would also make sense to stay in the same place to avoid the hassle in the evening. Ah well, no way around resort-life then I guess. cheers

Welcome Val - Really curious as to your experience with the FX3 when you do upgrade - I have my eyes on the crop-sensor version, the APS-C FX30, but it's just a distant pipedream for now financially. Really looking to some feedback on the FX3 manual WB at depth and also autofocus tracking, which, after shooting in manual for a while, I've become strongly interested in for black-water type scenarios (small critters moving unpredictably in the water column). cheers ben

No clue for the Philippines, but it's definitely increasing fast in Indonesia, centered mostly around the Bali / Lombok / Sulawesi areas. Here's a 2022 article on the subject. In east Bali (Tulamben/Amed) area where I am now, I can think of 3 Amed dive shops offering CCR training and/or support. Some are tech focused others just tech friendly. Same goes for down south (Sanur area) - though not sure what is going in Nusa Penida/Lembongan, which are the closest diving areas from Sanur. Otherwise the Gili islands area (Lombok), where a tech scene has been around for a while now. And there's definitely some CCR support in north Sulawesi (Bunaken was one of the first places where a dive center hosted a full-time tech department IIRC), and there's a budding but dynamic cave diving scene in south Sulawesi. Sure, it will be more tricky in more remote areas like Raja Ampat, Alor or Komodo, where beyond logistics currents also make it difficult to offer more independent, longer duration unguided diving (can be quite dangerous without good knowledge of the sites and the area), so don't think it will be much of an option other than on dedicated liveaboard cruises. There's a small tech and cave diving scene in Thailand, people like Ben Reymenant in the south (Phuket) and also tech training in Koh Tao (Gulf of Thailand). Sourcing sofnolime and O2 is certainly doable in Palau, where local based divers dive on rebs (mostly for the wrecks and also spawning dives), and tech-focused trips are regularly organised, and speaking of Micronesia, Chuuk / Truk based operations should offer some support as well, despite the area's remoteness. And to stay in main dive-tourism / travel destinations, Mexico (Quintana Roo / Tulum) is a well established cave diving and training area. Not sure what's going on in Egypt, but surely there's tech diving support / training in Dahab and Sharm el Sheikh? cheers

Thanks for the tip - I've never been to Anilao (or to the Philippines in general), so was wondering if it was possible to dive with most operations as a drop-in, without actually staying at their resort, or is that frowned upon? Staying at these accomodations, are Anilao resorts within walkable distance or is it spread out, and are there food options closeby? Thanks!

This type of workflow is very commonly recommended for video editing from a laptop (similarly, for desktop, dual drives setups are typically the way to go for video). As you edit, the computer is reading footage off the drive it was imported to. So importing to an SSD, and running everything from there saves a lot of internal HDD space (FCP library of imported work files and renders, FCPX's motion capture folder), and this essential on laptops with less than 5TB of disk space. And as mentioned, on slower machines like mine, this workflow (editing from external) also helps the computer with buffering issues - it's really night and day for integrated software like FCPX (as in I can't run FCPX and edit from libraries on the internal HDD without everything freezing as the project develops, but this doesn't happen when running from an external disk). There are plenty of hits on this subjects explaining how to set this up and why: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=why+edit+video+from+external+hard+drive So yes, it's certainly a workaround in a way, but pretty much a necessary one for regularly editing video on a laptop (one of the reasons prompting the upgrade) so it probably would be worth looking into even on a newer machines. cheers

For me more than speed, it's actually a question of making editing possible or not on my machine and its 8GB of ram for a 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. If I am doing everything internally, it saturates all read/write buffers. Running FCP and its library externally on an SSD works fine to edit 4K video (I do need to work with proxies for HEVC codecs though), so it might be worth a shot on a more powerful machine as well (there are plenty of videos on how to set this up, this one for instance) DaVinci Resolve, however is not an option - I have never managed to get fluid playback, even after tweaking and working with proxy files.

One thing which might be interesting to take into account for video editing on a laptop: running Final Cut from an external SDD drive, instead of internally will help a lot with processing speed. This is how I manage to edit 4K video on a 2017 Macbook Air... And nothing stops you from running Lightroom and Photoshop from the SSD ( I do this as well). What I do is partition a Samsung T7 SSD, one small partition for running apps and one for storage (and FCP libraries), and just run from that. cheers

Thanks for that, always good to see some nice BW video clips! Swarming is mostly a bonfire issue - it does happen in BW but to a much lesser degree, and much more occasional, hitting a big school of copepods for instances. You can look at the light beams and how clean it is: What strikes me here is two things: first the nature of the footage critters: the video footage is mostly of salps and ctenophora, with some fish and a couple of more exotic critters. This is interesting as while David Fleetham's commentary is about the vertical migration of deep dwelling species, we are shown images of critters which are encountered also commonly encountered in the shallows. Maybe it was a bad day, nature is unforgiving... And yet even if the same species can be commonly encountered on shallow bonfire dives in certain locales, the great thing about being in open ocean like this is less swarming, and potentially better viz with less runoff and other terrestrial influences. Also, from a technical point of view, these are some of the bigger and slower critters encountered on these dives, and are slo-moed above 50%. I'm happy to see big-floats in there, which definitely help with stabilisation. Also not sure if these rigs are video focused or not - the main video light used here seems to be the wide video light, top mounted, and primarily functioning as a focus light. cheers b

Pretty cool! Given the colour and shape, the first one looks like a hairy purple reef spider crab - probable some kind Achaeus , same family as the orang-utan crab (Achaeus japonicus).

hehehe, yeah saw that - I actually know this particular map base they're using on Coralia liveaboard, actually copied it myself, before going 3D instead 😁 Here's the original, created by Mermaids liveaboard IIRC https://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=862 Humble study copy: 👨‍🎨🎨🤣

Yes, it's a little weird - copyrighting an actual device I can understand, but a diving technique and name? Especially on a individual level? Imagine if "sidemount", "muck" or "drift dive" were copyrighted... 😅 I wouldn't go as far - what's certain is that the predatory action build up in bonfire-style diving can also make things more difficult, for getting cleaner images for instance. And current is a bonfire killer, whereas it is not a problem for drifting black water. Also critters encountered are not necessarily met at the same period of the life cycle between the two styles, and while up to 80 to 90% are common in certain places, they might differ in terms of frequency and ratio. Ram Yoro (most of these observations come from him, based on his long experience with bonfire) said he also noticed - in his locale anyway - differences in sex ratio, with more female argonauts or blanket octopus than male argonauts in deep blackwater diving, but more male argonauts or female blanket octopus in bonfire diving for instance... These differences could be linked to a number of factors, it's all pretty fascinating! And some truly deep sea critters, like the deep sea 7-arm octopus are rarely seen on shallow bonfire dives (but some have actually been spotted in close to a bonfire site, in slightly deeper water... again, the relation to depth and light is probably more complex than we'd think...) Overall bonfire-style dives are more "regular", since you can build up at site (to the point that it's detrimental, with predatory habituation as mentioned above), whereas in drifting deep blackwater diving, the light bait is moving and critters migrating from the deep to shallows are ecountered more by chance than anything else. In a way, we could say that maybe it's not so much blackwater diving which is overrated, but more likely bonfire-type diving which is underrated, and also not alway organized in the optimal way...

Wow - impressive - 6 knots+ !!! Biggest I've seen are the tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait between the Shikoku (Tokushima) and Awaji island in Japan... But diving there would be a death sentence... Here are some hair raising Japanese whirlpool clips 😵 Back to BBC Earth Asia, here's a review I find a little bland but which ends on this rather pertinent observation: "It is notable that, in this first episode at least, Asia has toned down the rhetoric that permeated Planet Earth III, for example, of the Anthropocene and human-induced destruction. Here, the rampant industrialisation of the planet has tweaked delicate ecosystems, rather than ravaged them: see an Israeli power station that pumps out water that is 10C warmer than the surrounding seas. While there is little mention of what those heated waters have done on a larger scale, it does point out that it has accidentally benefited the pregnant female dusky sharks that now gather in the area. It mentions busy shipping routes and polluted seas but, largely, this is more gentle, less urgent, than some of its preceding series. I just wonder if a lack of urgency is really what the natural world needs now." Source: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/nov/03/asia-review-another-david-attenborough-masterclass-in-beautiful-tv

Well, it's out and pretty stunning as expected 🤩 Unfortunately, as far as I can see the BTS footage is focused on the whirlpools in Komodo, with no Palau sequence behind the scenes making-of... Hopefully on another BTS sequence, then 😶🤞 As I was writing above, other than the mantas footage shot at Karang/Taka Makassar (another central Komodo classic - though I do wonder why they didn't go for mantas at Mawan or even at Cauldron / Shotgun, where they're regularly spotted in nicer settings than cleaning stations in reef rubble...) - they did go shoot the whirlpool sequence at central Komodo National Park's Batu Bolong, which is also shown in the BTS sequence. It's a little confusing because the aerial shots used also jump to North Komodo (Gili Lawa Laut, Golden Passage) but the exciting whirlpool surface scene was shot at Batu Bolong, in the center of the park. Batu Bolong (which means "pierced rock", due to the hole/arch seen on the surface of the islet) is a world famous site, footage of which you've probably seen if you've ever watched a video / seen pictures shot in the park (iconic shots of anthias shooting out of a stunning hard coral garden in the shallows...). And it's actually a relatively easy dive site where simply you zigzag up a slope from 25meters-ish to the surface. The main issue with this dive site is that a powerful current directly hits the rock - and while you're always diving the lee side / protected area, this direct hit creates powerful down-currents whirlpools on the sides of the protected area, sucking down to a depth of 80m+... As a guide, your role is to make sure the site is safely diveable (which it isn't always...) and, underwater, to know when to stop your group and make the turn to head towards the other side. This is done by reading the site: watching current lines on the surface, reading fish behaviour - GTs and other large fish swimming in the current for instance - as well as fixed elements like seafans, drifting particules, and just generally feeling / conservatively estimating the pull of the current... But if the tide switches (in central Komodo NP, the main current flows north to south on a falling tide, and from south to north on a rising tide) - which it can sometimes do very quickly in the area - you can end up in pretty nighmarish situations underwater, as the protected area shrinks (the rock isn't really round, but actually oval...), which is why timing is very important. On a good day, however, when it's not too crazy, you can actually follow the tide change, making careful progress on the tip of your fins - and go all the way around the rock at slack tide... Here are some maps I drew back in the day - not really works of arts I know, but they might help will make more sense of the above: On wild and crazy days, it's like a river and the site is undiveable (strong currents bounce around on the islands in Komodo like on a pinball deck, so when it's strong, it can get a little crazy, no real protected area, back headings, bubbles pulled down etc....) And on the surface, strong currents also creates issues for entries (which need to be efficient) and especially upon surfacing, as divers can get pulled to the side current lines, where less powerful boats will struggle to manoeuvre safely. So checking the site from the surface if the current looks a little iffy is also a major responsability. This is phone clip I took of Batu Bolong a few years back (when I didn't know how to lock focus on a phone apparently...), showing the site in generally undiveable conditions, the current lines looking like white water rapids.... 😅 Now what the BBC crew did in this series - and that's pretty brave - is to film on the surface, right in the current lines and whirlpools that form on both sides on the rock... Keep in mind that while the dive site itself is not particularly difficult, there have been quite a few underwater accidents / fatalities at Batu Bolong, with divers going too far towards the sides and getting pulled down - there was also a rumour that someone had voluntarily gone in the whirlpools with a tech setup, basically to see what happens... I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it would be very dangerous as the washing machine could certainly be life threatening, redundancy and depth-compliant setup or not. These whirlpools are also infamous in Komodo National Park for the issues they create on the surface, and everyone working there has seen divers surface a little too close to the sides when the flow is picking up, and get pulled into the current, towards the whirlpools... The whirlpools can certainly suck a diver down when it's really strong, something I haven't seen luckily, but I've seen people having issues with the traction while climbing the ladder and needing an extra pair of arms to be pulled out of it, and also slow boats struggling to manoeuvre and push out of the current after a late pick up... Not great, so this is generally something we try to avoid by surfacing in the center of the protected area, especially when current is strong or picking up. And for this sequence, what the BBC crew actually go for it, with a life-jacket reinforced flotation rig, and head straight towards the whirlpool and film it, which is pretty gnarly! Capture from the BBC Earth Asia 1 behind-the-scene sequence, heading for the whirlpools of Batu Bolong with the rig... Nice one 🤙 - Next step would be actually diving the washing machine downcurrent to wherever it takes you I guess? Underwater drone or GoPros on stick perhaps? cheers ben

Yes, the copyrighting thing is a little weird. Not sure what the story/timeline is behind this - he's been experimenting with this type of diving for 20+ years, and not sure who actually first came up with the name blackwater diving. From what I gathered BW first started with the tethered dives in Hawaii (perhaps you have more local background info?), not sure if there was a connection with Japan, spreading to Florida and then Mexico (Cozumel), where it is going strong. Drifting blackwater diving mostly started with Mike Bartick's untethered tests in Anilao, first using attaching the bait light lines to the boat then finally to an indepentend floating line ("pumpkin" shown above), since the boat would drift faster than the divers. From there, more recenty it spread to Indonesia (Lembeh, Tulamben for land based resorts, and on various liveaboards for more punctual/exploratory dives, eg. in Raja Ampat or Komodo), and also to Thailand (through WaP member Alex Tyrrell, first diving in Koh Tao then on Thailand's Andaman sea and up to Myanmar on Smiling Seahorse cruises) and elsewhere (Hong Kong with Simon Lorenz for instance.) Some liveaboards (like the Siren in Palau) also offer regular BW dives on trips. Bonfire-style diving itself is strongly linked to Ram Yoro's experimentation in the Philippines, and also regularly held in Lembeh, not sure about other places at the moment, but given how flexible the setup is it could spread. There is a strong connection with Japanese planktonic diving, and maybe with Kona's bonfire-style light-baited manta dives? That said, Japan is a bit of a mystery (as always 😉). Other than Ryo Minemizu, photographers like Kazushige Hiroguchi (who recently did a talk on the subject at Japan ADEX) have been exploring planktonic diving for quite a while now, and there's a lot of "light trap" diving going on across the archipelago (Toyama Bay, Okinawa, Kume Island, Hachijo Island, Izu and Osezaki or Ainan just to name a few hotspots I've seen popup recently). Flyer for a Hori Night bonfire/BW dive organized by Kazushige Horiguchi in Ainan (Shikoku Island/Pref.) And the actual term "Black Water Dive" is under Japanese copyright... 😅 Not really sure how Japan fits in on the BW/bonfire timeline, but my strong inkling is that Japanese photographers might actually have been pioneers of planktonic diving - even though the now almost standard Mike Bartick-style drifting downline used for deep blackwater doesn't seem to be the most common form (which seem to revolve around weaker lights, often in bonfire-type configurations). *** Regarding the lights themselves, based on discussions with Ram Yoro, here Ryo Shinemizu is refering both to CRI and temp. The general idea is that the closer the light spectrum is to the sun's, the better, meaning ideally you would want a CRI above 90, and a colour temperature equal or warmer than 5,600 K. Reason for this is that such a light would attract more phytoplankton, thus recreating the food chain by attracting zooplankton feeding on the phytoplankton, and then critters feeding on the zooplankton itself. Deep drifiting blackwater focuses on the vertical migration of critters, whereas in bonfire type diving, the base of the buildup / attraction is actually phytoplankton, which actually doesn't take part in this vertical migration process, actually following the sun, which it needs for photosynthesis. And as Ryo Shinemizu mentioned, critters phototaxis, relationship to the light, is quite complex, and many of the amazing larval forms seen in blackwater are also spotted on shallower bonfire-type dives because most of these will be returning to the shallows at some point in their life cycle... Based on all this, we could add that one of the main differences between deep blackwater diving and shallow bonfire-style light-baited planktonic diving are as follows: - plankton is generally defined by its inability to resist current - in deep blackwater you actually drift with the planktonic critters, whereas static bonfire diving (unless it is itself organized as a shallow drift) implies near currentless conditions, allowing for a buildup of the foodchain (slack high tide being ideal) and predation. - deep blackwater diving focuses on attracting critters during some phase of their vertical migration of critters from the deep, whereas the basis of shallow bonfire diving is predation, building the phytoplanton/zooplankton/larval critter food chain. There is a similar idea in deep blackwater as well (the vertical migration also has a predatory aspect to it), but encounters will tend to be more random (and surprising) - shallow bonfire-style light-baited diving has a baseline of critters , which Ram Yoro calls "coastal plankton". This is a good term to describe the "regulars" which almost always show up on bonfires, marine worms, various gastropods and pteropods, different types of larvae of crustaceans like mantis shrimps, eels and flounders and various types of fish - these larval forms also overlap with some of the critters seen in deep water, spotted at a different time-period in their evolutionary process. cheers ben