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5 Tips For Using Paralenz Dive Camera

15/2/2022

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By David Watson, AIDA Instructor Trainer & Owner & Founder at One Breath Freediving
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When the Paralenz dive camera was released it was a game changer for underwater videography as it had some extremely innovative and unique features and did not require an external housing. Those of you that follow the One Breath Freediving social media channels will know I'm a big advocate of this camera (both for teaching purposes and fun use), and I take it with me in the water as much as possible.

Now it has been on the market a few years and has evolved with newer versions being released, it is possible to buy the older versions cheaper or even secondhand, making this type of camera even more accessible to freedivers.

Here are my 5 top tips for using a Paralenz:
  1. Depth overlay feature: The overlay adds the current depth and water temperature to your videos (see still shots above) and updates constantly during the dive. This creates a visual record of where you are in the dive and makes your videos much more interesting to people watching them.
  2. Mask mount attachment: The mask mount attachment is a great item included with the camera package, and especially useful for instructors (or buddies) doing line depth training. Though not as ideal for higher quality video shots as the selfie stick, the mask mount allows continuous hands free use of the camera and is great for filming a student or a buddy so you can review the technique of the dive later on after the session (see top left still shot).
  3. Auto start / stop feature: As the Paralenz camera has a depth sensor, as we already discussed in #1, we can also set this feature to stop and start the camera filming. For example, if you set the camera to start and stop filming at 0.5m using the mask mount then it creates a truly hands free camera that you can simply turn on and forget about during your dive session.
  4. Paralenz App: Downloading the Paralenz app to your phone means you can review the footage straight after the dive while you are sipping your coffee :) Footage can be transferred easily and quickly via blu-tooth connection.
  5. Battery life: One of the stand out features of Paralenz is the battery life which can be 2-3 hours long on average! So make sure you don't cut corners by buying a cheap or small capacity memory card. With this type of battery life you can film as much as you like in the session without fear of 'missing' those passing dolphins that will no doubt appear at the end of the dive day when those other, inferior, cameras will be long finished.
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I hope you found this a useful read. If you have any comments or other tips you wish to add please feel free to contribute in the comments section.

David
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The joys of reef freediving

3/6/2021

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The Blue Hole in Dahab has a stunning reef with vibrant colours. There is nothing better than after a tough training session on the buoy & line than enjoying the natural beauty of the reef with the freedom and simplicity without the wetsuit and feeling the water on your skin.
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DAHAB APNEA 2021 COMPETITION

25/4/2021

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A couple of the best photos taken by myself at the recent Dahab Apnea 2021 competition at the Blue Hole. Congratulations to all the athletes and especially the overall winners:
Stefan Randig (1st Male)
Alice Modolo (1st Female)
​And thanks to all the judges, safety divers and other volunteers :)
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Living in the Now

27/7/2020

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By David Watson, AIDA Instructor Trainer & PADI Master Freediver Instructor and Owner & Founder at One Breath Freediving
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“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time — past and future — the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”
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Eckhart Tolle
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Freediving Comino Wreck: P-31

18/6/2019

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By David Watson, AIDA & PADI Master Freediver Instructor and Owner & Founder at One Breath Freediving, based in Malta
Freediving in the Maltese Islands has lots of wonderful features that make it spectacular; the stunning underwater visibility of up to 40m, the cliffs and caves that are prevalent across the islands, the deep blue colour of the water that is unique to the Mediterranean Sea. But one thing that really draws freedivers to Malta is the chance to dive on ship wrecks. Malta has a LOT of wrecks, some sunk by nature (storms), by humans (wars), or on purpose to create artificial reefs. The P-31 wreck falls into the latter category.
P-31 History & Key Information:
  • ​A former East German Kondor class mine sweeper built in 1960’s
  • Purchased by Malta in 1992 (along with P-29 & P-30)
  • Decommissioned in 2004
  • Sank 24th August 2009
  • 52m long, 7m wide, weighing 360 tons
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Since being purchased by the Maltese Tourism Authority and sank as an artificial reef attraction for divers, the P-31 now sits upright on the sandy seabed West of Comino( just South of Blue Lagoon and just West of Crystal Lagoon), approximately 200m from shore. The depth on the bottom here is 20m and the top of the wreck is at just 10m deep. In fact the P-31 sits so shallow that it was necessary to cut off the mast of the ship before sinking her so as not to obstruct boat traffic. The wreck can often be seen clearly from the surface when you arrive by boat and I have even seen it occasionally from out of the airplane window when arriving or leaving Malta on certain days! In the summer months you will see a yellow ‘X’ marker buoy above to indicate the wrecks position.
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Since her sinking, the P-31 has had to weather some rough storms as the prevailing winds on the islands are from a NW direction and sitting this shallow in the water means that waves and swell have had an impact, but considering that she has been underwater for 10 years already the wreck is still in very good condition. Before sinking she was thoroughly cleaned and made safe for divers. This means doors and hatches were removed and obstructions such fixtures, wires and cables were cleared out. There are a number of levels to explore and for a freediver it is normally clear and obvious which direction it is possible and safe to go in.
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​Specific Tips for Freediving The P-31 wreck:

  • Be careful of scuba divers! Sometimes there can be large groups of beginners on the wreck and they can block or obstruct exit points. Also, the wall of bubbles they release can hinder the view from a buddies perspective.
  • Check overhead and around you as sometimes there are still a few stray cables or pieces of metal jutting out or hanging loose. Mind not to cut your hands or catch your wetsuit on any sharp edges.
  • The large hatches (what would have been engine compartments) towards the centre and rear of the ship are open and linked together.
  • Surface close to your freediving buoy and display either the ‘diver down’ or ‘alpha’ flag (or both!), to signify that divers are in the water. Ideally, also have someone on the surface watching boat traffic that can warn or issue instructions.
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5 Essential Tips for Wreck Freediving:
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  1. Take a Freediving Course: Knowing how to breathe correctly, having efficient technique, and knowing your body and understanding safety and how to rescue correctly will all make you a better, safer and more confident freediver.
  2. Be a Good Buddy: Always freedive with a buddy, never freedive alone. This is the golden rule of freediving! And, watch your buddies dive attentively from the surface and then meet them at a depth of 10m as they return back to the surface.
  3. Do Your Research: Make a plan before you enter the water and discuss and adapt it during the session when necessary. Know what each other is doing and where you are going. Know the wreck: study photos, ask other divers. Is it safe? Look closely first from the outside and never go in anywhere where there is no clear and obvious exit
  4. Use Suitable Equipment: Use a freediving buoy and rope, that way you can relax and breathe safely before and after the dive, boat traffic can clearly see you, and you can get down to the wreck using Free Immersion and therefore save energy to explore the wreck with a longer bottom time. Also recommend is a torch to look into darker corners and a knife or line cutters in case or accidental entaglement.
  5. Have Fun! Freediving a wreck can be fascinating and exciting with so much to explore and discover. There really is something special about seeing close up some huge manmade structure out of its element and deep in the blue water.

Lastly, please remember, freediving, and especially wreck freediving, can be DANGEROUS. Always freedive with a buddy, never push your limits or enter enclosed spaces with no clear or obvious exit. Please take a freediving course for your own safety and that of your buddy.
Interested in wreck freediving? Then subscribe to One Breath Freediving and follow our ‘Wrecks of Malta’ video series! Speak to David about freediving courses and wreck exploration possibilities.
​

www.youtube.com/user/onebreathfreediving
www.onebreathfreediving.com
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Paralenz Camera Pt2: In Water Testing

4/7/2018

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Those of you following One Breath Freediving on your social media channels will already know that I have been using the Paralenz dive camera quite extensively already, for both photos and videos, so for this review part 2 (part 1 is un-boxing and initial impressions),I wanted to look at it's use in the water. More than numbers such as pixels and frame rates, I wanted to discuss it's functionality and how well it works specifically from a freediver's point of view. 
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Firstly, it's primary mount method that I have employed so far with the Paralenz dive camera has been the mask mount. For me this has been the most convenient as I am normallly using it while teaching or guiding. Once the mask attachment is threaded to the mask strap, you clip the camera on using the 'T-Rail' mount system that gives a reassuring double 'click' when properly secured.

The first thing you notice while wearing it in the water is.....that you don't actually notice the camera! Despite feeling substantial and solid when held in the hand, once attached to the mask I can honestly say that I forget that the camera is actually there. Being so non-intrusive is a huge plus for freedivers as we take in the water minimum equipment and definitely don't like things that create drag or resistance.

Functionality from this position is another massive plus. The feedback loop of vibrations of the camera unit, mean that you do not need to remove the camera (and mask) at all to know what setting you are in! For example, rotate the selector ring clockwise while turned on gives one vibration for video, two vibrations for camera, three for settings etc. And then long or short holds of the activation switch can start or stop recording or offer other functions. This creates a simple user and selector operating system and excellent hands free usability.
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Now lets look at the quality of photos that Paralenz is capable of (for videos, check the OBF YouTube channel). All the snaps in this review were taken from the mask mount position, so just a reach to the side of the head and a short pull on the activation switch can give you some great photos. While primarily a video camera, the photos are surprisingly clear, sharp and lacking in distortion at the edges (as can be common for extremely wide angle cameras). In these photos I had Depth Colour Correction (DCC) turned on and Depth & Temperature overlay turned on. The photo above from 5m displays nice blue water and clear white logos on the wetsuit hood. The first photo handles the reflecting light from the shallow water very well and also created a shot that is not blurred or distorted from the divers movement.
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Initial in water conclusions:
  • Mask mount is very useful for hands free use
  • Unit vibration feedback is a great idea and super useful with mask mount 
  • Photos lack distortion and are very sharp
  • DCC is perfect for multiple depth change diving (such as freediving)
Look out for part three of the test where I will review the features of the Paralenz App.
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Paralenz Camera: Pt.1 Unboxing & First Test

18/5/2018

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I recently got my hands on the new Paralenz underwater camera. This powerful little package has been making waves (excuse the pun) in the underwater world. An action camera specifically designed for underwater use it has some really well thought out features and specifications.
​But I am getting ahead of myself! Let me start with the un-boxing.

The whole package of the Paralenz camera tells you it is well thought out and made for divers, by divers. Firstly, you can't help but be impressed by the included carry case that securely seats the camera and accessories, keeping them safely in one place for travel. This would always be an extra purchase with any other make of action camera. Secondly, inspecting the actual camera, it is shaped like a dive torch having a sturdy and substantial feel to it, feeling robust and of high quality  (it is made from aluminium). It also has a weight to it that gives it a great feel in the hand. 
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Testing out the buttons and dials it has two main options. The selector ring (blue dial) is magnetic and allows you to select the main options (video, photo, settings etc) and the activation switch (raised, before the logo) allows you to select options and start/stop recording. Both have a smooth and distinct movement when used. ​In conclusion, the build quality is top notch.
At the rear of the camera, behind a glass window, is a small screen  that shows the current mode and battery / SD card usage as well as the charging port for the USB-C cable.​ This will be the most notable difference from other action cameras..... The absence of a screen for viewing video. But what would a big screen be used for? To centre the picture during filming maybe? But the field of view in this camera is so wide anyway, and with experience you will get to become a good judge of distance and framing. In the real world, large screens on action cameras were a battery draining luxury (who actually played back footage direct on their camera???)
The accessories included here set the standards high once again: two different mounts, grease, spare o-rings, case, lanyard.... All would be extras by other manufacturers. It tells you this camera has been thought about and the end user considered.
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The camera uses a wi-fi link to a dedicated app. This is something new for me and as not the most technologically minded individual I was not sure how easy I would find it, but it was actually very intuitive. Once the connection was found I could quickly view and save my first underwater footage from the camera! (pond life, 10cm underwater, but hey, we have to start somewhere, right?!)
So what initial conclusions do I have:
  • Great package, well designed and feels very high quality
  • Nice extras included
  • Easy and intuitive to use
Very much looking forward to testing it in the sea! Coming soon will be part 2 of the test when I will use it for the first time freediving in the Mediterranean sea, Malta :)
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The Beauty of the Blue Hole

8/3/2018

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There can't be many places as alluring and iconic to freedivers as the Blue Hole in Dahab. With imposing, barren mountains just metres from deep blue water and a kaliedoscope of colours amongst the corals on the reef with every shape and colour of fish possible, it is a truely beautiful place and draws freedivers from accross the world.
A natural submarine sinkhole, the depth within the hole is 100m and just outside, on the reef's edge, the depth reaches over 1,000m. A sheltered location and lack of current just metres from shore means that this is a wonderful place to train for freediving.
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One Breath Freediving will be conducting a Training camp in in Dahab Egypt in January and February 2019. Enquire for further information.
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Freediving Photography Packages

7/7/2017

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In Water Photographer of the Year (2015)

10/3/2016

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The 2015 'In Water Photographer of the Year' competition is now accepting public voting to decide an overall winner! Category winners are announced for the photography competition that is for freedivers, snorkellers, swimmers and others in the water without using breathing apparatus.
Vote by clicking the link below and deciding how many stars to give your favourite photographs. It's that easy!
http://www.inwaterphotographeroftheyear.com/2015-vote
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