I’ve just picked up a cheap Gopro and I want to try setting up a Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) rig. I’ll be using it in the sea, in water that’s about 5m deep at low tide. There’s a 4m tidal range in the area so I’ll use it over low water to maximise the available light.
I’ve never done underwater filming before so I’m just not sure if a light is needed at that depth or if I’d be better off without one just in case it scares the creatures away or makes the visibility worse by highlighting the sediment. I’d like to be able to get some observations out of this so getting fairly clear video would help.
Has anyone tried this at an amateur/budget level with good results? I’ve been using a crab trap at this spot for years now and I know there are interesting things down there but I’d like to see what I miss.
Just joined the forum and was looking at new posts out of curiosity and saw this thinking the UV was UV light. (I use it for insects at night) Not much for underwater camera work but do scuba diving often.
For general observation during the day 5m is fairly shallow and ambient lighting should be fine. Take some test runs without extra lighting where you would be filing and see what you get. Some low lower LED lights can be housed in waterproof units at low cost. DIY if you are handy and want to customize at a fraction of the cost of commercial units. Try Amazon. Amazing what you can find by poking around some.
You could try contacting the guy of this channel. A lot of his videos are basically exactly what you’re describing. Dropping a camera on a line off the side of a boat, I think weights hold it down, lights allow it to film, and quite a lot of interesting stuff turns up!