OP
captnpat1982
Contributor
If you're sick of the blue there's a few things you can do:
1. Stay shallow. 50' is too deep to get decent colour. Your best depth is within the 0-40' range.
2. Get close- really tricky with some fish.
3. Get the sun at your back.
4. Shoot at eye-level or slightly from underneath.
If your camera can white-balance- definitely use it! Auto-WB usually works only when adding an external light source such as a strobe. Internal flash can help but you need to be within a couple of feet of the subject- 12 inches is better... (she said).
I think the most important tip is staying really shallow- or leaving the camera alone until you ascend to the shallows. You will see a big difference at 10-15'.
See here for tips on getting shots without strobes:
Great Underwater Photos Without a Strobe|Underwater Photography Guide
Thanks to everyone for their comments. I have alot to learn and alot of practice ahead of me.
supergaijin - great pics and advise. Thank you