DIVEVOLK returns for a second season as sponsor of the Mobile Photography category at the Underwater Photo Awards (UWPA), which opened its 2026–2027 season for entries on October 13. As one of the competition's main partners, DIVEVOLK supplies all three Mobile Photography prizes and custom-made this season's trophies.
Each prize is built around the SeaTouch 4 Max Plus, DIVEVOLK's full-touchscreen underwater smartphone housing. This season the competition also introduces a referral program that gives entrants three extra uploads for every photographer who signs up through their link.
Underwater Photo Awards Smartphone Photography key visual for the 2026–2027 season, with entries open from October 13, 2026 to January 2, 2027. Image courtesy of Underwater Photo Awards / DIVEVOLK.
Jack Ho's Seven Phone Entries All Reached the Finals Last Season
UWPA's first season drew more than 1,000 photographs from over 100 photographers in 11 countries, and DIVEVOLK sponsored the Mobile Photography category from the start. Chinese photographer Jack Ho (registered as Kaidong He) entered seven images, and all seven reached the finals. He won the category with "Glimpse," a macro image shot on a vivo X100 Ultra in a SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 housing. Jurors at first doubted it had been taken on a phone and confirmed it only after reviewing the original file.
The 20-image exhibition at the finale included a section of mobile photographs, and you can see the full UWPA 2026 results and Mobile Photography winners in our recap. In the same season, Jack Ho also won the first Smartphone category at Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026 in London, which DIVEVOLK also sponsored.
"I believe mobile underwater photography will only get stronger. As the price barrier continues to drop, more newcomers will be able to create outstanding underwater images," said Jack Ho.
"Glimpse," Jack Ho's winning image in the Mobile Photography category, captured with a SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 housing and a vivo X100 Ultra. Photo courtesy of DIVEVOLK.
Top Three Winners Receive SeaTouch 4 Max Plus Housing Sets
The top three Mobile Photography entries will each receive a SeaTouch 4 Max Plus housing set:
- 1st place: SeaTouch 4 Max Plus in silver, with a dual handle tray, protective cover and finger cot
- 2nd place: SeaTouch 4 Max Plus in black, with a protective cover and finger cot
- 3rd place: SeaTouch 4 Max Plus in black, with a protective cover
The SeaTouch 4 Max Plus seals a smartphone behind a touch membrane, so the photographer keeps operating the phone's own camera app with the same taps and swipes used on land, down to a rated depth of 60 meters. The finger cot lets divers work the touchscreen while wearing gloves, and the dual handle tray adds a stable two-handed grip and mounting points for lights.
Two divers prepare for a dive, each equipped with a SeaTouch 6 Pro housing and accessories. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
Why DIVEVOLK Backs a Category for Smartphones
Most divers and snorkelers already travel with a phone. Compared with a dedicated camera housing system, a phone in a housing is light, quick to learn and affordable, and the result can be checked on the phone screen during the dive. A separate Mobile Photography category lets these images compete with other phone images on the same terms, and the original-file check keeps the category fair.
DIVEVOLK holds that a strong idea and a well-made shot matter more than the price of the gear. That is why the company has backed the category since UWPA's first season and returns this season to supply all three prizes and the trophies.
Two snorkelers pose for a photo, holding a SeaTouch 6 Pro housing with the standard red filter. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
Mobile Photography Category Accepts Every Smartphone Brand
The UWPA Mobile Photography category accepts underwater images taken on smartphones of any brand and model, with or without a housing from any manufacturer. External lighting, filters and add-on lenses are permitted, as are the phone's built-in camera features such as night mode, HDR and stabilization. Images from action cameras and dedicated compact, DSLR or mirrorless cameras are not accepted, and finalists must be able to supply the original file to confirm it was shot on a smartphone. Full category rules, prizes and entry terms, including additional photo packages and the referral program, are published on the competition's nominations page.
A diver uses the SeaTouch 6 Pro Ultimate Kit to photograph a coral reef while keeping a respectful distance, a setup built to meet the demands of underwater content creation. Image provided by DIVEVOLK.
Free Entries Open Through January 2, 2027, With Extra Uploads for Referrals
Photographers aged 18 and over from any country can enter up to five underwater photographs free of charge at uwp-award.ru until 23:59 Moscow time (UTC+3) on January 2, 2027. Images must have been taken within the last five years, and AI-generated and composite images are not accepted.
"We want the competition to be open to everyone who shoots underwater, from professionals with a housing to snorkellers with a smartphone. That is why this season has more categories, and entry remains free," said Evgeniia Klipp of Dive Photo Team.
New this season, a referral program encourages entrants to bring more photographers into the competition and to submit more of their own work. For every participant who registers through an entrant's referral link, the entrant receives three additional uploads, and the new participant receives one additional upload free of charge. Each entrant's personal referral code is in the Limits section of their competition account.
Underwater Photo Awards referral program: three extra uploads for every friend who signs up through your link, one free upload for the friend, and where to find your referral code. Image courtesy of Underwater Photo Awards / Dive Photo Team.
How to enter Underwater Photo Awards: sign up at uwp-award.ru, upload up to five photos for free, and submit by January 2, 2027. Image courtesy of Underwater Photo Awards / Dive Photo Team.
Key Dates
- Until January 2, 2027, 23:59 Moscow time (UTC+3): submissions
- January 3–26, 2027: jury evaluation
- January 27 – February 5, 2027: expert verification
- February 20, 2027: awards ceremony at Moscow Dive Show
About Underwater Photo Awards
Underwater Photo Awards is an international underwater photography competition organized by Dive Photo Team. Its first season concluded with an awards ceremony at Moscow Dive Show in February 2026. The 2026–2027 season runs ten categories, adding two One Breath categories for breath-hold photography, a Portrait category and two categories for Russian waters, and the jury also names a Photographer of the Year.
One of the judges is the British underwater photographer Alex Mustard. A marine biologist by training, Mustard is one of the world's best-known underwater photographers, and his work has earned him the title of European Wildlife Photographer of the Year. He founded Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) and chairs its jury, and wrote Underwater Photography Masterclass and more than 500 articles on underwater photography.
The 2026–2027 Underwater Photo Awards jury and the Photographer of the Year award. Image courtesy of Underwater Photo Awards / Dive Photo Team.
UWPA joins UPY, DPG Masters, OG PICOTY and the CMAS competitions on our underwater competition page, where you can find every contest that is currently open for entries.
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 SeaTouch 4 Max series and the new SeaTouch 6 Pro underwater smartphone housings 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.
