2 week videography training and internship

Train to become a BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer on Koh Tao, Thailand

Underwater videography course Thailand

2 Week BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video Training

Become an underwater videographer in one of Asia's top dive destinations! While you are living on the beautiful island of Koh Tao, you will be trained to capture the stunning underwater world. Oceans Below will provide you with all of the skills and equipment needed to produce professional HD underwater videos. Your training will include the use of high-quality HD video cameras, Gates and Aquatica Underwater Housings, and Adobe software. Join our highly experienced team of professionals for the 2-week BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video Training program.

You must be a certified PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent) with 50+ logged dives It is possible to add on the scuba training courses before the start of the Pro HD Underwater Videographer Training if you have no prior dive experience. Oceans Below can organize your dive training and accommodation through Koh Tao’s Premiere 5-Star IDC Center.

2 week video training

Get hands-on experience in the making of top-quality underwater movies. Learn to shoot everything from the biggest fish in the world, to the smallest shrimp, using full manual camera controls for that perfect image(white balance, focus, exposure, lighting, and zoom) edit your movies on Adobe Premiere Pro.

Instructor and student with the HD cameras

Available Dates

The Pro HD Underwater videographer Training Course is available year-round. We only take 2 people per course to ensure that each trainee gets lots of personalized attention throughout the course. We begin a course at the start and at the middle of each month. These courses usually are booked at least a few months in advance, so make sure you check in with us prior to traveling to check the availability.

The best time of year for a chance to see Whalesharks is close to the monsoon period, so April/May and September/October/November are the best months. However, they can turn up anytime. May to February are the best months to get close encounters with the Bull Sharks. April, May and June are the easiest months to spot Green and Hawksbill turtles. Throughout the year you’ll see Moray Eels, Stingrays, Scorpion Fish, Octopus, Sea Snakes, Boxfish, Jacks, Groupers, etc...

Health Requirements for underwater videographers

If you are looking to participate in this program you need to ensure that you are reasonably fit and free from any conditions that may prevent from or be a danger to you while diving. Before coming to Thailand, it is best to consult your doctor and get a signed Medical Statement.

Underwater videographer training Thailand

2 Week Underwater Video Internship (only available after the 2 week BSAC Pro course)

Once you have completed your training, you will have the option to follow one, or both of the following:

-learning to produce souvenir videos for divers. Film and edit a movie to music telling the story of the diver's day trip. By the end of this internship you'll have gained all the skills and knowledge to be successfully employed in the field.

-continued Education and skill development. Quite simply, diving and filming to produce your own short documentary. Diving away from the main student dive sites and so avoiding the crowds, spending 45 minutes filming a seahorse to get that perfect shot. Or head out to the dive sites that the big student boats can't reach, Sam Ran pinnacle, Sail Rock, Hot spots to shoot the big stuff.For this course we will be using the Goodtime Adventures speedboat so we have no time restrictions and can get to any dive site in a matter of minutes.

Goodtime Adventures speedboat

You must be a certified BSAC Sports diver or PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent) with 50+ logged dives. Being a competent scuba diver is critical as you will be filming PADI Instructors with students in training and you will be expected to look after yourself underwater. It is possible to add on the BSAC Dive Leader or PADI Divemaster Training Course or even the BSAC Open Water Instructor Course or PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) before or after the Underwater Videographer Internship.

Available Dates

The Video Internship is available year-round. You may begin any time after your 2-week Video Training Course. The length of the internship is 2 weeks. Oceans Below will give you as many opportunities as possible to gain experience.

Day out with the BSAC Pro Video Interns...

Written by john boy

Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:24

My day off from filming PADI Open Water students at Koh Tao Easy Divers was spent guiding our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videography Interns for their macro video projects. I really enjoyed the longer dives and the opportunity to take underwater photos for Oceans Below and, of course, my personal collection.

Tom and Julian were using our Aquatica HD Wave housings, which by now they were familiar with. I took a digital stills camera and was careful with my flash so as not to ruin Tom and Julian's videos. We met at 7.00 am at Koh Tao Scuba Junction and had a bite to eat and a cup of tea before heading off from Sairee Beach.

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Shot of the day at White Rock...

The plan was for 2 dives- one at Koh Nangyuan Pinnacle and one at my favourite spot, White Rock. Because we were shooting macro, close-ups of the hard corals where small crabs were hiding was an obvious start. We also focused our lenses on the large swim-through housing lots of sponges and anemones. Glass fish, soft bubble coral and colourful giant clams were also subjects which we spent time filming. We were helped along to the boat by a mild current which pushed us gently back into Japanese Gardens.

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Tom filming a hawksbill turtle

Our second dive at White Rock brought us a number of moray eels and sleeping blue-spotted ribbon-tail-rays. Other cool subjects we found were leather corals and gobies living with their partner shrimps in the sand. Ironically, towards the end of the dive, Tom and I spotted a hawksbill turtle gliding along looking for a feed! Not exactly a macro moment, but he was a small, younger turtle and he really made our day as we both got great shots of him. After an hour was up, we decided to do our safety stop and head back to the boat to check our images and choose our favourites.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning and a great dive to complete the BSAC Video internship on Koh Tao! Tom says he will miss me when he returns to the UK to dive the Scapa Flow. Sorry Tom- I prefer the tropical waters of the Gulf of Thailand, mate!