SCUBAPRO Deep Elite Team - Melanie and David Benz
Melanie and David Benz
David and Melanie Benz travel to the most beautiful diving areas on our blue planet for diving magazines and their partners. Dave started diving in Curaçao in 1996, he couldn't imagine what fascination the endless blue would have on him. As an underwater photographer, he made it his business to capture the beauty of our oceans in pictures.
From the moment Melanie fell in love with her husband, she also discovered her love for the oceans. Their first dive together was over 10 years ago and Melanie still remembers the feeling of discovering unknown, mystical worlds. The diving areas of our blue planet still fascinate her today as much as on the first day; as a diving model in front of the camera or as a photographer for diving magazines behind the camera.
An Interview with David & Melanie Benz
Why did you decide to take the giant stride into the oceans?
Mel: Anyone who has gone on one dive understands why diving can quickly become an addiction and a second home. For me it is a place of retreat and calmness. To float through a fairytale forest full of bright colours and strange creatures is a bit like being "Alice in Wonderland" for me.
Dave: As a photographer, for me there is nothing more exciting than the story that the ocean and its creatures tell me. No two dives are the same. I never really know what to expect the next time I dive. I just feel at home in this unpredictable setting.
How has diving changed your life?
Mel: With diving, my life has become one big adventure. Wanderlust has determined my everyday life since the first dive. Addicted to the moment to submerge. For me, diving is not just a lifestyle, but a big part of my life.
Dave: I had a great affinity with water as a child. With the first dive, I knew immediately that my life was about to change. The first underwater camera, the first picture and the path to becoming an underwater photographer was paved. With every further dive, with every further photo, the addiction grew. Being able to experience these moments together with my wife fills me with happiness and the greatest satisfaction.
What kind of diving do you like to do?
Dave: Dives with mermaids of course! Joking aside: as an underwater photographer, the perfect dive for me is a dive with endless amounts of time, lots of sea life and my wife as an explorer at my side.
Mel: I love to be taken by the hand by the current and carried over a colorful reef. Surrounded by turtles, sharks and thick clouds of schooling fish. For me the perfect dive.
Tell us about one of the most amazing experiences you have had underwater?
Dave: Exploring the Yonaguni Monument in Japan was definitely one of the most impressive experiences I had underwater. A gigantic rock formation, only discovered in 1985, and to this day a controversial topic among researchers and scientists, whether this mystical place was a whim of nature or was created by human hands.
Mel: I particularly remember a dive in Raja Ampat on Christmas Eve. At a depth of 7 meters, secured on the reef hook, the current almost tore us down into the endless blue. Surrounded by more than 20 manta rays, which circled relaxed over our heads. Except for one animal, which was looking for close proximity to me on my right side and which observed me at close range for several minutes. Feeling this bond was the greatest Christmas present that anyone could give to me.
Where are some of your favorite places underwater?
Dave: Ohhh ... there are a lot. The Mexican cenotes, the partly undiscovered diving grounds of Papua New Guinea and of course the playgrounds of the bizarre critters around Bangka.
Mel: Difficult question. But yes, Papua New Guinea and Raja Ampat really fascinate me with their wonderful underwater world. But to Japan again... that would be an absolute highlight for me one more time.
What is your advice to someone considering diving?
Dave: As my wife says, it's all about respect and appreciation. In addition, diving can not only be expensive but also very time consuming. If you want to do it - do it right and 100%.
Mel: Diving is not just a sport, it is a passion. Anyone who starts diving should be aware that love for the underwater world has a lot to do with respect for nature and its creatures.
What would you tell people about the oceans?
Dave: With our publications and exhibitions we try to tell as much as possible about the oceans in the form of pictures. About their inhabitants, their beauty but also their vulnerability. The oceans on our planet are unique places that urgently need to be protected and preserved.
Mel: Our oceans are beautiful. Colorful. Full of pop, colorful life and unpredictable encounters. This is what makes the seas so unique.
What's your favorite thing in your dive bag?
Mel: Definitely my SCUBAPRO Hydros Pro BCD and my SCUBAPRO Hybrid Shorty Wetsuit. With these items I almost feel a bit like a Bond girl.
Dave: In my diving bag there is a very special part of my diving equipment that has been with me for many, many years: my Scubapro Frameless diving mask. But there has recently been competition. The Scubapro Frameless diving mask with the Galileo HUD. I can't imagine a better combination.
Why is SCUBAPRO your choice for dive equipment?
Dave: My motto in life is: if you do something, do it right! This also applies to diving and choosing my diving equipment. SCUBAPRO has given me absolute security for years and delivers the highest quality standards.
Mel: Of course, safety is the most important thing in diving. I have trusted my SCUBAPRO equipment for many years. Nevertheless, for me as a dive model, it is of course also important to look good in front of the camera. Optics also play an important role when choosing my diving equipment. My Hydros Pro BCD with the Seawing Nova fins - sometimes in pink, sometimes in turquoise, make me feel confident.
What does diving mean to you?
Dave: For me diving means to forget the chaos of everyday life. For me, diving means to have made friends all over the world. For me, diving means being a guest in a world that is completely foreign to us.
Mel: For me, diving means expanding my horizons and constantly discovering new things. It gives me the opportunity to discover and appreciate the most beautiful destinations on our blue planet. For me, diving means being able to experience the most beautiful moments of my life together with my husband.