ZHUHAI, China – November 9, 2026 – DIVEVOLK today announced that it is a prize sponsor of the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2026, which DivePhotoGuide (DPG) opened for entries on October 31. 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 lightand an online store voucher.
Among the competition’s 11 categories is a dedicated Smartphone category for images captured with a smartphone. DIVEVOLK lists DPG Masters alongside UPY, OG PICOTY, Underwater Photo Awards and the CMAS competitions on its competition page, you can click the link to learn about and participate in the events that are currently open : divevolkdiving.com/pages/divevolk-underwater-competition.
DIVEVOLK Contributes 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
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 every frame can be checked on the phone screen during the dive.
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.
“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.
Entries Are Open at UnderwaterCompetition.com Through 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, participants create a free account with a name, email address and password, complete their 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 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 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.
Competition website: https://www.underwatercompetition.com/Competitions/dpg-masters-underwater-imaging-competition-2026
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 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 https://divevolkdiving.com/ 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.
Editor’s Notes
- Competition artwork and screenshots are courtesy of DPG / UnderwaterCompetition.com; product imagery is provided by DIVEVOLK. Any use of the DPG Grand Master 2025 image must credit the photographer, Yuka Takahashi.
- DIVEVOLK prizes are arranged through DPG, must be redeemed before March 2028, and are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash.
- Full category descriptions and the Rules & Guidelines are published at https://www.underwatercompetition.com/Competitions/dpg-masters-underwater-imaging-competition-2026/Rules. Competition media enquiries: Ian Bongso-Seldrup, ian@divephotoguide.com.
- High-resolution images and DIVEVOLK product materials are available on request.
Media Contact
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Contact Person: DIVEVOLK Marketing & Communications
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Country: United States
Website: https://www.divevolkdiving.com