Underwater Photography Registration & FAQs

Alongside the Falmouth University team, we work with an external dive contractor who provides students with additional health and safety cover and equipment. 

If you do not have your own dive equipment, our contractor will provide all necessary items to join the programme, including wetsuits, with the exception of a dive mask. Since the pandemic, it has been deemed necessary for all students to have their own personal mask. 

If you wish to dive using your own personal equipment, then your equipment must be professionally serviced every 12 months. You will not be able to use personal equipment that is not in service. 

Essential Items 

• Dive mask 
• Minimum 16GB SD card 
• 4 x AA rechargeable batteries for strobe. We recommend Eneloop Pro. 
• If you intend to join the Stage 2 programme, you will need 8 batteries. 

Recommended Items 

• Dry robe 
• Dive hood 
• Dive boots 
• Dive fins 
• Reusable water bottle 
• Personal dive computer 
• A bottle of Sea Gold antifog 

If you intend to use your own personal dive regulator, you must also have a personal dive computer. 

All underwater photography participants must hold a recognised diving qualification equivalent to the following: 

• BSAC Sport Diver 
• PADI Rescue Diver 

These are the most common qualification agencies in the UK. Other qualifications will be accepted, provided they are of an equivalent training level to those outlined above. 

Please ensure you are qualified before the course begins in September. We will require your medical paperwork and qualification numbers in your first week of term. 

While it may be possible to complete elements of your dive training when you arrive in Falmouth, if you have already booked with a local dive school, we strongly recommend that you complete your qualifications in good time before starting the course. Between inclement weather and course commitments, completing dive qualifications in September before term begins can prove exceptionally difficult. 

If you miss the qualification deadline, we cannot guarantee that you will have another opportunity to take part in underwater photography. 

GP Medical form 

This form will ask a number of questions about any known existing medical conditions. You must confirm every box on this form and then have the form officially confirmed by your GP. 

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the medical queries on this form, you will need to be referred to a hyperbaric doctor to be deemed medically fit to dive. Your GP is not able to confirm your fitness to dive in these circumstances, as many conditions and medications can have contraindications underwater. 

We strongly advise that you prioritise confirming your medical fitness before booking any dive courses. If you are already qualified to dive, you will still be required to provide certified medical clearance. Some conditions, including asthma or mental health considerations, can take in excess of six weeks to resolve. 

You will not be eligible to join underwater photography without medical clearance. Please ensure you complete this process with your local GP. Registration and the transfer of medical details can be a lengthy process and may result in you missing the course if you wait to do this in Falmouth. 

UKDMC Form 

This is a self-certification medical form. It appears very similar to the GP medical form but does not require a signature from a professional medical body. 

You will need a dive in UK waters within six months of starting the underwater photography course.

The UK presents different environmental considerations underwater to those you may have experienced if you qualified abroad. All prospective students should have completed a UK dive within six months of the Underwater Photography programme commencing, to ensure that you are comfortable in the environment and that your skills are current. 

While you may have been able to gain diving qualifications, even with known medical issues, the UK has strict regulations on assessing whether individuals are fit to dive and able to operate as an effective buddy underwater. If you have a known medical condition and have managed to attain your diving qualifications without referral to a medical professional, we advise that you contact your training agency to discuss this further. 

Once you have successfully completed the Stage 1 dive programme, you will be able to book out our entry-level underwater cameras for use in your University projects. You will also be invited to join our Stage 2 programme, where you will be instructed in the use of professional-standard underwater photography equipment. Upon completion of Stage 2, you will be able to use our more advanced underwater cameras for your University projects. 

Not officially, as your third year is self-directed. If you choose to pursue underwater photography as your final project, then provided you have completed Stage 1 and Stage 2, you will be able to continue with underwater photography independently. 

No. We have seven practical weeks allocated per dive programme, for both Stage 1 and Stage 2. This does not give us sufficient time to conduct formal dive training. 

Our focus on the course is to develop and extend your underwater photography skills across a diverse range of equipment. It is important that you feel comfortable with your dive skills before undertaking the course, as this allows you to use your practical sessions to focus on photography rather than dive skill refinement. 

It is strongly advised that you come to University qualified to the required standard. While it may be possible to finish elements of your training in Cornwall, it is very difficult to achieve this as the dive operators can be very busy during the autumn period and we tend to experience more inclement weather, which limits the days available to dive. 

The dive programmes cannot be put on hold to resolve qualification issues, and you will not be guaranteed a place to take part at a later date if you miss the programme deadline. We will require your training agency paperwork in September of your starting year. 

There are a number of globally recognised training agencies to choose from. The most common include BSAC, PADI and SSI. 

The primary difference between these options is often pricing, so it is worth researching a variety of operators local to you. There are many inland training agencies that use quarries as training environments, so do not worry if you do not live near the coast. 

Yes. This level of instruction provides you with essential rescue and multitasking skills. These skills enable you to effectively plan any independent dives you undertake as part of the University and act as a proficient buddy underwater. 

These qualifications also significantly increase your multitasking skills, which are essential for underwater photographic practice. In the long term, these qualifications are the minimum requirement for entry onto an HSE Part 4 course, a qualification you will need to work towards if you intend to pursue a career in UK diving after University. 

When diving with us at Falmouth, we must conform to specific health and safety standards as outlined by the HSE and our internal dive policy. 

Our priority is to ensure the safety of all underwater photography participants. This includes making sure, beyond reasonable doubt, that students are medically fit to enter an underwater environment and capable of acting as an effective buddy to others. 

In some cases, yes. It depends on your GP surgery. Our local surgery in Penryn charges a £50 administration fee for this service. It is worth phoning your local practice to check in advance. 

In the first instance, you should email the Falmouth Dive Safety Officers at dive@falmouth.ac.uk, who will be able to advise you on your next step. 

The issue may just require a phone consultation, or you may need to book an appointment to see a hyperbaric doctor. It can take a while to secure an appointment, so please do not delay. 

DDRC in Plymouth offer phone consultations for £5, which can be booked on their website: 

www.ddrc.org/diving/fitness-to-dive/ 

GPs are generally not trained in hyperbarics. Many prescription medications and medical conditions can have contraindications when taken to pressure, so all prescription medicines and conditions must be signed off in line with our dive policy and for your own personal safety. 

Where can I find a Hyperbaric Doctor? 

If you go to the UKDMC website, you will find a list of medical referees: 

www.ukdmc.org/medical-referees/ 

Some conditions and medications can be cleared with a phone call, but others can take a number of weeks, particularly if you need to keep a diary for the doctor. 

If a unique circumstance prevents you from obtaining clearance to dive, you will still have an opportunity to practise and develop your in-water photographic skills. 

Students who do not opt into the underwater photography course will be introduced to splash photography. For this, we have a selection of equipment available for you to use, ranging from Canon G9X cameras to Olympus Tough cameras. 

No. If you intend to dive in your own wetsuit, the suit must be manufactured for diving and suitable for our water temperatures. Please contact a local dive store to discuss a suitable wetsuit before you purchase. 

Yes. You may use a drysuit if you have one and have been trained to use it. We do not provide drysuits for use on the course.