Scuba Diving^® magazine’s 21st annual Through Your Lens photo contest is underway and accepting images that highlight the incredible underwater world.

“Entering our Through Your Lens Photo Contest isn’t just about winning,” says Candice Landau, Content Director for Scuba Diving magazine. “It’s about beginning the journey of putting your work out there, sharing your unique perspective and realising just how much impact your images can have. With categories for all levels, including an amateur category specifically for newcomers, there’s a real chance to get noticed and inspire positive ocean change.”

“This year we decided to bring back a couple of tried-and-tested categories, as well as add two new ones. In total, photographers will be able to submit to five different categories: wide angle, macro, split shot, amateur, and cold water,” Landau says.

Scuba Diving has confirmed the return of highly esteemed underwater photographers Brandon Cole, Kate Jonker, Suzan Meldonian and Alex Mustard to assist as guest judges. Entry is free, and photographers can submit up to five entries per category.

The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 USD cash prize and a weeklong liveaboard trip aboard the Komodo Aggressor. First-place winners for each specified category will receive an Aggressor Adventures liveaboard trip; second-place winners will receive a Scubapro regulator; and third-place winners will receive a SeaLife SportDiver S smartphone housing. Two winners in the Amateur category will receive a liveaboard trip from All Star Liveaboards. Select winners will also be given the opportunity to have their photos featured on PADI certification cards.

Past winners of the annual competition include colorful images of alpine newts on water lilies in Belgium, divers finning through a submerged Slovak opal mine, and an eye-to-eye encounter with a dwarf minke whale on the Great Barrier Reef.

“This contest is a chance to celebrate the artistry and passion of underwater photographers at every level. It brings the underwater world to the surface for everyone to see, and it’s always amazing to witness the creativity, dedication, and stories that these images tell,” says Landau. “It’s not just about taking a beautiful picture, it’s about capturing a moment that inspires others to dive, explore, and protect the ocean. Every submission helps us tell the story of the underwater world and why it matters.”

All winners and honourable mentions will be published in the September/October 2025 Photo Issue of Scuba Diving magazine, with the cover featuring one of the contest entries. Entries are open now until July 7, 2025 on scubadiving.com/photocontest.

About Scuba Diving Magazine

United in our passion for diving and the world beneath the surface. Scuba Diving is an inclusive print and digital forum to learn about, connect on and fuel a shared passion for underwater exploration. Our enthusiasm for the sport of diving, the stunning places we experience, the incredible marine encounters, and our purpose-driven commitment to ocean change keeps us connected and inspires one another to seek adventure and save the ocean.  The ultimate, trusted source, we deliver expert insights on gear, safety, training, local diving, travel and dive professions – because, as divers ourselves, we care deeply about the same topics.  Whether we dive once a year or for a living, we’re a single community of ocean lovers constantly encouraging those new to diving to join us.

www.scubadiving.com

About PADI

PADI^® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors^®) is the world’s largest ocean exploration and diver organisation, operating in 186 countries and territories, with a global network of more than 6,600 dive centres and resorts and over 128,000 professional members worldwide. Issuing more than 1 million certifications each year, and with over 30 million certifications to date, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive^®, maintaining its high standards for dive training, safety and customer service, monitored for worldwide consistency and quality. With a longstanding commitment to environmental conservation, PADI is leading the way for millions of people to actively explore, steward and protect the ocean through its course offerings and partnerships with like-minded, mission-driven organisations. PADI embodies a global commitment to ocean health with its mission to create a billion torchbearers to explore and protect the ocean. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.^SM

www.padi.com

The Underwater Awards Australasia 2025 is now open! The premier underwater imaging competition focused on the Australasian region is a three-way collaboration between the long-established Underwater Australasia, leading underwater photography and videography resource DivePhotoGuide, and underwater imaging equipment and dive gear distributor UW Images.

The competition will culminate in an exhibition at Go Diving Show ANZ in September 2025
—the second Australian edition of the hugely successful Go Diving Show in the UK.

The prestigious judging panel comprises of photo judges Tobias Friedrich, Jayne Jenkins, Matty Smith, Tanya Houppermans, Scott Portelli and William Tan; and video judges Philip
Hamilton and Ross Long.

The prizes, worth more than A$70,000 in total, include dive trips with the world’s top resorts
and liveaboards, as well as the latest underwater photo and video gear—even an
underwater photography drone and an underwater scooter with photographic platform.

Entrants compete for prizes in 9 categories, including the unique “Reels Showcase” video
category. The top image or video among the category winners receives the distinction of
“Best of Show.”

The competition calls for passionate underwater shooters from around the world to submit
their most captivating and compelling images and videos from the Australasian region.
Shooters are invited to immerse themselves in the challenge of capturing the essence of this
extraordinary realm, where every frame tells a story of the delicate balance and
breathtaking beauty that characterises our oceans.

Winners will be revealed on UnderwaterCompetition.com and published by supporting
media partners worldwide shortly thereafter. The entry fees are US$10 per image or video
entered.

You can find out more and register to enter here.