The best action camera for scuba divers

Scuba-diving is an amazing way of exploring the ocean floors, underwater wildlife, sea wrecks, coral reefs and more. Being able to share the experience with the world is even better! This guide will help you pick the best action camera for capturing your scuba-diving sessions.

Image by Sebastian Pena Lambarri woman scuba diving statue

How to choose an action camera for scuba-diving

  • Low light performance When diving, light becomes very scarce and it becomes hard to capture decent footage. Below a certain depth, you will need to have a source of light to film, but in any case, favoring a camera with good low light performance will give best results.
  • Diving case Scuba-diving will go beyond the capabilities of most action cameras which are generally only rated for depths up to 33ft / 10m. And even so, we highly recommend using a diving case whenever taking underwater footage. Therefore, we will only consider cameras that offer a diving case when picking cameras for scuba-diving.
  • Battery life Although most runtimes largely exceed a typical scuba-diving session's duration, there is no possibility for switching out batteries underwater, so picking a camera with a good battery capacity avoids bad surprises.

Action cameras featured in this article

Best for high quality footageInsta360 Ace Pro 2☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 Ace Pro 2Jump to chapterBest in low lightDJI Osmo Action 5 Pro☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★DJI Osmo Action 5 ProJump to chapterBest 360 cameraInsta360 X5☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 X5Jump to chapterBest valueGoPro Hero 10 Black☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★GoPro Hero 10 BlackJump to chapterCheapest optionAkaso EK7000 Pro☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Akaso EK7000 ProJump to chapter

8K underwater footage

Insta360 Ace Pro 2☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 Ace Pro 2
The best action camera for high quality video when scuba-diving
Insta360 is currently the only action camera manufacturer offering 8k cameras and the Ace Pro 2 is their most recent and capable model. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 also has good low light performance and offers a diving case rated up to 197ft / 60m.
Read full Insta360 Ace Pro 2 article
Specifications
  • Waterproof: 39ft / 12m
  • Waterproof with diving case: 197ft / 60m
  • Battery life: 100min at 4K30fps HDR, 180min at 1080p24fps
  • Pros
  • Great image stabilization
  • 8x Slomo video
  • Good low light performance
  • Weather proof
  • Cons
  • Limitation in 8K mode
  • Overheating in 8K mode
Image by Francisco Jesús Navarro HernándezThe Ace Pro 2 can capture 8K30fps footage.
The Ace Pro 2 can capture 8K30fps footage.

Reasons to buy the Insta360 Ace Pro 2

  • 8K footage One of the few action cameras which features 8K, beating the GoPro Hero 13 Black and DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, it's two main competitors.
  • Good low light performance The Ace Pro 2 performs well in low light situations which is crucial for capturing underwater footage.

Reasons to avoid the Ace Pro 2

  • Only 8K30fps The Ace Pro 2 is capped at 30fps when shooting 8K, which should suffice, but if you want 60fps footage at a relatively high resolution, consider the GoPro Hero 13 Black with it's 5.3K60fps.

More Insta360 action cameras

Insta360 produces excellent 360 Cameras and action cameras, here is a selection.

The previous Ace ProInsta360 Ace Pro☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 Ace ProInsta360's 2023 action camera: 8K video and a flipscreenInsta360's budget cameraInsta360 Ace☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 AceInsta360's budget action camera: 6K video and a flipscreenInta360's lastest 360 cameraInsta360 X5☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 X5Insta360's flaghship 360 camera with new replaceable lensesInta360's 2024 360 cameraInsta360 X4☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 X4Insta360's 2024 360 camera model: 8K30fps video and great battery life

Most versatile action camera for scuba-diving

DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
Great low light performance and innovative features for underwater footage
The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is great for underwater footage. Indeed, the camera's low light performance is one of the best on the market, but it also features a color temperature sensor and automatic settings adjustment to deliver the best colors in your scuba-diving videos.
Read full DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro article
Specifications
  • Waterproof: 66ft / 20m
  • Waterproof with diving case: 197ft / 60m
  • Battery life: 240min at 1080p
  • Pros
  • SuperNight mode
  • Waterproof 66ft / 20m without case
  • Freeze-proof
  • Built-in storage
  • Cons
  • Still only 4K video

Reasons to buy the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro

  • Low light performance The Action 5 Pro delivers excellent footage in low light situations.
  • Color temperature sensor and pressure gauge Underwater footage often lacks color and detail, but the Action 5 Pro is equipped with a color temperature sensor which allow it to automatically adjust it's settings for optimal colors.

Reasons to avoid the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro

  • Only 4k video resolution The Action 5 Pro's video is capped at 4K which can be a drawback for some. It will still be fine for most people recording fun times and sharing them online, but if resolution is crucial for you, you might want to consider the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 with it's 8K video or the GoPro Hero 13 Black featuring 5.3K video.

More premium action cameras

There cameras are all top of the range and feature diving cases for scuba-diving.

GoPro's flagshipGoPro Hero 13 Black☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★GoPro Hero 13 BlackGoPro's latest camera featuring 5.3K video, lens mods, super slomo8K videoInsta360 Ace Pro☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 Ace ProInsta360's 2023 action camera: 8K video and a flipscreenDJI's 2023 action cameraDJI Osmo Action 4☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★DJI Osmo Action 4DJI's 2023 premium action camera: 4K120fps video

The best 360 degrees camera for scuba-diving

Insta360 X5☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 X5
Best pick for 360 degree footage of your scuba-diving sessions
The X5 is Insta360's latest 360 degree action camera and delivers incredible 8K spherical video. 360 cameras capture your entire surroundings at once, which allows fun and amazing editing possibilities like awesome third person footage, or seperate videos for each member of your group, or simply focusing on something you might have missed while capturing the footage. The X5 has good low light performance and can be equipped with an invisible diving case for optimal underwater footage, making it a great pick for scuba-diving.
Read full Insta360 X5 article
Specifications
  • Waterproof: 49ft / 15m
  • Waterproof with diving case: 164ft / 50m
  • Battery life: 208min 5.7K24fps 360°, 135min 5.7K30fps 360°, 93min 8K30fps 360°
  • Pros
  • Replaceable lenses
  • Improved night mode
  • New magnetic mount system
  • Cons
  • Not compatible with all X4 accessories
Image by Giles Harvey The diving is rated up to 164ft / 50m and features anti-fogging pads for cristal clear footage.
The diving is rated up to 164ft / 50m and features anti-fogging pads for cristal clear footage.

Reasons to buy the Insta360 X5

  • 360 degree footage Filming in 360 degrees allows for awesome editing possibilities and offers a lot of flexibility. Just hold the selfie stick and enjoy your scuba-diving session, you can fine tune the focus later.
  • Invisible selfie stick The invisible selfie stick is an amazing tool for capturing underwater wildlife as you can get the camera closer to fish or shellfish without scaring them. There is even a 10ft / 3m long selfie stick available.
  • Great diving case The diving case very well built, rated up to 164ft / 50m and is equipped with anti-fogging pads to ensure no fog builds up inside while you snorkel.
  • Great battery life The X5 beats the competition by quite a bit when it comes to run time with about 2 hours of continuous recording at 5.7K30fps.

Reasons to avoid the Insta360 X5

  • Expensive overall The camera by itself is not the most pricey, but when paired with the diving case, the price tag is quite high. If that is above your budget, you might want to consider a traditional action camera like the GoPro Hero 13 Black or Insta360 Ace Pro 2.

More 360 action cameras for snorkeling

Here is a selection of 360 degree cameras which feature diving cases and you could consider for scuba-diving.

Insta360's previous 360 cameraInsta360 X4☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 X4Insta360's 2024 360 camera model: 8K30fps video and great battery lifeInsta360's 2022 modelInsta360 X3☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 X3Insta360's 2022 360 camera: 5.7K video and a large touchscreen

Best value for money

GoPro Hero 10 Black☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★GoPro Hero 10 Black
A premium camera at a low pricepoint
The GoPro Hero 10 Black is already several generations old but still offers great performance and a premium experience at an affordable pricepoint. Third party diving cases are available for very low prices, making it a budget friendly pick for a scuba-diving.
Read full GoPro Hero 10 Black article
Specifications
  • Waterproof: 33ft / 10m
  • Waterproof with diving case: 197ft / 60m
  • Battery life: 150min at 1080p
  • Pros
  • A premium product at a budget price
  • Integrated GPS
  • Good battery life
  • Cons
  • Ageing sensor technology
  • Older generation stabilization
Image by Kindel MediaThe Hero 10 paired with a third party diving case is a budget friendly option.
The Hero 10 paired with a third party diving case is a budget friendly option.

Reasons to buy the Hero 10

  • Premium camera, budget price The Hero 10 was GoPro's flagship model a few years ago, so it has all the features of a premium camera but now at an affordable price. There are other options at a similar or slightly lower price range, but with far less to offer.
  • Cheap third party accessories GoPro has a large range of branded accessories but there are also many third party options for very cheap, including diving cases, making the Hero 10 a compelling choice for consumers looking for value.

More budget friendly cameras for scubba-diving

Insta360's entry level cameraInsta360 Ace☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 AceInsta360's budget action camera: 6K video and a flipscreenDJI's 2022 action cameraDJI Osmo Action 3☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★DJI Osmo Action 3DJI's 2022 premium action camera: 4K120fps videoComes with a diving caseAkaso Brave 7 LE☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Akaso Brave 7 LEAkaso's 2020 mid range budget action camera

Cheapest option for scuba-diving

Akaso EK7000 Pro☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Akaso EK7000 Pro
For beginners, kids or a one-off scuba-diving session
The Akaso EK7000 Pro is the most affordable action camera available and comes with a diving case in the box. Don't expect much from it, but it still features 4K video.
Read full Akaso EK7000 Pro article
Specifications
  • Waterproof: -
  • Waterproof with diving case: 131ft / 40m
  • Battery life: 140min for 4K30fps
  • Pros
  • Great value for money
  • Lots of accessories included
  • Cons
  • Poor low light footage
  • Short battery life
  • Not waterproof without case

Reasons to avoid the EK7000 Pro

  • Very modest performance Make sure your expectations are low and use a source of light if you wish to obtain somewhat decent footage. You might want to consider a mid level camera form one of the major brands if you desire better footage. Consider the Insta360 Ace Pro or the DJI Osmo Action 3.
  • Only up to 131ft / 40m As for most low cost action cameras, the diving case is only rated up to 131ft / 40m, which might be too little for some dives. Consider the GoPro Hero 10 Black which is rated up to 197ft / 60m with a diving case if you are looking for an afforable option.