🎥 Which GoPro for diving?
#1
🎬 Best kit for the money
GoPro HERO13 Black
This is the GoPro you see most on dive boats. Waterproof to 10 m on its own, it needs the Protective Housing for scuba diving, but the pair still costs clearly less than a MISSION 1. It records 5.3K at 60 fps, takes 27 MP stills and accepts HB-Series lenses, including a macro lens. The listing we link is the Forest Green colour.
✅ Pros
- · 5.3K video at 60 fps, 27 MP stills
- · 60 m with the Protective Housing
- · Removable 1900 mAh Enduro battery
- · Compatible with the MISSION 1's Enduro 2 battery
- · Very wide choice of mounts and accessories
❌ Cons
- · Waterproof to only 10 m without a housing
- · Protective Housing sold separately
10 m bare60 m housed5.3K6027 MP159 g
Check price on Amazon →#2
🤿 20 m without a housing
GoPro MISSION 1 PRO
Launched in 2026, the MISSION 1 range doubles the depth of the HERO cameras: 20 m without a housing, just past the 18 m Open Water limit. Its 1-inch sensor is clearly larger than the HERO13 Black's, which helps as light drops with depth. The PRO adds 8K at 60 fps and Open Gate recording, which uses the whole sensor and is handy for reframing in the edit. GoPro promotes a Dive mode on this model to improve underwater colour. The standard MISSION 1 shares the same body, sensor and depth rating, with 8K at 30 fps.
✅ Pros
- · Waterproof to 20 m bare, 60 m in its housing
- · 8K video at 60 fps and 8K Open Gate at 30 fps
- · 1-inch sensor, 50 MP stills
- · Dive mode promoted by GoPro
- · 2150 mAh Enduro 2 battery
❌ Cons
- · Far more expensive than a HERO13 Black
- · 8K drains the battery fast: up to 1.5 hours claimed in 8K30
- · Its housing is specific and does not fit HERO cameras
- · Not to be confused with the MISSION 1 PRO ILS, which is not waterproof
20 m bare60 m housed8K601" sensor207 g
Check price on Amazon →🧰 The housing and useful accessories
For scuba diving, the housing matters more than the camera: it is what takes a GoPro from snorkelling depth to 60 m.
Essential to dive with a HERO
GoPro Protective Housing (HERO13 Black)
The official housing, waterproof to 60 m, with a flat glass lens and a front screen that stays readable. GoPro lists it as compatible with the HERO13, HERO12, HERO11 and HERO10 Black; the Amazon listing adds the HERO9 Black. It ships with a skeleton backdoor, to be kept for use out of the water.
Check price on Amazon →To go past 20 m with a MISSION 1
GoPro Protective Housing (MISSION 1 and MISSION 1 PRO)
The 60 m housing made for the MISSION 1 range: it does not fit HERO cameras, and vice versa. Flat glass lens, visible front screen and mounting fingers that let you fit the camera horizontally or vertically.
Check price on Amazon →For snorkelling and arm's-length shots
GoPro The Handler (floating hand grip)
A non-slip grip with a wrist strap that keeps the camera at the surface if you let go. Very useful when snorkelling. On scuba, keep the strap on your wrist: a floating grip released at depth goes up on its own, and you must never chase it.
Check price on Amazon →🔦 Fog, filters and light
Anti-fog inserts
Small absorbent strips that slide into the housing. They cost next to nothing and prevent hazy footage halfway through the dive. Compare offers when buying them on their own: prices vary a lot from one seller to another.
Colour filters
Water absorbs red first. According to GoPro, recent cameras correct white balance by themselves near the surface, and a filter can become useful beyond about 10 m. The PolarPro DiveMaster kit that GoPro lists covers three cases: a red filter for blue water and a magenta filter for green water, from about 4.5 to 23 m, and a “snorkel” filter from about 0.6 to 4.5 m. Around the UK coast the water is usually green: the magenta filter is the one that applies.
Lighting
A filter only rebalances the light that is left: past about 20 m, or as soon as the water is dark, only a video light brings colours back. In that case, remove the filter, otherwise the image takes on a colour cast near the lit subject.
⚙️ Preparing and setting up your GoPro
1. Set everything up dry
The touchscreen does not respond underwater. GoPro advises locking the screen from the dashboard (swipe down, then Screen Lock) and navigating with the buttons. So choose resolution, frame rate and field of view before closing the housing, and save them as a preset.
2. Keep the settings simple
To start, 4K at 60 fps with a wide field of view and stabilisation on gives smooth footage without filling the memory card. 5.3K or 8K are mostly useful if you reframe in the edit, and they use more battery. Leave white balance on auto as long as you use neither a filter nor a light.
3. Close the housing properly
Check that the seal is clean, with no hair or grain of sand, fit the waterproof backdoor and not the skeleton one, then close everything in a cool, dry place with an anti-fog insert. Avoid leaving the housing in the sun on the boat: the temperature gap with the water is what makes moisture condense on the lens. Before the first outing, test the empty housing in a tub of water.
4. Filming underwater
Get close: the less water between the camera and the subject, the sharper and more colourful the image. Keep the sun behind you, as GoPro recommends, hold the camera with both hands and shoot slow clips of ten to fifteen seconds rather than one long tracking shot.
5. After the dive
Rinse the camera or the housing in fresh water with the door closed, then dry it before opening. Salt crystallising on a seal or a latch is the first cause of a leak on the next dive.
6. Safety first
A camera grabs your attention just when you need to watch your depth, your gas and your buddy. Your dive computer stays the priority instrument, and it is better to have your buoyancy under control before taking a GoPro down.
❓ Frequently asked questions
How deep can you dive with a GoPro?
Without a housing, 10 m for the HERO13 Black and earlier HERO Black cameras, 20 m for the MISSION 1 and MISSION 1 PRO, and 5 m for the LIT HERO. With the GoPro Protective Housing made for the model, the HERO13 Black and the MISSION 1 cameras go to 60 m.
Do I need a housing to scuba dive with a GoPro HERO13 Black?
Yes, as soon as the dive goes past 10 m, which means almost any scuba dive. The GoPro Protective Housing is waterproof to 60 m and closes with its waterproof backdoor; the skeleton backdoor that comes with it is not meant for immersion.
Does a GoPro touchscreen work underwater?
No. GoPro recommends locking the touchscreen before getting in the water and navigating with the camera's buttons. The simplest approach is to set the camera up dry and only touch the shutter button during the dive.
Do I need a red filter on a GoPro for diving?
Near the surface, auto white balance is usually enough. GoPro indicates that a filter can become useful beyond about 10 m. The PolarPro DiveMaster kit listed by GoPro provides a red filter for blue water and a magenta filter for green water, from about 4.5 to 23 m. Deeper down, only a light brings the colours back.
Which GoPro is best for scuba diving?
The HERO13 Black in its Protective Housing remains the most common and least expensive setup. The MISSION 1 and MISSION 1 PRO cost more but are waterproof to 20 m without a housing and use a 1-inch sensor, which copes better as the light fades.
How do I stop a GoPro housing from fogging?
Close the housing in a cool, dry place with the camera cold, and slide in anti-fog inserts. Avoid leaving the housing in the sun on the boat before the dive: the temperature difference with the water is what makes moisture condense on the lens.