The results are in from the fourth annual Kona Underwater Shootout, which took place May 24-27, 2019, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Amateur and professional photographers and videographers gathered for a 46-hour contest in Kona, for the chance to win prizes and raise money for the Malama Kai Foundation.

This year, the judges included Amanda Cotton, Masa Ushioda, Tom Boyd and Chuck Babbitt, who was the 2018 grand-prize winner. Bo Pardau, who has hosted the event for the past two years, says organizers have been fortunate to draw in well-known underwater photographers as judges.

In the past, the grand-prize winner was determined by the judges, but for this year’s contest, the competitors decided by picking their top two favorite images. Of course, that allows competitors to vote for their own image plus one more. Competitors were given a chance to give a short talk about their image. When all was said and done, everyone seemed happy with the winning image, and Pardau himself said the best image won.

Pardau also shared the reason he returns each year to be a part of the event. “It feels more like a gathering of ‘ohana, for good times and sharing,” he said.

The event has been growing each year since its resurgence in 2016, thanks to Byron Kay, owner of Kona Honu Divers, and professional underwater photographer Jeff Milisen, who wished to bring back the spirit and competition of the beloved Kona Classic.

See the winning images below:

Grand Prize

First Place Natural Light

First Place Wide-Angle

First Place Macro Category

First Place Model Category

First Place Compact Camera Category

First Place Blackwater Category

Winning Video shot by Jonathan Davis (scroll to top)

The 2019 Kona Underwater Shootout was sponsored by: Kona Honu Divers, Galapagos Sky Liveaboard, Light & Motion, Kona Snorkel Trips, Stahlsac, Wild Hawaii Ocean Adventures, Paradise Taveuni, Palau Aggressor, Suunto, Mares, Oceanic, Hollis, Zeagle