Every once in awhile underwater photography gives me an opportunity to see something unique.

In June the Houston based group Dive Pirates traveled with a group of 83 people on their annual trip to Brac Reef Beach Resort on Cayman Brac for a week of diving and "pirate fun" introducing adaptive divers* to the underwater world.

Sponsored participants receive scuba training from chapter dive stores and a set of scuba gear. Their initial trip cost is covered through donations from multiple sources. Many adaptive divers return on their own year after year for the annual pilgrimage.

The smiles from people with various injuries including many military veterans says it all. They're thrilled to be diving!

Brac Reef Beach Resort is totally rebuilt and back in action since Hurricane Paloma in 2008. They pulled out all the stops offering accompanying non-diving family members a variety of activities such as:

• Cooking with Chef Gregory
• Personally led Snorkel Tours with Cayman Brac wildlife guru Russ Brandes.
• Cayman Brac Island Tour including museums, caves, the Bluff and more.

Resort Manager Trudy Viers has been working with Dive Pirates since 2004 to continually refine the complete week and is the most organized host I've ever seen! :)

Reef Divers staff are all trained SSI Adaptive Specialty Instructors and have the dive operation tuned to perfection. Everyone loads up and hits the water like clockwork!

My role was to capture the fun of participants and the many volunteers who have all forged strong friendships.

To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement :)

- David Haas, Haas Images

* Adaptive Scuba Divers are usually those with spinal cord injuries (paraplegic), neurological disorders, or amputations.

For more information on the Dive Pirates program please visit: www.DivePirates.org

For more information on the Brac Reef Beach Resort please visit: www.bracreef.com

Congratulations all of the winners of the 2010 Sodwana Shootout in South Africa. Please enjoy these winning shots taken using Ikelite equipment.

The Sodwana Shootout is the premier South African national underwater photographic competition that takes place over 3 days from 26th to 29th May. It attracts underwater photographers and videographers from across Southern Africa. It is a unique competition where entrants enter footage and images taken exclusively during the 3 days of the competition at Sodwana Bay.

The competition recognizes competitors at various skill levels from novice through to advanced and even professional entrants. There are prizes for the various techniques and categories as well as for the overall winner. A panel of respected industry professionals is responsible for the judging of the entries.

For the duration of the competition there is a central marquee at which entrants register for the competition and congregate daily to participate in talks and presentations from various diving and photography related organizations. Merchandise stalls and advertising opportunities are available in the marquee and on the beach for the duration of the competition which is concluded with a prestigious and well attended prize giving event displaying the winning images and video footage.

Dive schools throughout South Africa are encouraged to bring down entrants and most of the larger dive schools participate. The shootout is used by dive schools as an ideal training event to further the skills of members who are underwater photographers, by interacting with the advanced entrants and receiving advice in a competition environment. We will be furthering this idea in 2010 by sponsoring a number of professionals/advanced photographers who will be made available on an exclusive basis to participants from contributing dive schools and local dive operators.

Conservation is an important concern to the organizers, and we have undertaken to set the standards for underwater photo-video competitions held throughout Southern Africa. To this end we work closely with SANBI to introduce new initiatives each year and there will again be independent observers present at the 2010 Shootout to make sure that photographers dive in a responsible manner.

For more information on the Sodwana Shootout please visit: www.africanscuba.com