Everything to Know about GoPro Surfing

We all know the age-old dilemma, “what came first? The surf vlogger or the GoPro?”. The two go together like pickle juice and pickles and have paved the way for the standards we hold for surf cinematography today. For example, the iconic Jamie POV shot shares the view of what it looks like inside a picturesque barrel at Pipe. All surfers should invest in a GoPro to capture awesome footage to share with friends, family, fans, and keep for themselves and help improve. Here is a guide for everything you need to know for GoPro surfing.

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Why Buy GoPro

Not only has GoPro committed their entire business to enabling us to capture our crazy adventures and thrilling activities so we can share them with others, but they have also dedicated themselves to ensuring we have the best quality, easy-to-use means of doing so.

Which GoPro

The latest release from GoPro, the Hero 10, is the perfect camera to capture surf footage. It has 5.3k60 + 4k120 resolution, HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization, extended battery life, enhanced audio capture, and is waterproof up to 33 ft. It ensures smooth footage without the worry of damaging your new cam in the waves.

To be extra sure you find the right camera, use the compare feature on the GoPro website to see which model meets all your shooting needs.

Bonus: Check out the GoPro Student Discount where students can get $210 off the HERO10 Black camera when they subscribe to GoPro.

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Photo: @GoPro / Instagram

What to Know Before You Go

Settings

Before you hit the waves, it's smart to make sure your camera is prepped to take the best footage possible. Here is a quick overview of our recommended settings for surf shoots.

Aspect ratio for surfing: The standard ratio for surfing is 16:9.

Resolution for Surfing: If you're looking to share your video on YouTube or Vimeo, make sure the resolution set to 1080 p.

Frame Rate for Surfing: Because surfing is an action-heavy sport, it is essential to have a frame rate that can keep up. We recommend 60 fps as it works great for sunny conditions and allows you to put the footage in slow motion after filming.

Keep Your GoPro Dry

The most frustrating thing is getting out after the most insane sesh of your life, psyching out of your mind, then finding out your footage was ruined by a water drop on your lens. Condensation and water droplets can form on the GoPro lens. If you're tired of using your spit to clean it every few minutes, invest in a water-repellent product like Rain X, and before you go out, treat your camera to get all the best shots without worry.

Check out these top 10 Underwater Moments captured by GoPro.

Best Way to Film Surfing with your GoPro

Board Mount

The classic GoPro mount is on the nose of the surfboard. This one is easy as you put it in the stand and don’t have to worry about it for the rest of your session.

Mouth Mount

You may have seen the footage of JOB or Kelly Slater holding their GoPros in their mouth while surfing. The mouth mount uses a breathable mouthpiece that allows the user to bite down with a solid grip and capture POV style footage of the waves. These clips tend to keep better stability than hand helds.

Hand Held

One of the most common mounts is the handheld. It is compatible with all GoPro cameras and comes with a trigger attached to the handle that helps the user easily capture videos and pictures. When surfing these are a bit harder to use as they are a little awkward to paddle and pop-up with.

GoPro Gives Back

In 2015, GoPro launched "GoPro for a Cause" to raise awareness for causes that match their core company values and mission, “to inspire social engagement by leveraging our products and global reach to help nonprofit causes tell their stories.” Their main focuses include:

Building resilience and empowering underserved communities
Celebrating those who are championing environmental progression and protection
Supporting active youth to maximize their passions and potential.

Some of the organizations they support include: Grace the Gorilla: Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center, Skate like a Girl, and Crop Trust: Global Seed Vault. Learn more here.

Did reading this GoPro surfing guide get you frothing to hit the waves and get some sick clips? Check out the Jamie O’Brien Surf App here for anytime anywhere surf coaching.