Surfing photos tips?

[Mark II]

Please share any tips for surfing photography here (i.e. .... f/8 & f/11 is best for lens sharpness).

Thanks in advance

[mikekelley]

Have a longer lens than you think you're going to need.

Know where they are going to paddle in, know when to go out for the best light for that particular break, etc.

[mikeassk]

I dislike the super tight photo. I like a pulled back comp. The wave is sometimes more important than the surfer.

Settings can vary a bit.
In the water or out?

Manual focus in the water F 7.1 or smaller is key.
SS at 1/1200th freezes water movement to a crisp static.

[steely]

start off in av take a couple of practice shots while taking note of settings,when happy with results go to maual and use same settings as in av. i find about f8 works ok but you need a high shutter speed so iso could vary.just have fun and experment with you,re settings

[hooookup]

I start at f5.6 1/1250" iso 100 and work my way up or down. Sometimes i'll go f8 1/800" all depends on weather and conditions.

[sk8ty]

what about in water with a wide angle?

[Roy Webber]

I use ISO 400 and F 7.1-8. In sunny conditions, the 100-400 will have shutter speeds of around 1/2000 sec....samples (http://roywebber.zenfolio.com/)

[doubledragon]

"The wave is sometimes more important than the surfer" VERY true, as a surfer I would rather see a sick wave than a sick maneuver, pull back and capture the whole wave and maybe some foreground/background elements to round out the scene.

if cropping tight, try to get one of those backlit wave images, they're the best.