Report by Tim Allen
Torbay Splash-in this year took place on Saturday, 13th June. This was the tenth year in a row that the Torbay branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) had organised this underwater photography competition. The photographs had to be taken on the same day and within the Torbay area. There were four categories of entry: Beginner, Compact Camera, Wide-angle, and Close-up/macro, as well as a Popular Vote prize.
Fifteen competitors registered and submitted a total of 43 photographs. As usual, the standard of photography was very high, with the judges recognising ‘Highly Commended’ entries, in addition to the First and Second Prizes in each of the categories.
In the evening, a presentation dinner was held at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, where all the photographs were shown, and a Popular Vote held to select a 'people’s favourite'. The judge this year was award-winning, underwater photographer Dan Bolt, ably assisted by Jo Rabineau, who took over judging duties from the legendary Peter Rowlands. Dan and Jo provided useful and helpful comments on all the winning and commended photographs.
This year, the competition again attracted sponsorship from some generous donors, with O’Three and Teign Diving Centre donating prizes.
The winning and commended photographs can be viewed in more detail here.
Beginner Category
The Beginners’ Category is for those who have never won or been runner-up in an open competition before. The Beginner First Prize was again sponsored by O’Three, who provided a voucher for 50% off a new drysuit.
First Prize
Kerry Dunlop
The judges: “The framing is nice and tight. Honestly, it's lovely. It's nice and sharp on the eye. It's got good eye contact. You immediately feel like you've got rapport with the octopus.”
Kerry commented: “The photo was taken in Babbacombe with an Olympus OMD10. I chose this shot because I wanted to show the Octopus tucked deep into the rocky crevice, which creates a strong sense of behaviour and habitat, but also wanted to capture the eye against the pale mantle and skin texture.”
Kerry also won a voucher for 50% off a new drysuit, sponsored by O’Three.
Second Prize
Debra Russell
The judges: “Absolutely beautiful. It’s a rock pool just in the shallows. You had good light for that as well, so absolutely wonderful. Just really good. I really like the left of the photo, where the symmetry is really lovely. I really like it, but if there'd just been something to draw the eye in the foreground, it would been a killer shot.”
Debra commented: “My photo was taken in the rock pools at Corbyn Head beach. I have spent lots of time, over recent years, taking photos in these pools but never going under the water before, even if it was just my arm. I used a basic action camera, and, after some practice sessions, I decided that I really wanted to concentrate on the reflections I was achieving in the images. I love colour and texture, and I find lots of inspiration from my textile work in the many different seaweeds, shells, and stones in the rock pools.”
Highly Commended
Jerry Blackler
Compact Camera Category
First Prize
Malcolm Nimmo
The judges: “Absolutely love this shot. We chose this because the foreground is much more engaging, and the fact that it's in focus from foreground to background. And to be able to control the shadows and the lights kind of makes sense. You shot it on an old iPhone, where the phone does all the processing for you. It's lifted up the shadows and ramped down the highlights, which means it looks great. Well done. That was a lovely shot. Very well deserved, so congratulations.”
Malcolm commented: “I took the shot using an iPhone 15+ housed in a Divevolk underwater housing. As I was unable to dive/snorkel at the weekend, I thought I would still join in the fun using the iPhone system for shallow water shooting as well as taking images from a paddleboard / sit-on kayak. The winning image was taken in the shallows at Babbacombe not long after sunrise on Saturday morning. Setting details: f/2.4; 1/560 sec; ISO 25.”
Second Prize
Darran Hill
The judges: “We really like the composition of this. It's very, very strong - the eye there really catches you. It's actually got a really nice diagonal as well to the frame. I don't know if he cropped this or if he shot it like this. The sixteen by four format might be a bit odd, but some cameras do that natively. It really does have a lot of impact and is well-lit as well - nice and even. A few image quality issues, but again it's a compact category, so we don't dwell too much on this.”
Darran commented: “This photograph was taken in Babbacombe on a particularly sunny day. I was hoping to see an octopus and instead found myself in what could only be described as an octopus party. I shoot with an iPhone 14 Pro in a SeaLife housing and enjoy seeing just how far smartphone photography can be pushed underwater. This octopus seemed completely unbothered by my presence, sitting and watching me while I moved in close with my lights. It gave me the chance to capture an image I’m extremely happy with, and one that hopefully demonstrates what modern smartphone cameras can achieve beneath the surface.”
Highly Commended
Tim Allen (L) and Darran Hill (R)
Wide-angle
First Prize donated by Teign Diving Centre
First Prize
Kirsty Andrews
The judges: “There were lots and lots of octopus shots; they're wonderful to see, as we all know. We chose this because it was the only one entered that had two octopus in it. And there's action; they're relaxed. I quite like the inclusion of blue water because it gives a sense of space. But it's a wonderful interaction shot. They are clearly just getting on with life. They're not bothered about the diver's presence whatsoever, which is joyous - it's just nature.”
Kirsty also won a voucher for a mask donated by Teign Diving Centre.
Second Prize
Simon Temple
The judges: “I really like it. You get the attention, but it’s very well behaved without being too much, and all the fish are facing in the right direction. You've done really well. These fish are very reflective. The photographer has done a really good job of balancing their flashlight with the reflected light and the ambient light. You have three light sources going on here, and they’ve balanced them all really, really well. Well done!”
Highly Commended
Kirsty Andrews (L) and Simon Temple (R)
Close-up/Macro
First Prize sponsored by Teign Diving Centre
First Prize
Terry Griffiths
The judges: “It's absolutely wonderful. A really impactful shot. Nice detail as well on the grass. And with the hanging, there's a little bit more purpose in this shot. Well done, Terry.”
Terry commented: “Photographs were taken at Beacon Cove, out on the back of the Millstones. The back of the Millstones is always a good place to hunt subjects - you never know what you might come across. I used a Canon R7, 60mm lens with a Nauticam MFO-1.”
Terry also won a voucher for a mask donated by Teign Diving Centre.
Second Prize
Terry Griffiths
The judges: “Slightly off-centre, I love the green background. The subject really pops out. I think the photographer has done really well to grab this. It looks simple in frame, but to me, it's got a lot of impact. In this one, the subject is slightly smaller in the frame, which gives you a chance to see some of the environment that the subject lives in. It makes a bit more sense to the brain. Here, the dark negative space on the left-hand side actually added to the sense of depth. The subject is pin sharp and it's got that punch.”
Highly Commended
Kirsty Andrews (L) and Simon Temple (R)
Popular Vote
Simon Temple
The Popular Vote was won by Simon Temple for his Highly Commended shot of a nudibranch on seagrass.
Simon commented: “The image that won the Popular Vote this year was my photograph of a Polycera nudibranch on seagrass in Beacon Cove. Seagrass has been heavily depleted this year due to the harsh winter and persistent easterly storms, so finding a nudibranch to photograph required a great deal of searching. That made the encounter all the more rewarding. What I particularly like about this image is the contrast between the nudibranch’s striking white and orange colours and the vibrant green details of the seagrass blades. The photograph was taken using a Nikon D500 with a 60mm macro lens. To maximise image quality in the bay’s less-than-clear water, I used a Backscatter snoot, which helped isolate the subject and create a cleaner, more impactful image.”
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SCUBA Magazine Oct 2026
