This is a complete smartphone-based underwater photography and video kit built around SeaLife's SportDiver Ultra housing. The main attraction is the combination of physical camera controls, pre-dive vacuum checking, leak detection and useful continuous lighting in a package that is still practical to travel with.
Best For
Recreational divers, travelers, snorkelers and underwater creators who already use a capable smartphone and want an easy path into underwater photo and video.
Main Advantage
You get a dedicated underwater housing, physical controls, vacuum and moisture protection features, plus a 2300-lumen continuous light in one ready-to-use system.
Compatibility
Works with many Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and other Android phones, but exact fit and available camera features depend on the phone model. Always check the current SeaLife compatibility chart before ordering.
Important to Know
The housing is depth rated to 40m/130ft and is the limiting component for the complete system. The SportDiver platform is designed around continuous photo-video lighting rather than external strobe photography.
Quick Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Housing depth rating | 130 ft / 40 m |
| Phone bay | 7.20 × 3.15 × 0.49 in / 18.3 × 8.0 × 1.2 cm |
| Housing weight | 28.5 oz / 808 g, with batteries, red filter and Moisture Muncher, without phone |
| Housing power | 2 × AAA batteries |
| Housing battery life | Up to 50 hours |
| Wireless | Bluetooth Low Energy |
| Sea Dragon 2300F output | 2300 lumens |
| Sea Dragon 2300F runtime | 80 minutes at full power |
What You Need to Know
Compatibility Comes First
Phone compatibility is more than simply asking whether the phone fits inside the housing. SeaLife bases compatibility on phone dimensions, camera position and SportDiver app support, and some phone-specific camera functions may not be available.
Phones with certain ultra-wide lenses can also require additional care because lens position and field of view can affect vignetting.
What You'll Need
A supported smartphone and the free SeaLife SportDiver app are essential. The set includes the required AAA batteries for the housing and a rechargeable 25Wh battery, charging tray and AC adapter for the Sea Dragon 2300F, so there is no separate light battery or charger to buy for the supplied configuration.
Who Should Choose It?
Choose this type of setup when convenience, travel size and straightforward photo/video operation matter more than building a full interchangeable-lens camera system. Divers who specifically want strobe-based still photography should look at a dedicated compact or mirrorless system instead.
Compatibility Resources
Check the current SeaLife SportDiver smartphone compatibility chart
View the SeaLife SportDiver Ultra setup resources
Not sure whether your phone or case will work? Contact Bluewater Photo and we can help confirm your setup before you order.
SeaLife SportDiver Ultra Limited Edition Overview
The SportDiver Ultra turns a compatible smartphone into a proper underwater camera system rather than simply putting a phone inside a waterproof pouch. The phone is controlled through the free SportDiver app and the housing's physical buttons, giving you dedicated access to shutter, mode, zoom/focus, playback and camera settings while wearing dive gloves.
The Ultra version is designed around larger smartphones. Its optical glass lens port, seven 1/4-20 mounting points and included red color-correction filter make it possible to build the housing into a more capable underwater rig as your photography develops. A vacuum pressure check and internal moisture detection provide two separate ways of monitoring the housing before and during a dive.
The Limited Edition package adds a Sea Dragon 2300F continuous light, single tray, grip and travel case. That is important in practice: once ambient light falls off underwater, the included 2300-lumen light restores color and contrast to nearby subjects and gives you a much more useful photo/video setup than using the housing alone.
Key Features
- 40m / 130ft housing depth rating gives the system useful range for recreational scuba diving.
- Physical controls make shutter and camera operation practical underwater and with gloves.
- Bluetooth Low Energy connects the housing to the SportDiver app without cables touching the phone.
- Vacuum pressure monitoring provides a pre-dive seal check; a separate moisture sensor monitors for water entry.
- Optical glass lens port with anti-reflective coating helps keep the phone's camera view clear.
- Seven standard 1/4-20 mounting points provide plenty of flexibility for trays and accessories.
- Included red filter supports ambient-light color correction, while the 2300F provides continuous white light when you need artificial illumination.
- Photos and videos remain on the smartphone, making post-dive editing and sharing straightforward.
What's Included
SportDiver Ultra Housing Package
- SportDiver Ultra underwater smartphone housing
- Red color-correction filter
- Vacuum pump
- Rubber grip tabs: 12 small, 12 medium and 12 large
- Spare main O-ring
- Spare vacuum check port O-ring
- O-ring lubricant
- O-ring removal tool
- Deluxe wrist strap with clip
- Moisture Muncher sample pack, 1 capsule
- Three anti-glare foam strips
- 2 × AAA alkaline batteries
- EVA carry case for the SportDiver Ultra housing
Sea Dragon 2300F Package
- Sea Dragon 2300F underwater photo-video light head
- Flex-Connect Single Tray
- Flex-Connect Grip
- 25Wh lithium-ion rechargeable battery
- AC power adapter
- Charging tray
- International plug adapters
- Spare O-rings
- O-ring lubricant
- O-ring removal tool
- Action-camera adapter
- SeaLife Compact Set Case for the assembled housing and light kit
Sold Separately / Optional Expansion
- SportDiver Ultra Screen Shield
- Replacement SportDiver Ultra O-ring set
- SportDiver-compatible wide-angle or macro wet lenses and the appropriate lens adapter
- Additional Sea Dragon lighting
- Flex-Connect Ultra Dual Tray for a two-light configuration
Why the SportDiver Ultra Works Underwater
Physical Controls and a Real Underwater Shooting Workflow
Touchscreens are awkward underwater, especially with gloves. The SportDiver Ultra gives you a large shutter lever and dedicated rear controls for the functions you use most often.
- Shutter control without touching the phone screen.
- Dedicated photo/video mode switching.
- Zoom and focus control from the housing.
- Playback and camera-setting access without opening the housing.
Vacuum Check and Dual Leak Awareness
With a smartphone inside, the most important part of the camera system is still the seal. The SportDiver Ultra uses a vacuum pressure system before the dive and a separate moisture sensor while underwater.
- Pre-dive vacuum confirmation helps identify sealing problems before entering the water.
- LED status indicators provide quick visual feedback.
- The moisture sensor remains active as a second layer of leak detection.
- The cam-lock sealing mechanism keeps the housing door securely closed.
Sea Dragon 2300F: Useful Continuous Light for Photo and Video
The included Sea Dragon 2300F is a continuous light rather than a strobe. Its 2300-lumen output, 5000K color temperature and 90° underwater beam make it particularly useful for bringing back color and contrast in close-to-moderate shooting distances.
- 2300 lumens with three output levels: 100%, 50% and 25%.
- 80-minute runtime at full power.
- 5000K color temperature and CRI 80.
- Tested to 100m, although the complete SportDiver Ultra system remains limited by the housing's 40m rating.
How Does It Compare?
These alternatives suit different priorities. The important questions are phone size, depth requirement, shooting interface and whether you want a complete lighted kit or are building the system yourself.
| Feature | SportDiver Ultra Limited Edition | SportDiver S | DiveVolk SeaTouch 4 Max Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depth rating | 40 m / 130 ft | 30 m / 100 ft | 60 m |
| Phone fit | Designed for larger smartphones; exact model must be checked | Smaller internal phone envelope | Broad smartphone support using its touchscreen-oriented system |
| Control method | Physical controls + Bluetooth app | Physical controls + Bluetooth app | Touchscreen-style underwater operation |
| Leak protection | Vacuum pressure + moisture detection | Vacuum pressure + moisture detection | Different housing design and workflow |
| Lighting included | Sea Dragon 2300F, tray and grip | Housing-only configuration | Depends on package/configuration |
| Best suited to | Larger-phone users wanting a complete single-light system | Users who want a smaller housing and do not need the Ultra's larger phone envelope | Divers who specifically prefer direct touchscreen access underwater |
Helpful Guides & Resources
Technical Specifications
Housing
- Depth rating: 130 ft / 40 m
- Construction: polycarbonate with stainless steel and hard-anodized T6061-grade aluminum hardware
- Lens port: optical glass with anti-reflective coating on inner lens surface
- LCD window: optical-grade polycarbonate full-screen display window
- External dimensions: 9.1 × 4.9 × 2.4 in / 23.1 × 12.4 × 6.1 cm
- Internal dimensions: 7.20 × 3.15 × 0.49 in / 18.3 × 8.0 × 1.2 cm
- Housing weight: 28.5 oz / 808 g, configured as specified by SeaLife and without phone
- Housing buoyancy: positive 5.3 oz / 150.4 g before subtracting phone weight
App & Controls
- App: SeaLife SportDiver for iOS and Android
- Wireless: Bluetooth Low Energy
- Controls: shutter, mode, zoom/focus, playback and camera settings
- iOS options vary by phone and can include lens selection, manual/automatic focus, white balance, tint, exposure, RAW/ProRAW formats, video resolution and stabilization
- Android options vary by phone and can include manual shutter speed, ISO, focus, white balance, burst shooting, RAW+JPEG and video controls
- Photos and videos are saved to the phone's photo library
Power & Protection
- Housing power: 2 × AAA alkaline or NiMH batteries
- Housing battery life: up to 50 hours
- Leak monitoring: vacuum pressure indicator plus moisture sensor
- O-rings: silicone main seal and vacuum check port O-ring
- SeaLife silicone lubricant is specified for O-ring care
- Operating temperature: 33°F to 110°F / 1°C to 43°C
Sea Dragon 2300F
- Output: 2300 lumens
- Light levels: 100%, 50%, 25%
- Color temperature: 5000K
- CRI: 80
- Beam: 120° on land / approximately 90° underwater
- Battery: 7.4V, 3400mAh, 25Wh lithium-ion
- Charge time: 170 minutes
- Runtime: 80 minutes full, 160 minutes half/Auto, 320 minutes quarter
- Depth tested: 330 ft / 100 m
- Light buoyancy: negative, -94 g underwater
- SportDiver Ultra Underwater Smartphone Housing
- Red color-correction filter
- Vacuum pump
- Rubber Grip
- Tabs (12x Small, 12x Medium and 12x Large; 5 medium and 6 small grip tabs are pre-installed in the housing)
- Spare O-rings (1x Main O-ring and 1x Vacuum Check Port O-ring)
- O-ring lubricant
- O-ring removal tool
- Deluxe wrist strap with clip
- Moisture Muncher sample pack (1 capsule)
- Anti-glare foam strips (3)
- AAA alkaline batteries (2)
- EVA carry case for SportDiver Ultra housing
- Sea Dragon 2300F UW Photo-Video Light
- Head Flex-Connect Single Tray
- Flex Connect Grip
- 25Wh Lithium Ion rechargeable battery
- AC Power Adapter
- Charging tray
- Int’l plug adapters
- Spare O-rings
- O-ring lubricant
- O-ring removal tool
- Adapter for Action Cameras
- SeaLife Compact Set Case – holds assembled housing & light kit
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the SportDiver Ultra fit my phone?
It fits many iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and other Android models, particularly larger smartphones, but the exact model must be checked against SeaLife's current compatibility chart. Physical dimensions, camera position and app support all matter.
How deep can I take the complete system?
The SportDiver Ultra housing is rated to 130 feet / 40 meters, so that is the maximum depth for the complete smartphone system. The included Sea Dragon 2300F light is tested to 100 meters, but the housing remains the system's depth limit.
Is the Sea Dragon 2300F included?
Yes. This Limited Edition package includes the Sea Dragon 2300F light, its rechargeable battery, charger, tray, grip and associated accessories.
Can I use an external strobe with the SportDiver Ultra?
No. SeaLife specifies the SportDiver platform for continuous photo-video lighting rather than external strobe operation. The included Sea Dragon 2300F is therefore the appropriate lighting solution for this package.
How does the leak protection work?
The housing performs a vacuum pressure check before diving and also has an internal moisture sensor. The system provides visual and audible indications for relevant status and leak conditions.
What batteries does the housing use?
The SportDiver Ultra housing uses two AAA batteries and is specified for up to 50 hours of battery life. Two AAA alkaline batteries are included with this set.
Can I add a second light later?
Yes. For a dual-light SportDiver Ultra setup, SeaLife specifies its Flex-Connect Ultra Dual Tray. Adding a second light is useful when you want more even wide-angle illumination and fewer shadows.
What maintenance does the housing need?
Keep the O-rings clean and free of sand, hair and other debris, use only the specified SeaLife silicone lubricant, rinse the housing in fresh water after diving and inspect the seals regularly.
