GoPro’s Hero 11 is excellent for diving!
However, keep in mind that it’s only waterproof up to 33 feet (10 meters) without a protective case.
In this post, you’ll discover some highly useful GoPro Hero 11 diving tips to achieve incredible underwater videos.
To begin with, watch my tutorial on the best GoPro underwater settings and accessories:
GoPro Hero 11 Diving Tips
Here are some great GoPro Hero 11 diving tips that will be highly useful for you to shoot your next diving adventure.
Use a Waterproof Housing
All GoPro camera models, including the GoPro Hero 11 Black, require a waterproof housing for scuba diving. That’s because the camera is waterproof only down to 33 feet and not beyond that. However, most of the diving action happens much deeper than that. Therefore, you’ll need to have a good waterproof housing for your camera. Try to avoid cheap solutions. A good housing case will protect your camera from any damage and water leak.
Here’s a great, GoPro official housing case for your GoPro Hero 11 Black:
GoPro Protective Housing (HERO11 Black) – Official GoPro Accessory
- Protects your GoPro from mud, dirt and debris during extreme activities
- Front LCD screen remains accessible for viewing
- Waterproof down to 196ft (60m) perfect for deep-water diving
Find more diving housings in this article
Use Red Filter Diving Lens Filters
As you dive deeper, darkness causes a loss of the reds in the picture. When you use red diving lens filters for shooting underwater videos, it helps to bring back the reds into the picture. As a result, you get significantly more contrast and color in deep water.
There are three types of Red Filters:
- Light Red Filter – For blue water, shallow depth: 2-15 feet
- Red Filter – For blue water, depth: 15-85 feet
- Magenta Filter – For green water, depth: 8-75 feet
Therefore, the kind of filter is dependent on your depth. That’s why I recommend using a multi-filter pack so that divers can easily change filters as they change depth.
Here’s my favorite red diving filter pack for the GoPro Hero 11 Black:
SOONSUN 4-Pack Dive Filter for GoPro Hero 11
- Compatibility: These dive filters are compatible with original GoPro waterproof...
- Dive Filters: The dive filters offer color correction and helps capture vibrant...
- 5x Close-up Macro Filter: The 5x close-up macro filter is used to magnify scenery,...
Check out this article to find another 7 dive filters for true colors.
Use a Diving Camera Rig
A good diving camera rig helps you in achieving stable footage and better control of your GoPro Hero 11.
Here’s my favorite GoPro Hero 11 Camera Rig:
Adaptom Diving Rig for GoPro Hero 11
- 【Upgraded Material】Strong aluminum alloy tray with orange rubberized hand grips...
- 【Multiple Mounting Options】Features two cold shoe mounts for GoPro diving light,...
- 【STABLE RECORDING】With the comfortable handheld stabilizer can meet various...
Use Waterproof LED Lights
In deep waters, the wavelengths of sunlight are lost and absorbed. As a result, it’s very dark in these areas. Therefore, if you dive in dark spots or during the nighttime, using waterproof LED lights can be really helpful. Depending on the power of the light (lumen), diving lights can light up a distance of about 3-6 feet away. These lights help bring back those colors that were lost without external light.
Here’s a great waterproof LED light for GoPro Hero 11:
GoPro Light Mod – Official GoPro Accessory
- 4 levels of brightness—up to 200 lumens—for crisp detail
- Built tough and waterproof to 33ft (10m)
- Built-in rechargeable battery with up to 6 hours of runtime
Use a Large micro SD
Since there’s no way to change your GoPro Hero 11 SD card underwater, ensure that you insert an empty and large SD card before going for a dive. After all, you don’t want to end up preparing all your diving gear, going for a dive, and then discovering that your SD card is full.
Here’s a wonderful SD card that works well with the GoPro Hero 11 Black:
SanDisk 256GB Extreme microSD Card
- Save time with card offload speeds of up to 190MB/s powered by SanDisk QuickFlow...
- Pair with the SanDisk Professional PRO-READER SD and microSD to achieve maximum...
- Up to 130MB/s write speeds for fast shooting (Based on internal testing; performance...
For more information on the specs of the GoPro Hero 11 compatible SD cards, and to know about some more options that you can use with your GoPro Hero 11 Black, have a look at this post: 7 Best SD Cards for GoPro Hero 11
Fully Charge the GoPro Battery Before Diving
Since we can’t swap batteries while scuba diving, remember to fully charge your GoPro Hero 11 battery before any dive. It will ensure that you enjoy the dive, and film it without any interruptions. Usually, a full charge won’t last much longer than a diving session.
Also, having multiple charged batteries available on the surface will help you spend more time underwater, as you can replace the battery after coming back to the surface and then dive again.
Here’s the battery that I suggest you use with your GoPro Hero 11 in case you need an extra backup:
GoPro Rechargeable Enduro Battery 2-Pack (HERO11 Black) – Official GoPro Accessory
- Advanced 1720mAh lithium-ion battery boosts camera performance over standard GoPro...
- Increases recording time for HERO12 Black/HERO11 Black/HERO10 Black/HERO9 Black with...
- Dramatically improves cold-weather performance in temperatures down to 14°F (-10°C)
Disable Bluetooth & Wifi Before Diving
It’s obvious that you won’t use GoPro features like Bluetooth and WiFi while you’re underwater. So, ensure that both features are disabled before you go for a dive. This will help you save battery.
Check out this tutorial for tips on how to extend your GoPro Hero 11 battery life: How to Make Your GoPro Battery Life Last Longer
Avoid Using HyperSmooth & Reduce Frame Rate
While HyperSmooth 5.0, which the GoPro Hero 11 features, does a commendable job of stabilizing your footage, it may create noise in the resulting image when using your camera while diving, especially in dark spots. So, if you are going to shoot videos in dark spots underwater, avoid using HyperSmooth.
Similar is the case with the frame rate. Low frame rates allow the camera to capture more light in the dark. So, if you plan to shoot at dark spots underwater, reduce the frame rate to 30fps.
Record Long Sequences
Avoid too many takes (new recordings) and focus on the dive first, while enjoying filming with your GoPro Hero 11 Black. You can always trim your videos later in post-production.
Adjust the Camera Settings (before diving!)
Since you won’t be able to do it underwater, remember to adjust your GoPro Hero 11 settings before diving.
Here are the recommended GoPro Video Settings for diving:
- FOV: Wide
- Frame Rate: 30fps / 60fps
- Resolution : 4k / 1080p
- ISO: Protune-> ISO min. 100 / ISO max. 400
- Sharpness: Medium
- Color: “Flat” if you intend to color grade, otherwise “GoPro”
- White Balance: Auto
- Stabilization: ON if well lid / OFF if dark
- Turn Screensaver and Auto Off to Never
Here are the recommended GoPro Photo Settings for diving:
- Photo: RAW
- FOV: Wide
- Color: “Flat” if you intend to color grade, otherwise “GoPro”
- ISO: Protune-> ISO min. 100 / ISO max. 800)
- Sharpness: Medium
Thanks for reading!
I hope this guide helped you learn some tips regarding how to shoot underwater videos with GoPro Hero 11 for some amazing shots 🙂
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Related Articles:
- 7 Must-Have GoPro Underwater Accessories
- 7 Best Cameras for Diving (All Budgets)
- 7 Dive & Snorkel Masks with GoPro Mount for Underwater Shots
- Best GoPro Max 360 Underwater Dive Housings
- GoPro Underwater: Complete Guide to Settings, Filming & Accessories
- 10 GoPro Photography Tips for Epic Shots (+ Best Settings)
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