News
NUPG Annual Splash-In and Print Competition 2015
Every summer since 2000, when the Northern Underwater Photography Group (NUPG) was founded, they have organised a one day underwater photography competition which takes place anywhere in North Wales. Anglesey has, traditionally, been the focal point for the judging of the event, and for the third year running, the society has synchronised the event to coincide with the Anglesey Scubafest. It features a splash-in competition, where competitors have to take images on the day, in the sea, and only in marine waters around the North Wales coast line. In the past, the competition has been restricted to NUPG members only, but since the linkup with Scubafest, the event is open to all comers and is now one of the best attended splash-ins in the country.
Caroline Robertson-Brown receiving her award presented to her by Richard Corner of Mares.
Everyone has their own idea of where they think they can get the best pictures. Some head out on boats, others shore dive; but this year, everyone had particularly difficult conditions to deal with. Whilst the sun shone overhead, making it a lovey day to be out and about, underneath the surface the visibility was unforgiving for photographers at less than one metre, and many of the dives also had some annoying and vomit-inducing surge.
Each participant can choose to enter images into 5 categories: System Wide Angle; System Macro; Compact Wide Angle; Compact Macro and the Spirit of Scubafest. Once the dives are completed, the divers then all rush to the Scubafest venue, where the images have to be handed in by 7:30pm in time to be considered in the competition. The images that are submitted are not allowed to be cropped and only basic, whole image editing is allowed. The images have to be taken on the day and in order to discourage anyone from using an image taken earlier, a registration sheet is emailed out the evening before, and this has to be the first image on the memory card.
The winning shot of the ‘Spirit of Scubafest’ award, taken by Roz Lunn.
On top of the splash-in competition, there is also a print competition, with four categories to enter: Overseas Wide Angle; Overseas Macro; British Wide Angle and British Macro. Each image has to have been taken within the last 12 months by NUPG members. These are displayed around the outside of the room for all those attending, whether they took part or not, to vote for their favourite images (two from each category). It was great to see so many lovely shots in each category making it a tough choice for every vote. It was generally felt amongst the NUPG members that this year’s entrants were of a particularly high standard.
The event was sponsored by 10 different companies from within the diving and underwater photography industry. This meant that each category winner, from both the splash-in and print competitions, got a trophy to take home and keep. Apeks, Frogfish Photography and Mares were on hand to give out their awards, whilst Mark Evans, Sport Diver editor, was on hand to present the rest. Many of the votes were extremely close, with only one vote in it and for 3 categories, a vote-off was required to decide the winners, and in another two cases, the runner-up. The four splash-in category winners were then voted for to decide the overall winner of the 2015 splash-in. The overall winner won a trophy to keep, but more importantly, they also collected the highly coveted NUPG Splash-In trophy (an underwater photographer made out of nuts and bolts) to keep until next year.
And the winners are:
Splash-In
System Wide Angle (sponsored by Frogfish Photography): Winner – Caroline Robertson-Brown with an image of the blue sky looking up through some seaweed at Mckenzies Pier; Runner-up – Nick Robertson-Brown with a split shot of his dog Paddy swimming through the seaweed, also at McKenzies Pier.
System Macro (sponsored by Apeks): Winner – Caroline Robertson-Brown with a shot of 3 shannies taken at Porth Dafarch; Runner-up – Jim Garland with a portrait shot of a lobster & John Spencer with a cute shot of a blenny.
Compact Camera Wide Angle (sponsored by Nauticam UK): Winner – Alex Tasker with a split shot, with a gull flying overhead; Runner-up – Nick Robertson-Brown with a shot of Star Wars characters fighting on a sandy seabed!
Compact Camera Macro (sponsored by DiveLife): Winner – Alex Tasker with a detailed shot of an anemone; Runner-up – Marc Hubble with a difficult shot of a tiny crab hanging upside down on seaweed.
Winning shot of the Compact Camera Macro award by Alex Tasker.
Spirit of Scubafest (sponsored by Scubaverse.com): Winner – Roz Lunn with an image of a boy playing on an inflatable shark; Runner-up – Roz Lunn with an image of a horse on the beach with a boat full of divers in the background.
Overall Winner (sponsored by Mares): Winner – Caroline Robertson-Brown with the image of the shannies.
Print Competition
Overseas Wide Angle (sponsored by Equator Diving): Winner – Caroline Robertson-Brown with a split shot of a swimming pig from Exuma in The Bahamas; Runner-up – John Spencer with an evocative shot of a school of fish under a pier.
Overseas Macro (sponsored by Divequest): Winner – Paul Ansell with a lovely portrait of a colourful pipefish; Runner-up – Nick Robertson-Brown with a black background portrait of a leafy sea-dragon taken in South Australia and John Spencer with a tiny blenny on coral taken from above.
Winning shot of the Overseas Macro award by Paul Ansell.
British Wide Angle (sponsored by INON UK): Winner – Caroline Robertson-Brown with a shot of a seal taken in the Farne Islands; Runner-up – Paul Kay with a shot of colourful brittle stars.
British Macro (sponsored by Frogsborn): Winner – Paul Kay with a bokeh (blurred) shot of an edible crab; Runner-up – Sue Spencer with a shot of an anemone with brittle stars.
Once again the event was very well attended, with a high standard of images on display (especially given the splash-in conditions). Caroline, who is the NUPG secretary, was overwhelmed at doing so well on the night. “The NUPG splash-in trophy is something I have wanted to win since joining the NUPG 8 years ago. I am extremely proud to have now done so and cannot wait to get my name engraved on the trophy alongside some of our society’s previous great underwater photographers.”
To find out more about the NUPG, visit www.nupg.org.uk.
This weekend, Liquid Sports will be at Wraysbury Dive Centre with an exciting lineup of premium dive gear and exclusive offers for visitors to the event.
Divers can get hands-on with the latest from Bigblue Dive Lights, Poseidon Diving Systems, Sharkskin Technical Watersports Apparel, and Ursuit Drysuits.
You’ll have the chance to demo a Poseidon regulator during the event, and if you decide to purchase one over the weekend, you’ll receive a 10% discount plus some special Poseidon goodies as a thank-you.
Whether you’re in the market for new equipment or just want to see what’s new in the dive world, make sure to stop by the Liquid Sports stand at Wraysbury this weekend.
For more information, contact:
Liquid Sports
📞 07585 935522
📧 info@liquidsports.co.uk
🌐 www.liquidsports.co.uk
This year diving holiday specialist Dive Worldwide is proudly celebrating their 25th anniversary.
For over a quarter of a century, their expert team of experienced divers have taken enormous pride in offering liveaboard and resort-based holidays as well as creating many thousands of magical tailor-made and small group diving itineraries in over 200 locations worldwide.
To celebrate 25 years of Dive Worldwide, we spotlight a few of their longstanding partnerships and client-favourite accommodation options that have been enjoyed by hundreds of their valued clients over the years. As with all of Dive Worldwide’s portfolio, these partners not only offer exceptional diving, but memorable accommodation and the very best service too, creating precious memories for divers.
This month, you can save £100pp on new, flight inclusive holidays with Dive Worldwide when you book by 27 June 2025. To claim your discount, quote code: ScubaverseJ25
You can find out more about Dive Worldwide online, submit an enquiry or call their expert team on 01962 302087.
Dewi Nusantara Liveaboard, Indonesia
Dewi Nusantara is Southeast Asia’s largest, most iconic and elegant liveaboard, custom-built for lengthy scuba diving explorations. Transporting you to one of the most remote and spectacular diving destinations on Earth, you can enjoy luxury, world-class diving across the vibrant seas of the Coral Triangle, exploring world-renowned reefs at Raja Ampat, Triton Bay, the Forgotten Islands and Cenderawasih Bay.
To celebrate 25 years, the Dive Worldwide team are jumping aboard Dewi Nusantara this summer and inviting you to join them! Dive with Product Manager Joanna Charter to The Birdshead Peninsular, departing 3 July 2025 or join Dive Sales Consultant, Philippa Anderson to North Raja Ampat, departing 16 August 2025.
Book now to save 25% on selected last-minute summer 2025 Dewi Nusantara itineraries.
Beth S. travelled on Dewi Nusantara with Dive Worldwide in November and said “Dewi Nusantara was a premium liveaboard experience – the service, the diving, the food and the accommodation were all absolutely incredible. There’s nothing I would change about this experience and I will be going back!”
Find out more about Dewi Nusantara Liveaboard
Vilamendhoo Island Resort, Maldives
One of the classic Maldivian dive resorts, Vilamendhoo Island Resort is a quintessential paradise for snorkellers and divers, regularly welcoming Dive Worldwide’s eager clients.
Located in the southeast corner of the South Ari Atoll, this beautiful resort sits alongside a turquoise lagoon and 900 metre wide sand beach. Choose from a variety of comfortable room types, all featuring their own private patio area.
A Euro Divers PADI 5-star dive centre is just a few metres from the house reef, operating scuba diving and snorkelling activities. There’s a marine biology centre too, led by the Manta Trust who regularly run workshops for guests.
Benedict W. stayed at Vilamendhoo Island Resort in March after booking through Dive Worldwide and thought, “It’s a very comfortable resort with an excellent dive centre. The water bungalows are very spacious.”
Discover Vilamendhoo Island Resort
Siladen Resort & Spa, Indonesia
The Siladen Resort & Spa has hosted countless Dive Worldwide clients over the years, and it’s easy to see why. Guests love this exclusive award-winning boutique dive resort for its hidden location in the heart of the marine-rich Bunaken Marine Park, secluded accommodation, tropical gardens and elegant and relaxing atmosphere.
It’s suitable for both divers and snorkellers and there are a variety of topside and sea excursions available. Facilities include a restaurant and lounge bar, a saltwater pool and a spa where a full range of local treatments and massages are available.
here’s an onsite PADI 5-star dive centre too, strategically located in the marine park.
David B. travelled in February and said, “Our booking through Dive Worldwide was very smooth and well handled, and the staff at Siladen were outstanding and took care of our requests.”
Atmosphere Resort & Spa, Philippines
This owner-operated luxury resort in Dauin has retained its place as a firm favourite in the hearts of Dive Worldwide clients for 25 years. Not far from some of the best macro dive sites in the Philippines, guests are met with the warmest of Philippine hospitality combined with first-class amenities and services.
Surrounded by beautiful coconut plantations and perched between the mountains and the ocean, this stunning resort has a fantastic choice of accommodation options and facilities to enjoy, plus off-site activities can be arranged at the tour desk.
There’s an on-site PADI 5-star Instructor Development Centre. Here, photographers are well catered for with an on-site professional and a fully equipped, dedicated camera room.
Alison R. stayed at Atmosphere Resort & Spa in November and said, “The diving was fabulous and the Dive Worldwide team made it very special.”
A Message from Dive Worldwide’s Founder
Dive Worldwide recognise that their success is shared with the fantastic partners they work with to deliver exceptional diving adventures for eager divers. Here’s what Founder & Director Teresa Bennett had to say about reaching this significant milestone:
“When I founded Dive Worldwide 25 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the remarkable journey we would take. I’m incredibly proud of the reputation we’ve built, the professional and dedicated team behind our success and all the unique experiences we continue to offer our valued clients.”
What better way to select your next diving holiday than calling on Dive Worldwide’s 25 years of experience, especially when you can save £100pp?
Find out more about Dive Worldwide, submit an enquiry or call their expert team today on 01962 302087.
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