The Kit

What's in My Rig

Every piece of gear listed here is something I actually own and dive with. No sponsored placements, no manufacturer deals, just what I trust when I'm in the water.

DisclosureThis page contains affiliate links. If you purchase gear through a link on this page, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to gear I personally own and actively use.

Camera & Housing

4 items
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Sony A7 IV

33MP BSI CMOS, dual SD card slots, 10fps burst, IBIS, 4K60

This is the camera I reach for on every dive. The 33MP sensor has incredible latitude in the shadows — which matters a lot when you're shooting in the blue water column where the dynamic range swings hard between the lit subject and the background. Dual card slots mean I'm never gambling on a single point of failure a hundred feet down. Autofocus tracking is reliable enough that I can let it do its thing and focus on composition instead of hunting.

B&H Photo$2,499affAmazon$2,499aff
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Nauticam NA-A7IV Housing

Rated to 100m, aluminum construction, vacuum leak detection, M14 fiber/electrical ports

Nauticam builds housings the way you want your gear to behave underwater — everything is exactly where your muscle memory expects it. The ergonomics on this thing are genuinely excellent; after a full hour dive my hands aren't fatigued. The vacuum check system gives me peace of mind on every descent. It's expensive, no question, but when your camera body costs $2,500 and a flood destroys everything, the premium starts to make sense.

Backscatter$3,295affB&H Photo$3,295aff
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Nauticam WWL-1B Wet Wide Angle Lens

130° field of view, for 28mm equivalent, M67 thread, rated to 100m

A wet lens that screws onto the front of the port and gives you 130 degrees of coverage without swapping ports topside. I use this constantly for reef scenes and wide-angle ambient shots — it goes on and comes off in seconds underwater. The optical quality is genuinely impressive given how convenient it is. If you're doing any wide-angle reef or fish portraits this saves you an enormous amount of hassle.

Backscatter$1,149aff
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Nauticam Flat Port 45 N120

45mm flat port, N120 port system, optical glass

My macro port. The flat glass means zero magnification distortion — critical when you're shooting small subjects where every millimeter of working distance and sharpness matters. Pairs perfectly with the 90mm macro. Nauticam ports feel overbuilt in the best way; the threading is precise and the o-ring seats cleanly every time.

Backscatter$299aff

Lighting

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Sea & Sea YS-D3 Strobe (×2)

GN32 (in air), TTL/Manual, 1/1000s flash duration, 2.5s recycle (full power)

I run two of these and they've been completely reliable over several years of saltwater abuse. The guide number is strong enough to properly light large reef scenes, and the recycle time is fast enough that you're not missing shots waiting for the capacitor. I set them manually — TTL underwater is a lie most of the time — and the dial control on these is precise. The diffusers that come in the box are legitimately good for softening backscatter on close subjects.

Backscatter$549 eachaffB&H Photo$549 eachaff
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Keldan Video 8M Video Light

8000 lumens, CRI 93+, 120° beam angle, 3h burn time, rated to 120m

When I'm shooting video on the reef this is the light that makes the colors come back. Keldan's color accuracy is noticeably better than cheaper alternatives — the skin tones on fish, the reds on gorgonians, they're all there. The burn time is long enough for a full dive at medium power. These are the lights I trust for anything that goes into a finished film.

Backscatter$1,495aff
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Ultralight Carbon Fiber Arm Set

Carbon fiber, 5" and 8" segments, locking clamps, 45mm ball mount

Arm position is everything for eliminating backscatter and controlling shadows, and carbon fiber arms are the correct choice — they're light enough topside that your kit isn't punishing you during the surface swim, and they hold position underwater without drifting. I run a mix of 5-inch and 8-inch segments to get the strobes where I want them. The clamps are solid; I've never had one slip mid-dive.

Backscatter$189aff

Lenses

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Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

16-35mm, f/2.8 constant aperture, XD linear motor, Sony G Master

My wide-angle workhorse for big scenes — open water, kelp forests, schooling fish, divers with the reef behind them. The f/2.8 is meaningful underwater where light drops fast with depth. The zoom range is ideal for framing on a recirculating system where you can't quickly step back; you zoom out instead. Wide open this lens is genuinely sharp, which matters when you're already fighting water clarity.

B&H Photo$2,299affAmazon$2,299aff
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Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS

90mm, f/2.8, 1:1 magnification, OSS, 250mm minimum focus distance

This is the macro lens. Full 1:1 magnification, and the working distance is generous enough that I'm not inches away from a skittish nudibranch. OSS doesn't help with flash-based macro but it's useful when I'm shooting ambient light behavior footage. The autofocus on this lens is quiet and precise — essential when you're chasing moving critters. I've shot thousands of frames with this lens and I don't think about replacing it.

B&H Photo$1,098affAmazon$1,098aff

Dive Gear

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Scubapro MK25 EVO / A700 Regulator

INT/DIN, balanced diaphragm, titanium second stage option, cold water rated

Breathing should never be something you think about on a dive. The MK25 EVO has been in my kit for years and I've never had a moment of concern — it breathes effortlessly at depth, performs in cold water, and has been serviced without drama. The A700 second stage is responsive and quiet. This is the kind of regulator that disappears into the background of a dive, which is exactly what you want.

Leisure Pro$749aff
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Suunto D5 Dive Computer

OLED display, Fused RGBM algorithm, wireless air integration, 18-hour battery

Clear display, easy interface, and the Suunto algorithm runs conservatively enough that I'm confident in the ceiling calculations. I use the wireless air integration with the Suunto tank transmitter — having my tank pressure on the wrist is more useful than I expected. The companion app syncs dives automatically over Bluetooth. I've been diving Suunto computers for a long time and they've never failed me.

Leisure Pro$499affAmazon$499aff
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Fourth Element Arctic 7mm Wetsuit

7mm neoprene, semi-dry construction, attached hood, titanium lining

My primary suit for California cold water in the 52-58°F range. Fourth Element constructs their neoprene well — the suit still fits cleanly after years of diving and hasn't lost the stretch that lets me move through a reef. The hood attachment on the jacket is a real design win; no flush at the neckline, which is where cold water usually gets you. I go base layer under this below 55°F.

Fourth Element$549affLeisure Pro$549aff
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Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD

Monoprene material, modular weight system, integrated weights, travel weight 3.7kg

The Hydros Pro changed how I think about BCD design. The monoprene material doesn't hold water so it's lighter to carry and dries fast, which matters when you're doing multiple dives and stuffing a wet BCD into a bag. The fit system is genuinely adjustable in ways that actually affect comfort, not just branding. I use the modular weight system instead of the traditional pocket — it makes fine-tuning trim at the surface much faster.

Leisure Pro$699aff

Travel & Storage

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Pelican 1510 Carry-On Case

Airline carry-on dimensions, crushproof/waterproof, pressure equalization valve, pick-n-pluck foam

Everything fragile that I can't afford to check goes in here: the camera body, the lenses, critical ports and o-ring spares. The 1510 is exactly carry-on size per most airline standards, and the foam cuts cleanly to custom shapes. I've had this case fall off a boat, get soaked in rain, and survive several layovers where baggage handlers clearly had other priorities. It's still sealed and fine.

B&H Photo$179affAmazon$179aff
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Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack

45L, clamshell opening, carry-on compatible, internal dividers, weatherproof

This bag handles the everything-else load: strobes, arms, dive computer, wetsuit top, chargers, laptop, cables. The clamshell opening is a genuine quality-of-life feature when you're at an airport or a dive boat and need to find something at the bottom quickly. The straps compress the pack down tight when it's partially loaded, which I appreciate in overhead bins. The build quality is exceptional — this is clearly a product made by people who actually travel.

Peak Design$299affB&H Photo$299aff
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Sony Tough G Series 128GB V90 SD Cards

128GB, V90, 300MB/s write, IP57 waterproof, dustproof, bendproof

I don't cheap out on memory cards. At 300MB/s write speed these are fast enough to not slow down burst shooting or 4K recording, and the Tough designation means they're resistant to the kind of abuse that happens on a boat — dropped, bent, soaked. I run two of these in the camera, formatted before every trip. Losing footage to a card failure is not an acceptable outcome.

B&H Photo$89affAmazon$89aff
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Aquapac Whanganui Drybag (28L)

28L, IPX6 rated, welded construction, roll-top closure

A practical drybag for boat days where everything needs to stay dry and I don't want to risk saltwater spray getting into the main travel bag. I use this for anything that isn't going in a hard case — regulator, fins, mask, rash guard, snacks. The welded seams have never leaked. Not glamorous gear, but it earns its spot in the kit every single time I dive from a boat.

Amazon$59aff