SCUBAPRO Global Dive Team - Frazier Nivens
Frazier Nivens
Location: Key Largo, Florida
Occupation: Director of Photography & Cinematographer
Scuba Diving Since: 1967
Favorite Local Dive: Pleasure Reef, Key Largo, Florida
Favorite Dive Location: Shark Arena, Nassau, Bahamas
An interview with Frazier Nivens:
Why did you decide to take the giant stride into the oceans?
I've always been enthralled with the underwater world and I was 5 years old watching Mike Nelson and the Sea Hunt adventure series on my family's TV. It shaped my life and then I snorkeled until I was old enough to buy a tank, regulator, wetsuit and a Nikonos camera and gear by mowing yards.
How has diving changed your life?
I've been blessed to open my company Ocean Imaging after many years as a dive instructor and PADI Course Director, and I've been shooting and filming around the world. I love what I do for a living, being underwater and capturing special moments in the blue realm is what I live for.
Tell kind of diving do you like to do?
Being an underwater Cinematographer, I always have one of my cameras with me. For me, being able to capture nature is always huge. Each dive is unique in its own way and you never know what's going to show up, so the camera is always with me.
Tell us about one of the most amazing experiences you have had underwater?
After many years of diving I've been very blessed to spend thousands of dives exploring and filming the amazing creatures that live beneath the surface. I have a hard time picking just one amazing experience; there's the amazing Sharks of the Bahamas, Hammerhead, Caribbean Reefs, Tigers, Oceanic White Tips. If I had to chose one it would be spending 10 days in Maui, Hawaii filming in the water with the Center for Whale Studies the Humpback Whales in crystal blue waters for the Ocean Mosaic series on Discovery Channel.
What are some of your favorite places underwater?
I'm glad to call the Keys home with the amazing reefs and wrecks and huge schools of fish, turtles and rays. I also love diving with sharks in the Bahamas, Tiger Beach, Shark Arena in Nassau, and the Oceanic White Tips at Cat Island. I've enjoyed the amazing reefs of Indonesia with its crazy macro muck diving creatures and immaculate corals and reef structures.
What is your advice to someone considering diving?
Don't hesitate, get certified as soon as you can. There's a vast new world to explore and you'll love it!
What would you tell people about the oceans?
We all must do everything possible to preserve and protect the ocean, the health of the ocean and its inhabitant, corals and marine life is important to each one of us and the future generations. We aren't doing enough now, there's a lot of great opportunities for divers to participate in Coral Restoration Efforts, Beach and Underwater Clean ups. Education is also the key to show the next generation what they can do to make a difference in their world. Teach the children well.
What is the favorite thing in your dive bag?
Easily the newest addition to my gear bag. I LOVE my Seawing SuperNova Fins so much, they are the very best Scubapro fin I've ever had (and I've had every Scubapro fin ever made!). I get more power and they are just so comfortable. If you have two pair, the black and white, I like to switch them up and add the black foot pocket to the white blade sot hat when I'm shooting in mid water the white fin blade can be used to do a manual white balance. It makes for a great white card to help you get good color balance when filming on each dive.