Gear Suggestions for Maldives Trip

Hey guys,

I'm lucky enough to be going to the Maldives in a few months, for what will likely be one of those "holiday of a lifetime" kind of experiences. As such, I want to be able to get some nice underwater shots ... something that I currently have zero experience with. I will be taking my 70D + Full compliment of lenses, but I am looking for the best options to get some great underwater shots too.

The way I see it, I have a number of options:

1. Get an underwater housing for the 70D - But this seems very expensive for something I am going to use very rarely
2. Get an underwater housing for my Lumix TZ70 - Cheaper than the full DSLR alternative
3. Use a GoPro Hero 3 - Which I can borrow/steal off my Brother
4. Buy a purpose-built underwater camera if there is a good, cheap, option.

Does anyone with experience have any advice/suggestions on this? I'm only ever going to get the chance to do this once, so I want to make sure I'm fully prepared to get the best results possible

Cheers, James
View my 500px Gallery Here

Are you a certified diver & if so how experienced? OR is this for snorkeling? If you're a diver & it's your first time to try underwater photography you need to know it's not very much like land based photography. Buoyancy control is critical for good results, and depending on depth strobes may be needed for good colors.

Hey Cicopo,

I am not a diver, no. This will be purely for "leisure" use on whatever I can find whilst snorkeling around the place, so no need for anything too elaborate. Just something that will make the best use of the situation, either using my existing gear or a cheap (but good quality) alternative.

Cheers, James