Newbie in attempting to shoot underwater

Hi there,

I'm a portrait shooter with a Canon 5D and Sony RX1. I'm trying to experiment to shoot underwater in a pool of my friend's backyard,

Initially I was intending to get a Dicapac bag for either of my camera but I've decided to rent a Sony RX100 V with a RecSea housing. I don't think I will get really serious but I just want to experiment something new with a friend.

Could I find out, will it be very difficult to rely on optical slave with speedlites? I was considering shooting at night but if I can't get my flashes to work I might attempt to do it in the day time to get maximum lighting. Has anyone actually used compact cameras to shoot portraits underwater? I've also read some tips around on diving belts with weights to hold myself so that I don't float too easily. I have an assistant currently that would be taking care of my lights. Will the idea of using continuous lights and LED panels on the surface pointing into the water be useful?

I hope this isn't too much of questions I'm asking... Thanks!

There have been a few detailed threads on this topic - search for pool lighting and underwater fashion.

One thing I remember clearly was the extensive precautions needed with anything powered around a pool

I had the same thought as Robert. A number of the past posts about this issue have high-lighted the safety issues!