How to start shooting your own surf videos using a GoPro

When GoPro first emerged onto the surfing scene with their incredible all round waterproof camera, it revolutionised the way the world saw surfing and how surfers were able to document their world.

Professional surfers embraced the technology like nothing they had done before, and it gave them the power to make inspiring clips like this one, by pro free surfer Micah Lester.

Micah has become an expert in shooting his own films with GoPros and combines a number of top techniques to make this incredible movie in The Maldives. He uses a number of ways to mount the camera, the most obvious being the board mount which is included in the GoPro kit. But he also uses a pole accessory which he paddles into waves with in his mouth and then grabs to give us a unique angle on turns and manoeuvres on the wave face. Then for the classic in the barrel footage he uses the GoPro mouth piece. This allows the surfer to comfortably hold the Go Pro in position at almost eye level to give the viewer this magical in the tube angles.

What is also great about the GoPro is you can film friends too, using the slow motion option on the camera to watch their waves in minute detail. GoPro camera’s are also a really effective way to get a close up perspective of surfing technique. In this video, Micah also throws in another GoPro accessory, The Drone, these mini helicopters have been designed specifically to take a GoPro and as you can see, add incredible perspective to films. Drone camera’s are usually associated with television level budgets, when they are combined with a lightweight GoPro, using a drone can take your surf trip to a whole new level.

Micah has also given us some top tips to get to grips with your GoPro and using it in the water.

1. Fully familiarise yourself with the different functions, and work out which mode to shoot your surfing with before you hit the waves. If you’re looking to go out and film from inside the tube, then you’ll want to shoot on one of the slow motion modes.
2. Get the floaty back door accessory, that way if you should drop the camera it will float to the surface and being orange will be ultra visible.
3. Keep water droplets off the port, nothing more annoying than playing back your footage and having specs of water in the way!
4. GoPro’s aren’t just for filming yourself, always have it handy when you’re paddling back out to shoot your mates, or just to shoot cool lifestyle shots when you’re out of the water.
5. If you’re filming yourself in the barrel get nice and deep in there and stay behind the curtain as long as possible.
6. When shooting your mates get nice and close, the epic wide-angle lens allows you to practically join them in the tube.

Now you’re ready to get out and shoot your own mini surf movie so grab a GoPro from Argos.