LOCAL DIVE SHOPS:
Founded in 2002, Pura Vida Divers (PVD) full service PADI IDC Dive Resort is family owned and operated, offers daily scuba charters, private charters, scuba instruction, professional level instruction, air , nitrox, and trimix fills, and equipment sales, service, and rentals. Our love of diving, the ocean, conservation, education and community inspire us every day to offer the best possible experience to our guests. Pura Vida is a Costa Rican saying which translates literally into “pure life”, however, the real meaning is closer to “plenty of life”, “full of life”, “this is living!”, or “real living”. The name was derived from our expectations of your experience!
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Pura Vida Divers gives SFUPS members a $10 discount on all 2-tank dive charters and blackwater dives. To obtain this discount you must call the shop (1-561-840-8750) to book your dive and mention that you are a SFUPS member. You will not receive the discount if you sign up on their web site.
The Kyalami Scuba Club offers open water dive trips, scuba courses and instruction, PADI Scuba Diving Certifications, and dive shop services in Palm Beach, Florida—since 1972. We are a professional dive shop, have our own custom built USCG certified dive boat and feature an equipment repair department with factory trained technicians. Our staff consists of expert instructors and divemasters who specialize in training scuba enthusiasts of all skill levels in a welcoming and supportive environment. We also provide scuba equipment and snorkeling gear rentals, along with fun diving charters 6 days a week.
Our boat is conveniently located at the Riviera Beach Marina, while our Pro Shop is located just minutes away on Northlake Boulevard. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are dedicated to guiding you through your scuba journey, whether you’re just getting started or you’d like to improve your diving skills. We are a certified ScubaPro Platinum Dealer, authorized to sell their entire range of products.
Kyalami Scuba Club is offering a $10 discount on all dive charters for SFUPS members. The discount can be used as many times as you like, but cannot be applied online. Call (561) 844-2466 to book.
Kyalami Charters offers both affordable dive trips, and VIP private dive services in beautiful Jupiter, Florida. We are proudly docked year-round in front of Square Grouper Tiki Bar at the Castaway Marina, which provides an atmosphere that is second to none. The waters of Jupiter, Florida offer some of the most diverse marine life in the world. From our Turtle Mating Season in the Spring, Goliath Grouper Aggregation during late Summer, and Lemon Shark Migration in the Winter, Jupiter scuba diving boasts large aquatic life encounters year-round! We also have the smallest most colorful creatures to satisfy the macro enthusiast. If you want to venture further, Kyalami is offering a diving adventure to Eleuthera, Bahamas, next spring.
We offer VIP dive options that can include a certified dive master as your private dive guide and underwater photographer for you or your group. You can book an elite private dive for up to four people, whether you want a comfortable experience for your kids, a private hunting or photography trip, or a more intentional experience. We provide as much equipment as you need. Whether you book a private or group trip, our number one priority has always been and always will be YOU.
Kyalami Charters is offering a $10 discount on all dive charters for SFUPS members. The discount can be used as many times as you like, but cannot be applied online. Call (855) 575-3483 to book.
UNDERWATER PHOTO EQUIPMENT:
Reef Photo is South Florida’s ultimate candy store for the underwater photographer or videographer. The selection and ability to lay hands on the industry’s hottest gear is an opportunity that not many photographers have across the continental United States. Equipment aside the Reef Photo team is available for hands on demonstrations with the experience and know-how second to none.
Nauticam USA is the exclusive distributor for Nauticam products in the Americas. Nauticam USA is also the distributor for other leading underwater imaging brands, including Keldan Lights, Zen Underwater, FIX NEO Lights, and Inon. The Nauticam USA team are avid underwater shooters, and and pleased to offer this great gear to our customers. NUSA is based in sunny Fort Lauderdale Florida.
Zen Underwater products is for the discriminating underwater photographer. We believe that exploration beneath the surface of the Earth’s oceans is a mystical experience. We know that those lucky enough to experience the beauty and majesty of the sea, from a perspective that most will never know, are blessed beyond measure. They are the chosen and driven few that deserve tools to redefine excellence by combining thoughtful, intelligent design, the finest raw materials available, and an unblinking dedication to detail.
Ultralight Control Systems started serving the underwater photography industry in 1995 and in April 2023, we became known as Ultralight Camera Solutions. This change better reflects our commitment to our customers and our continued success. We make a number of underwater camera accessories for the underwater photographer, videographer and cinematographer and our original clamp and arm designs are what you see in most other manufactured products today.
At Ultralight Camera Solutions, we manufacture premium accessories for both underwater photography and cinematography. Whether you shoot stills, digital, or video, we have you covered. Our products are engineered to work seamlessly with many of the leading brands’ housings, strobes, lights, and accessories, including Nauticam, Olympus, Sony, Sea & Sea, Ikelite, Aquatica, Gates and more. We also build a wide range of components for action cameras like GoPro, Insta360, and DJI.
Our product lineup includes arms, clamps, trays, base adapters, handles, monitor mounts, specialized brackets, sleds, weight trim kits, camera platforms, tripods, tray kits, action camera kits, and a variety of other precision-built components. Every part is machined from 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum and protected with Type III hard anodizing, paired with 316 stainless steel hardware for maximum corrosion resistance. All products are designed, machined, assembled, and packaged at our facility in Oxnard, California, USA.
Proven over decades and built to withstand the harshest underwater environments, Ultralight Camera Solutions delivers the durability and reliability professionals trust.
Ultralight Camera Solutions are generously offering SFUPS Members 15% off any item on their online store. Click here to claim your discount.
OTHER SPONSORS:
All Star Liveaboards has been operating scuba diving liveaboards for over 40 years, offering a variety of destinations and price points. Choose from their luxury vessels in Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Komodo and the Forgotten Islands), the Philippines (Tubbataha, Apo Reef and Coron), or the Red Sea. Their latest addition is the beautifully-equipped “Scuba Scene,” from which divers can access the Red Sea’s shipwrecks and an amazing array of sharks near Brothers Islands, Daedalus and Elphinstone. All Star also offers trips catering to a range of different budgets throughout the Caribbean – including the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands. All dive liveaboard trips aim to showcase the local culture and include eco-adventures and island excursions whenever possible. To learn about all their destinations, visit their website at allstarliveaboards.com.
The Underwater Club (TUC) is the world’s first online underwater photography school and community, bringing together passionate image-makers from 18 countries—and counting.
Its mission is to make underwater photography easier to learn, while connecting underwater photographers from around the world—helping them share ideas and have fun as they grow together.
The Club offers a comprehensive learning experience through 40 structured modules, 46 quizzes, and over 16 hours of video-based training. The curriculum spans both foundational techniques and advanced creative skills, all designed for self-paced learning.
Every month, members connect through at least two live online events, which may include expert-led Masterclasses, image critique sessions, and interactive Q&As where founder Nicolas Remy shares his knowledge and answers member questions. The learning continues on the Club’s private forums, where members get constructive feedback on their images, advice on gear, and guidance on photo competitions.
The Underwater Club also runs a limited number of in-person photo workshops each year, where TUC Members get priority registration.
Scuba Diver Magazine has bespoke magazines in the UK, North America, and Australia and New Zealand and features comprehensive travel articles, unbiased equipment tests, columns from acknowledged experts in their field, news from around the world, hints and advice on everything from technique to underwater photography, and much more. It is available on a monthly basis monthly basis (UK and Australia/New Zealand) and bi-monthly (North America) as a print product and in digital format. The North America magazine is a lavishly illustrated travel title offering in-depth, detailed articles on diving locations around the planet, as well as a news round-up and equipment reviews. The Scuba Diver Magazine YouTube Channel is rapidly growing in popularity with an ever-increasing number of subscribers. It features twice-weekly videos that showcase diving destinations, new equipment, diving techniques, and so on.
Wakatobi is a dive resort in southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. In a tranquil island setting far from crowds and cities, with no other divers for at least 100 miles, Wakatobi seamlessly blends five-star amenities and civilized comforts with a pristine natural environment; a pairing that has secured its reputation as one of the world’s finest diving and snorkeling destinations. Whether you are diving or snorkeling amongst our vibrant protected coral reefs bristling with marine life, enjoying a rejuvenating spa, taking in a glorious sunset with your favorite cocktails at the jetty bar, or perhaps indulging in a romantic beach dinner, Wakatobi Dive Resort provides a unique and enriching experience for those seeking recreation, relaxation and privacy. It’s not unknown for there to be tears on the last day of a trip in Wakatobi – guests simply don’t want to leave this little piece of heaven and return to the ‘real’ world.
Atlantis Divers offers bespoke scuba experiences in some of the world’s best dive locations. Founded in New York by SFUPS member and underwater photographer Adam Schneider, Atlantis offers dive trips tailor made for photographers. Packages include all-inclusive stays at premier resorts or liveaboards in locations such as Cozumel, Bonaire, the Sea of Cortez, and Fernando De Noronha, Brazil. Atlantis Divers is a member of the Marelux VIP Program, and all Atlantis Divers trips will have Marelux underwater photography products to demo for FREE! Try out the latest and greatest underwater photography gear such as the Apollo III Strobes, Lumilink optical transmitter and SOFT snoot!
Compiled by an international network of top dive editors and world class underwater photographers, X-RAY MAG is the planet’s only truly global premier dive lifestyle magazine. Subscription and downloads are free.