DATE: Saturday 13 June 2026
Torbay BSAC invites all underwater photographers to take part in our “Splash in” competition 2026
A ‘Splash-In’ competition is one where all the photographs must be taken on a single specified day. In our case, submission of the entries will be on that day, and the judging and presentation will be during an evening event where all the entries will be shown.
Our judge in previous years, Peter Rowlands (editor of UwP magazine), has passed on the judging responsibilities this year to award-winning photographer Dan Bolt. Dan regularly wins prizes in several categories of our competition, so this year he is giving the rest of us a chance!
The competition categories are:
- Wide angle
- Macro or close-up
- Compact cameras
- Beginners (Not won any competition previously)
The winning photos from previous competitions can be viewed here... Also see our article on the successful 2019 competition here, the 2020 competition here, the 2021 competition here, the 2022 competition here, the 2023 competition here, the 2024 competition here, and the 2025 competition here.
The venue for handing in the images is to be the Torbay BSAC Booth, which will be located on Beacon Quay, Torquay Harbour. Torbay BSAC officials will be present to receive them between about 3pm and 5pm.
In previous years, there have been cash prizes for the first and second placed entries in each of the four categories, plus a trophy for each first place winner. Unfortunately, we have not been able to attract much cash sponsorship in recent years, resulting in the club losing money by running the competition. Consequently, there will be no cash prizes this year, but we will be awarding better trophies to both first and second place winners. In addition to the above categories, there will be a Popular Vote winner (selected by attendees of the Evening Event).
We are pleased to announce that O'Three are once again sponsoring the First Prize for the Beginner category, providing a voucher for 50% off certain of their drysuits. Teign Diving Centre have also agreed to sponsor two of the winners' prizes.
The judging and presentation of prizes will be held at the Evening Event and dinner, which will be held at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Beacon Hill, Torquay. Dinner will be served and drinks are available from the bar (pay for drinks by card, preferably contactless - no cash please).
Competition Day Timeline:
22:00 (night before competition day) – 17:00 (on competition day) Photographs must be taken during this timeframe
17:00 Deadline for submission of Photos
18:00 Evening Event opens, with drinks available from the bar. Dinner served at 19:00
20:00 Presentations
For more information please look at the competition rules (Rules), how the competition will be run (Process), and general information about diving on the day (Information).
Costs:
Entry to the competition is £10 per person. A single fee allows entry to all applicable categories. If you wish to attend the Evening Event (including 2-course dinner), you can also purchase a ticket for £25 (price to be confirmed).
Tickets for non-competitors for the Evening Event (including 2-course dinner) are £25 per person (to be confirmed). Because we have to book the meals in advance, there will be a limit to the number of places available.
How To Enter:
If you would like to take part, please complete the application form here. You can apply at any time up until the day before the competition, but if you wish to attend the Evening Event and dinner, you must apply at least a week before the competition (this is because we have to pre-book the number of meals). After submitting the form online, you will receive an email with your competitor number and instructions on how to make payment. Note: if you don't receive an email within a day or two of submitting the form, please check your Junk or Spam folder (last year, some entrants found their emails had been automatically diverted to 'Junk' by their mail server).
Last Minute information:
In the event that there is a modification to the scope of the competition, or a cancellation, the club will endeavour to contact all the competitors by e-mail, SMS, and by posting a message on the club Facebook page. Please ensure that you check before you set out!