New to surf photography

Hi all,

I'm planning on giving surf photography a go, for those weekends when the swell is too big to dive (and a bunch of surfer friends are bugging me to get out there with them). While I'm confident in the surf, doing it with a camera will be a new challenge!

My main questions are about equipment. I've got a 40D in an Aquatica housing. Is it a smart idea to be taking this into the surf? Or am I better off investing eventually in a surf housing? I'm guessing that these are lighter weight, and while don't have much of a depth rating, can still take a beating from waves?

The other question is which lens is the best bet? I'm guessing something wide or FE, so I might give my Tokina 11-16mm a go. Or is this another good reason to invest in a Tokina 10-17FE?

Any other advice, tips, would be fantastic!

Thanks,

Ryan.

I am by no means an expert, but as far as I am aware, the pressure of depth contributes to keeping the port and the housing sealed therefore if you are being battered by waves you may well find some water ingress. The other thing that would be a problem is the weight, especially if you are in water deeper than you can stand up in. The surf housings are usually made of fiberglass or carbon / kevlar etc and as such are very light. Holding a 40D in an Aquatica housing above your head will certainly negate the need for a gym membership . I looked into getting a surf housing built a couple of years ago and a company called Liquid Eye were recommended to me, http://www.liquideye-whs.com/us/materials.html believe me there is a large difference in getting set up in the two disciplines.

I think that Peter Mooney was a surf photographer so he may be the best guy to talk to, but by al means give it a try and let' see the results.

Tristan

Thanks Tristan. I'll ask Peter his thoughts as soon as he gets back in the country. Didn't realise he has a surf photography background.

The problems you pointed out are ones I've thought about already. Yes, the weight will be a problem, although I've seen at least one brand that makes their surf housings out of aluminium. As for the pressure holding the port on, there is a port lock on the 40D housing, so that should keep everything in place there.

If I end up getting into it, I'm sure I'll invest in a surf housing down the road. They're a hell of a lot cheaper that UW housings at least!

Ryan.

Yeah, you are right about the price, I think about USD1K which is peanuts when you add up the strrobes and other bits and pieces. From what I can remember when i met Peter, in his shop a couple of years ago, he said that he worked on the World Circuit for some time, unless i got completely the wrong end of the stick as I initially went into his shop to see if he had a surf housing, (we don't have many waves in the UK but it would ahve given me something to do in the winter).

Let me know how you get on.

Tristan

Hey Ryan,

I'm talking to a mates dad on Monday about making a waterhousing for my 40D. He works with metal and has made a few housings for other surf photographers, so I'll let you know how it goes.

If you haven't bought anything it may be worth looking into. I believe he uses aluminium for the housings but apparently they're a hell of alot cheaper than the other options.