The DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2026 is open for entries until January 8, 2027, and DIVEVOLK is one of this year's prize sponsors. Organized by DivePhotoGuide (DPG), which opened the competition on October 31, it offers prizes worth more than US$90,000 across 11 categories, including a dedicated Smartphone category for images captured with a phone.
DIVEVOLK contributes seven prizes: kits built on its full-touchscreen SeaTouch 6 Pro and SeaTouch 4 Max Plus underwater smartphone housings, a macro lens, a video light and an online store voucher.
DPG Masters 2026 key visual featuring "Synchronized Humpback Whales," the DPG Grand Master 2025 image shot off Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Image courtesy of DPG; photo by Yuka Takahashi.
DPG Masters joins UPY, OG PICOTY, Underwater Photo Awards and the CMAS competitions on our underwater competition page, where you can find every contest that is currently open for entries.
A diver uses the SeaTouch 6 Pro underwater housing with the standard red filter to capture photos while snorkeling. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
Seven DIVEVOLK Prizes: Housing Kits, a Macro Lens, a Video Light and a Voucher
DIVEVOLK's contribution to the 2026 prize pool comprises:
- SeaTouch 6 Pro Water Sports Kit
- SeaTouch 4 Max Plus Ocean Kit
- SeaTouch 4 Max Plus Macro Kit, upgraded with the Macro Lens PRO +18
- SeaTouch 4 Max Plus underwater housing
- Macro Lens PRO +18
- SL20 video light with snoot
- US$500 voucher for the DIVEVOLK online store
The DIVEVOLK prizes are arranged through DPG. They must be redeemed before March 2028, are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
DIVEVOLK's prize support for the DPG Masters 2026 underwater imaging competition. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
Each SeaTouch housing seals the phone behind a touch membrane that lets divers operate the phone's own camera app underwater with the same taps and swipes they use on land. The SeaTouch 4 Max Plus is rated to 60 meters. The SeaTouch 6 Pro, introduced this year with DIVEVOLK's sixth-generation touch membrane, enlarges the touch window so that swipes reach the edges of the screen and modern phones can stay in the housing with their screen protector on.
The Macro Lens PRO +18 provides close focus on small subjects, while the 2,000-lumen SL20 video light and its snoot deliver a narrow, controlled beam. Wet lenses and artificial lighting are both permitted in the Smartphone category.
Compared with a dedicated camera housing system, a phone in a SeaTouch housing is light, quick to learn and affordable, and you can check every frame on the phone screen during the dive.
A diver uses the SeaTouch 6 Pro Ultimate Kit for underwater photography; the setup includes several of the accessories above. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
The Smartphone Category Accepts Any Phone
The Smartphone category accepts any underwater image captured with a smartphone. Dome ports, attachments such as wet lenses, and artificial lighting are permitted. Images captured with compact, action or interchangeable-lens cameras are not eligible for this category. Smartphone entries are judged by the same six-member jury that assesses the competition's camera categories. Full category descriptions are published in the official Rules & Guidelines.
"This year's record 11 categories give amateurs and pros alike an opportunity to win, no matter their specialty or camera system. We even have a dedicated category for smartphone shooters," DPG Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Joseph Tepper and Managing Editor and Chief Operations Officer Ian Bongso-Seldrup said in a joint statement.
Two divers use the SeaTouch 6 Pro housing to photograph a coral reef underwater while maintaining a distance from the coral. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
How to Enter Before January 8, 2027
Photographers of all skill levels can enter at UnderwaterCompetition.com. Entry costs US$10 per image or video, and 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.
To enter, create a free account with your name, email address and password, complete your profile, upload photos with a title, caption and shooting information or register video entries online, and pay by credit card. Video entrants then email download links for their files to contact@divephotoguide.com. Photo entries are submitted as JPGs sized to 2,000 pixels on the longest side in sRGB, with a maximum file size of 5MB; Portfolio entries combine six images in a single 6,000-pixel file.
The UnderwaterCompetition.com registration page, where entrants create a free account before uploading their work. Screenshot courtesy of DPG / UnderwaterCompetition.com.
The photo upload form (left) and video entry form (right), with fields for the caption, location, exposure settings, camera, housing and lighting. Screenshot courtesy of DPG / UnderwaterCompetition.com.
The payment page, where entrants pay the US$10 fee per entry by credit card. Screenshot courtesy of DPG / UnderwaterCompetition.com.
The rules require entries to show nature honestly. Images that appear staged or show unnatural behavior, captive animals or the use of live bait are not accepted, and entrants must not injure or distress an animal or damage its habitat to secure an image.
Key Dates
- October 31, 2026: competition opens
- January 8, 2027, 11:59 p.m. PST: submission deadline
- January 11–15, 2027: entries shortlisted (round 1)
- January 16–28, 2027: judging (rounds 2 and 3)
- January 29–31, 2027: finalists submit RAW files
- February 1–3, 2027: awarded entries selected (round 4)
- Late February 2027: winners announced
About the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2026
The DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition is created by DivePhotoGuide (DPG), an underwater photography and videography resource with a community of more than 50,000 photographers and videographers. Entries and results are managed on DPG's platform, UnderwaterCompetition.com.
The 2026 edition runs 11 categories: Unrestricted, Traditional, Macro, Wide Angle, Conservation, Blackwater, Smartphone, Portfolio, Cold Water, Compact Camera and Short Film. Prizes worth more than US$90,000 include dive trips with resorts and liveaboards as well as underwater photo and video equipment. The creator of the top entry among the category winners will be named DPG Grand Master 2026.
The jury comprises David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes, Nicolas Remy (chair), Henley Spiers, Ipah Uid Lynn and Renee Capozzola. Jury members will also offer selected finalists an hour-long one-on-one video session to review their portfolio. Winners will be announced on UnderwaterCompetition.com in late February 2027.
About DIVEVOLK
DIVEVOLK, headquartered in Zhuhai, China, is a global technology company specializing in underwater smartphone housings and diving accessories. The company designs and manufactures the new SeaTouch 6 Pro underwater smartphone housing and related accessories for diving, snorkeling and underwater imaging. DIVEVOLK was honored as ScubaLab's Best Buy in 2024 and twice won the German dive award for Innovation, in 2024 and 2026.
DIVEVOLK products are sold worldwide through our online store and authorized retailers. The company is committed to making underwater image creation affordable and accessible to every diver, marine researcher and ocean communicator, and to advancing the technology that enables it.
DIVEVOLK SeaLink Underwater Smartphone Data Transmitter and SeaTouch 6 Pro full-touchscreen housing. Product image courtesy of DIVEVOLK.
Getting ready for your competition dives? Explore DIVEVOLK SeaTouch housings and plan your next shoot.
