Mate, just discovered your channel, got back from a Central Atoll trip in the Maldives last week, your videos are incredible! I love the cinematography, the pacing and the music you add on top of it. Thank you!
Mate, your videos are fantastic, only diving channel i've watched almost all the way through. Really feel like you're taking us with you, super well made slick videos, my compliments
Thank you for that! it’s really nice to hear. Every video is a labor of love and the fact that they are being watched and enjoyed is everything to me 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Sounds like you had a similar trip! I always figured the hammerheads would be a bonus. I was super duper happy about the snakes 😄amazing coral reefs as well. Thanks for watching! 🤙🏽🙏🏽
Excellent presentation, beautiful footage. . . Loved the snakes & all those amazing transparent critters. . . A joy to watch. . . Oh, liked the music too. . .
Thank you! 🙏🏽 massive school of hammerheads sounds pretty awesome… I think it’s a fair trade! And I’m sure you had some nice sea snake encounters as well. Love those guys 🤙🏽
Interesting! I figured that the current profile / overlap of the indian and pacific oceans probably contributed to the biodiversity, but never considered the PO4 from all that volcanic activity (or bird poo) as extra juice for growth
Thank you!! I agree that the Mike/Luca/Miho tribe are always a pleasure to dive with. Wasn’t my first time our paths crossed and certainly won’t be the last! Cheers 🤙🏽
Great video. Love your channel. I was there at the same time on Mermaid 1 and we also didn’t have much luck with the hammers. Only a few brief sightings. Still an incredible trip.
Thank you! 🙏🏽 It seems like no / few hammerheads is the more common experience. But yes, it’s still an amazing trip! Never know what the ocean will give you
Same here on the Jaya this October with only two hammerheads. There was an el nido event this year in raja ampat and the bandas with warmer than usual water which was probably the reason for the lack of hammerheads. Hopefully next year the big schools will return
Brilliant footage mate. EVen tho the sea is not bright deep blue, but the Vis. is stunning ! Yeah those snakes around me wud freak me out. All it takes is one bite, then Bye Bye !
Thank you! 🙏🏽 it’s very unique and beautiful place. Sea snakes can be creepy but they really are quite docile and not aggressive. But you’re right, one bite is all it takes 😬
Thank you!! 🙏🏽 Lembeh is also one of my favorites, hope you spotted all the crazy critters. I usually stay with NAD, who’d you go with? I actually live in Delray Beach at the moment, so sounds like not so far from you! The shark diving and blackwater out of Jupiter is just 👌🏽🤌🏽🤙🏽
🙏🏽 Thank you!! So you have experienced some of this awesomeness 🤙🏽 Manuk is different from Gunang Api, which is another snake hot spot in the Banda Sea. Unfortunately our itinerary skipped it (not sure why) but I would love to go back for a dedicated snake itinerary where we just do Manuk and Gunang Api over and over again. It’s just so good
Aren't those snakes super poisonous? I have seen some of them in Indo waters but that amount would have freaked me out I think. Great content by the way - well done! About the illusive hammerheads in Banda - we dived the same spot for a whole week - 3 times a day and we had one lonely hammerhead showing up on the last 10 minutes of the very last dive...
Thank you! 🙏🏽 the banded sea snakes are definitely super poisonous, but they are pretty docile if you don’t bother them, and importantly, have tiny mouths that can’t effectively bite you. Unless they get something like your ear, or webbing of your fingers, etc. Thats why I kind of freaked out when they were licking my toes 😂I love seeing hammerheads but they are like a bonus - the snakes and the reefs alone make Banda worth it imo. Maybe next time! Cheers 🤙🏽🙏🏽
Kabir - I wanted to ask you how you focus on subjects during blackwater dives (for Video). I use a Sony A7S3 that is supposed to have the most sophisticated auto-focus system, bla, bla, bla, but I cannot focus on squat in blackwater, even if the subject is perfectly lit and I am allowing for the minimum focus distance of the lens. Any thoughts? Do you focus manually? This is a matter of heated debate in the Sony community, it seems.
Hey Rodrigo - I used to use the A7S and A7S2 underwater and have played with an A7SIII topside so am generally familiar with the system. I actually thought the A7SIII autofocus was incredible (especially compared to older cameras), especially the subject tracking in video. That being said, I didn't play with it underwater and I know that blackwater comes with its own challenges (many of them!). Blackwater focus is always tough, and techniques change with the size of the subject, backscatter, etc. In general, for 'coin- sized' critters and smaller, I tend to turn off autofocus and rely on manual focus (focusing super close to the element so focus is going to be very sensitive and likely to hunt). If you don't have a manual focus ring for your lens (I recommend a 60mm or something similar), you can always set / lock the focus point close to the element (appropriate for the critter / situation), and then drift into (and out of) focus rather than relying on the camera's AF system. I use this technique 50%+ of the time for blackwater. It takes practice but ultimately is (in my opinion) the most effective way to autofocus on macro subject in 'drifty' blackwater situations. For now, despite how good the AF systems have gotten, they likely will still struggle in blackwater given (i) the backscatter / particles in the water plus (ii) the random movements of the camera in and out slightly on a subject that is extremely close to the lens element. But you never know! AI is getting really good so I wouldn't be surprised if this changes in the future. A lot of it is getting super familiar with the AF systems and creating a workflow that works for you (e.g. do you switch the physical focus limiter switch on the macro lens before you close your housing, are you using an appropriate subject lock / switching sensitivity, etc.). A lot of gibberish, hope its helpful! Cheers
Yor images are sick! Cuold you by any chance share your setup? I am just starting in underwater video and would like to invest in some new gear soon. Thanks for sharing your content!🙌
Thank you! My set up changes a lot depending on what / where I’m shooting but it’s usually a rotation of 16-35mm f4 behind a dome, more recently wacp-1 with and old 28-80 kit lens, and the 100mm macro. Generally avoid lights when I can but have two sola 2100s that I use for macro. 1DX2 has been my workhorse forever but also recently got an r5 which produces great sharp images. Thinking about making a video on setups and how I shoot if there would be interest in it. Cheers! 🤙🏽
Thank you! 🙏🏽 I do dim down the lights a bit but not a ton since I like to shoot at higher frame rates / low ISO. Focusing close to the lens / lights so they don’t have to be that bright
Hi Kabir - I love your videos, thanks for sharing! Your cinematography and color grading is one of the best I've see online. Out of curiosity, do you use a video light with most of your shots, or just ambient light? I've never seen anyone get such stunning color with just ambient light, and it doesn't look like there is any artificial lighting in your shots!
Thank you Chris! 🙏🏽 I do put a lot of effort into color grading, etc. I generally avoid video lights with big animals so do often just shoot with ambient light (which means certain shots / angles I don’t even attempt). On a lot of dives you’ll generally find me where the light is 😉 cheers!
Thank you man! The animated map was a new process for me… I had to clean up a stock footage map using illustrator and then pretty much animated the rest in Final Cut Pro. I’m sure there are more efficient ways but in the end it took about 1-2 hours of work (did quite a bit of keyframing and nested compound clips to make it work). I call it the indiana jones effect 🙂
Kabir - wanted to ask you about the HECS wetsuit. Is there a visible difference when you approach animals compared to a regular wetsuit? (I assume it is good looking at how the snakes wanted to eat you 🤣)
Hey Rod - I love the HECS wetsuit, its super warm and easy to don yourself. The one negative for me is that is restricts thoracic extension / opening up of the arms backwards since the zipper is in front. Other than that I 100% recommend. However, for the whole 'stealth suit' technology bit, I candidly haven't noticed a real difference. I find that breathing technique, awareness and how you approach animals has a much bigger effect. I feel like there are too many variables to accurately conclude that it makes a significant difference vs. a regular wetsuit. It might, but I think its definitely on the margin. As for the snakes - they were most attracted to my fins, but they were honestly pretty chill dudes
It’s a great island (topside and underwater) with a mix of macro and coral reefs nearby. The history is also super interesting and unique. My favorite diving was actually the small islands surrounding Banda Neira. I personally wouldn’t spend 2 weeks just diving Banda Neira, I’d maybe do 2-3 days in a land based itinerary. Still an amazing place / area! If you have time, it’s a not a bad place to hang out at for a week or two!
For the most part yes - but the biggest change has been the drop in price for high end sensor / camera tech. Some of the $50-100k cinema cameras being used in 2014 would still hold up really well today (albeit at lower resolutions), but now cameras in the $3k - $5k price range can easily compete with or even slightly outperform those older expensive cinema cameras (great dynamic range, internal raw recording, high resolution etc). At the high end they haven’t gotten THAT much better. But the image quality gap between the high end cinema cameras and ‘consumer’ cameras today is now quite small
Snakes are scaring, are they bite ? A few years back I went to snorkel at Myanmar, a lot of corals and they are healthy. If no war there I definitely will be there again.
While the snakes can technically bite, they are very docile and also have tiny mouths so they aren't able to effectively bite and deliver venom to anything bigger than your finger. But they are still super venomous so it's a good idea to not mess with them to avoid a potential accident. I've never dived in Mynamar but I would also love to check it out. Cheers!
The quality of your diving videos is next to none! Never stop mate.
Thank you Paul! Really appreciate that.🙏🏽 I will never stop!!
@@DiveHard if you're ever down by cairns to dive the GBR, would be great to dive together. Keep on diving hard!
@@GeoPaulTV 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Mate, just discovered your channel, got back from a Central Atoll trip in the Maldives last week, your videos are incredible! I love the cinematography, the pacing and the music you add on top of it. Thank you!
Thank you! Appreciate that 🙏🏽 Hope you had a great trip and looking forward to the next one 🤙🏽 keep those long surface intervals as short as possible
Mate, your videos are fantastic, only diving channel i've watched almost all the way through. Really feel like you're taking us with you, super well made slick videos, my compliments
Thank you for that! it’s really nice to hear. Every video is a labor of love and the fact that they are being watched and enjoyed is everything to me 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Awesome video. Added to my already overflowing bucket list! Thanks!
Thank you! 🙏🏽 the bucket list does always grow faster than we can keep up with. But don’t stop ticking through it 🙃
Brilliant, was a pleasure to share the experience and see the report of it.
Thanks Janos, it was a pleasure diving with you! Hope raja was an equally good time, and that our paths cross again one day
@@DiveHard Poor viz in Raja, so the solution was muck, most enjoyable. Dive hard we will, somewhere, someday!
This is the best video of you in Indonesia...
Sea Snakes...
Its unique...
Thank you! 🙏🏽 for me the sea snakes were a once in a lifetime highlight. Very unique and very lucky 🍀 🤙🏽
Unfortunately we did not find hammerheads in Banda in November 2023 - but saw the sea-snakes as well 😊
Thanks for the video!
Sounds like you had a similar trip! I always figured the hammerheads would be a bonus. I was super duper happy about the snakes 😄amazing coral reefs as well. Thanks for watching! 🤙🏽🙏🏽
Your videos are really good!
Thank you Shane I appreciate that!! 🙏🏽 🤙🏽
Actually the BBC doc was filmed at gunungapi wetar which is even more remote than manuk. They filmed it onboard the shakti
Ah! That makes sense! We didn’t make it to gununapi this trip and I am eager to check it out. Love your channel, all that best 🤙🏽
Finally got the chance to watch it, great video! Plenty of amazing scenes, great job
Thanks Mike! and also for lending me your lease every night. It definitely came in handy 🙏🏽
Cosmic level production quality.
Thank you! A lot of effort and always happy when it’s appreciated 🙏🏽
World Class Video!!!
Greetings from Santa Catalina/Panama
Thank you thank you!!! 🙏🏽
Superb!
Thank you!! 🙏🏽 🤙🏽
Amazing video! I love your channel mister!
Thank you Leo! See you in Cocos and/or Malpelo 🙃
This channel just keeps delivering!
Thank you for the continued support!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
So good,love it🙌🤙
Thank you Daniel! Hope to see / dive with you again one day, best of luck with everything 🤙🏽
Excellent presentation, beautiful footage. . . Loved the snakes & all those amazing transparent critters. . . A joy to watch. . . Oh, liked the music too. . .
Thank you! 🙏🏽 appreciate that, it is made with love
Yeah, you can feel it. . . Blessings. . .
Great video as usual. 👍
Thank you sir! 🙏🏽
that's cool dive footage
Thank you!! 🙏🏽
hi sir how are you??. you have given your youtube channel on dubai Airport.. i was the security officer.. you remember me??
Hey man! I do remember you!! Thanks for checking out the channel 🙏🏽 now you know what all the cameras and batteries are for🙃🤣
@@DiveHard absolutely yes sir 😂😂😂
Great video!
Venomous snakes… WOAH!
i think you would enjoy it 😉
Amazing footage. I loved the sea snakes. When I was in Manuk the sea snakes were not abundant. But we had a massive school of hammerheads.
Thank you! 🙏🏽 massive school of hammerheads sounds pretty awesome… I think it’s a fair trade! And I’m sure you had some nice sea snake encounters as well. Love those guys 🤙🏽
Love the longer videos.
Thank you! Glad you’re liking the new format 🙃
Amazing footage man, those snakes!!!
Thank you!! 🙏🏽 I will never forget those snakes!! 🐍 🤙🏽
Wooow 👏🏼
Tank u Tank u 🙏🏽
Stunning footage, slick edits and audio. Keep up the inspiring work🤙
Thank you Ryan! 🙏🏽 🙏🏽 🙏🏽
Coral be loving that volcanic ash and bird guano. PO4 is like vitamin C for coral.
Interesting! I figured that the current profile / overlap of the indian and pacific oceans probably contributed to the biodiversity, but never considered the PO4 from all that volcanic activity (or bird poo) as extra juice for growth
You're videos are so well shot. That boat is beautiful. Reminds me a bit of the Samba in the Galapagos.
Thank you, appreciate that! 🙏🏽 it’s a beautiful boat, and it does kind of look / sound like the Samba 🙃 cheers
Great footage
Thank you Koki Massi! 🙏🏽
Done that trip 5 or 6 years ago! Wonderful memories. Very nice movie! 🤙🏼
Thank you! 🙏🏽 it’s a really special itinerary. Did you get lucky with the hammerheads?
@@DiveHard Well, on one dive we had a very short aquaintance. Was down at 34m on Nx and couldnt stay there for long 😂
@@bubffm yeaaaa that’s oftens how it goes with those guys 🦈 😛
BEST VIDEO
Thank you! 🙏🏽
Awesome 👍👍 I like it really.
🙏🏽 thank you!!!
I’m sure you had a great time with Mike and Luca! Known them for quite a while, great people to dive with!
Vid is top notch as usual 🙌🙌
Thank you!! I agree that the Mike/Luca/Miho tribe are always a pleasure to dive with. Wasn’t my first time our paths crossed and certainly won’t be the last! Cheers 🤙🏽
Great video. Love your channel. I was there at the same time on Mermaid 1 and we also didn’t have much luck with the hammers. Only a few brief sightings. Still an incredible trip.
Thank you! 🙏🏽 It seems like no / few hammerheads is the more common experience. But yes, it’s still an amazing trip! Never know what the ocean will give you
Same here on the Jaya this October with only two hammerheads. There was an el nido event this year in raja ampat and the bandas with warmer than usual water which was probably the reason for the lack of hammerheads. Hopefully next year the big schools will return
Amazing 👌🏻👌🏻🥰
Thank you! 🙏🏽
Brilliant footage mate. EVen tho the sea is not bright deep blue, but the Vis. is stunning ! Yeah those snakes around me wud freak me out. All it takes is one bite, then Bye Bye !
Thank you! 🙏🏽 it’s very unique and beautiful place. Sea snakes can be creepy but they really are quite docile and not aggressive. But you’re right, one bite is all it takes 😬
THANKS SIR
🤙🏽
Amazing video and post-editing bro! I just came from Lembeh straight and it was incredible. I also live in S. Florida. Where are you based in Florida?
Thank you!! 🙏🏽 Lembeh is also one of my favorites, hope you spotted all the crazy critters. I usually stay with NAD, who’d you go with? I actually live in Delray Beach at the moment, so sounds like not so far from you! The shark diving and blackwater out of Jupiter is just 👌🏽🤌🏽🤙🏽
Awesome!
Love your content! Is Manuk also named Gunung Api? I remember Gunung Api as the Snake Island.
🙏🏽 Thank you!! So you have experienced some of this awesomeness 🤙🏽 Manuk is different from Gunang Api, which is another snake hot spot in the Banda Sea. Unfortunately our itinerary skipped it (not sure why) but I would love to go back for a dedicated snake itinerary where we just do Manuk and Gunang Api over and over again. It’s just so good
@@DiveHard i have visited several spots in Indonesia, but not the Snake Islands, unfortunately (check your Insta messages)
Aren't those snakes super poisonous? I have seen some of them in Indo waters but that amount would have freaked me out I think. Great content by the way - well done! About the illusive hammerheads in Banda - we dived the same spot for a whole week - 3 times a day and we had one lonely hammerhead showing up on the last 10 minutes of the very last dive...
Thank you! 🙏🏽 the banded sea snakes are definitely super poisonous, but they are pretty docile if you don’t bother them, and importantly, have tiny mouths that can’t effectively bite you. Unless they get something like your ear, or webbing of your fingers, etc. Thats why I kind of freaked out when they were licking my toes 😂I love seeing hammerheads but they are like a bonus - the snakes and the reefs alone make Banda worth it imo. Maybe next time! Cheers 🤙🏽🙏🏽
Hi Kabir, again amazing work. From my opinion you're doing the best underwater videos! Hope to dive with you again!
Thank you Berthold! 🙏🏽 really appreciate that. always trying to improve a bit each trip. Hope that we can dive together again soon, keep in touch! 🤙🏽
Oh my god, is that an albino or leucistic squirrelfish at 3:57 🤯🤯
I’m not sure it’s a squirrelfish…I should know but I don’t have the indopacific reef fish ID book on hand! 😆 🤦🏽♂️
Kabir - I wanted to ask you how you focus on subjects during blackwater dives (for Video). I use a Sony A7S3 that is supposed to have the most sophisticated auto-focus system, bla, bla, bla, but I cannot focus on squat in blackwater, even if the subject is perfectly lit and I am allowing for the minimum focus distance of the lens. Any thoughts? Do you focus manually? This is a matter of heated debate in the Sony community, it seems.
Hey Rodrigo - I used to use the A7S and A7S2 underwater and have played with an A7SIII topside so am generally familiar with the system. I actually thought the A7SIII autofocus was incredible (especially compared to older cameras), especially the subject tracking in video. That being said, I didn't play with it underwater and I know that blackwater comes with its own challenges (many of them!). Blackwater focus is always tough, and techniques change with the size of the subject, backscatter, etc. In general, for 'coin- sized' critters and smaller, I tend to turn off autofocus and rely on manual focus (focusing super close to the element so focus is going to be very sensitive and likely to hunt). If you don't have a manual focus ring for your lens (I recommend a 60mm or something similar), you can always set / lock the focus point close to the element (appropriate for the critter / situation), and then drift into (and out of) focus rather than relying on the camera's AF system. I use this technique 50%+ of the time for blackwater. It takes practice but ultimately is (in my opinion) the most effective way to autofocus on macro subject in 'drifty' blackwater situations. For now, despite how good the AF systems have gotten, they likely will still struggle in blackwater given (i) the backscatter / particles in the water plus (ii) the random movements of the camera in and out slightly on a subject that is extremely close to the lens element. But you never know! AI is getting really good so I wouldn't be surprised if this changes in the future. A lot of it is getting super familiar with the AF systems and creating a workflow that works for you (e.g. do you switch the physical focus limiter switch on the macro lens before you close your housing, are you using an appropriate subject lock / switching sensitivity, etc.). A lot of gibberish, hope its helpful! Cheers
Nice! Very much what we saw. No hammerheads😞
Thanks Doug! Hope you had a good time in Alor 🤙🏽
Yor images are sick! Cuold you by any chance share your setup? I am just starting in underwater video and would like to invest in some new gear soon. Thanks for sharing your content!🙌
Thank you! My set up changes a lot depending on what / where I’m shooting but it’s usually a rotation of 16-35mm f4 behind a dome, more recently wacp-1 with and old 28-80 kit lens, and the 100mm macro. Generally avoid lights when I can but have two sola 2100s that I use for macro. 1DX2 has been my workhorse forever but also recently got an r5 which produces great sharp images. Thinking about making a video on setups and how I shoot if there would be interest in it. Cheers! 🤙🏽
I would love this. I’m considering getting back to photography as I start to dive. Your content is top notch sir!
@@daxsiplin noted! And thank you! 🙏🏽
Really awesome video ...i am curious about the song which you used in UW cinematic section at 9:40 ...
Thank you! 🙏🏽 that track is ‘the best I never had’ by victoriya. Cheers 🤙🏽
Great video! I love the black water dive footage. Do you dim down the power on your video lights on a black water dive?
Thank you! 🙏🏽 I do dim down the lights a bit but not a ton since I like to shoot at higher frame rates / low ISO. Focusing close to the lens / lights so they don’t have to be that bright
Hi Kabir - I love your videos, thanks for sharing! Your cinematography and color grading is one of the best I've see online. Out of curiosity, do you use a video light with most of your shots, or just ambient light? I've never seen anyone get such stunning color with just ambient light, and it doesn't look like there is any artificial lighting in your shots!
Thank you Chris! 🙏🏽 I do put a lot of effort into color grading, etc. I generally avoid video lights with big animals so do often just shoot with ambient light (which means certain shots / angles I don’t even attempt). On a lot of dives you’ll generally find me where the light is 😉 cheers!
Breathtaking, as usual. How do you make the cool, animated map?
I think I know... After effects, right?
Thank you man! The animated map was a new process for me… I had to clean up a stock footage map using illustrator and then pretty much animated the rest in Final Cut Pro. I’m sure there are more efficient ways but in the end it took about 1-2 hours of work (did quite a bit of keyframing and nested compound clips to make it work). I call it the indiana jones effect 🙂
Hope all is well, amazing content as always! Any diving this year?
Thank you! 🙏🏽 diving took a bit of a pause for a while as life got in the way, but finally working on a new video 😇
Kabir - wanted to ask you about the HECS wetsuit. Is there a visible difference when you approach animals compared to a regular wetsuit? (I assume it is good looking at how the snakes wanted to eat you 🤣)
Hey Rod - I love the HECS wetsuit, its super warm and easy to don yourself. The one negative for me is that is restricts thoracic extension / opening up of the arms backwards since the zipper is in front. Other than that I 100% recommend. However, for the whole 'stealth suit' technology bit, I candidly haven't noticed a real difference. I find that breathing technique, awareness and how you approach animals has a much bigger effect. I feel like there are too many variables to accurately conclude that it makes a significant difference vs. a regular wetsuit. It might, but I think its definitely on the margin. As for the snakes - they were most attracted to my fins, but they were honestly pretty chill dudes
Salute dive with many sea snake. Have u dive at ternate & halmahera?
It was awesome! Haven’t done those two yet but they are high on the list! 🤙🏽
Hi, we are seriously interested in visiting Banda Neira, would 2 weeks staying on the island and day diving be too much for you or not really?
It’s a great island (topside and underwater) with a mix of macro and coral reefs nearby. The history is also super interesting and unique. My favorite diving was actually the small islands surrounding Banda Neira. I personally wouldn’t spend 2 weeks just diving Banda Neira, I’d maybe do 2-3 days in a land based itinerary. Still an amazing place / area! If you have time, it’s a not a bad place to hang out at for a week or two!
Just curious. Are the cameras or video tech better now than it was 10 years ago to tale theae shots?
For the most part yes - but the biggest change has been the drop in price for high end sensor / camera tech. Some of the $50-100k cinema cameras being used in 2014 would still hold up really well today (albeit at lower resolutions), but now cameras in the $3k - $5k price range can easily compete with or even slightly outperform those older expensive cinema cameras (great dynamic range, internal raw recording, high resolution etc). At the high end they haven’t gotten THAT much better. But the image quality gap between the high end cinema cameras and ‘consumer’ cameras today is now quite small
@@DiveHard Thank you and more power to you!
Dddddddaaaaaaayyyyyuuuuummmmm
Totally bananas 🍌 🤙🏽
SAYA CALON PENASIHAT AHLI.. PT. HALMAHERA MALUKU MINING COMPANY. LTD.. IN HALMAHERA ISLAND. IN INDONESIA...
Snakes are scaring, are they bite ? A few years back I went to snorkel at Myanmar, a lot of corals and they are healthy. If no war there I definitely will be there again.
While the snakes can technically bite, they are very docile and also have tiny mouths so they aren't able to effectively bite and deliver venom to anything bigger than your finger. But they are still super venomous so it's a good idea to not mess with them to avoid a potential accident. I've never dived in Mynamar but I would also love to check it out. Cheers!