Nothing beats an early start. Car packed to the roof, heading for the nearest stretch of coast with a whole day ahead. Cameras, boards, flippers, snacks, sunblock, the full adventure kit, and a playlist doing its job as the sun starts to climb.
Those early morning vibes peak the second you peer over the dunes and finally see the swell you have been tracking all week. The ritual is always the same. Ignore whoever is talking, refresh the surf cam one more time, hope the ocean has delivered
We rolled in just after 7 and the place was already alive. Clean waves, perfect lines, sets moving through like they had somewhere important to be. Everything pointed to a good day. Then the entire picture changed in a heartbeat. A sudden splash, a shadow rising, and a six to eight foot shark clearing the water. Two of us saw it and reacted instantly with the same twisted expression. The ones who missed it thought we were joking until it jumped again and crashed back down.
That brought a pause. A few looks passed between us. A couple of slow breaths. Statistically we were still fine, but no one enjoys being reminded that the morning rush includes more than just humans.
Even with that in the back of our minds, we suited up. I grabbed the camera, tightened the flippers, and stepped into the shorebreak. I have been in big waves before, but these were something else. Steeper, faster, carrying that kind of heavy energy that makes you feel tiny very quickly.
I had never shot proper barrels either. Never been out with surfers who could tuck in and actually find the shade. When the opportunity finally showed up, I froze it perfectly in my mind but not in my camera. Missed focus. Too much happening at once and not enough breath while the impact zone kept trying to fold me in half. But the timing felt close, like I was one adjustment away.
A few waves later it started clicking. Positioning, timing, angles. Relying on the pistol trigger so I could shoot blind and still keep my head moving. Survival first, photos second. I have been flipped in heavy surf enough times to know how quickly things flip you right back.
And then it happened. A surfer dropped in, the lip pitched, and I squeezed the trigger without thinking. When I checked the screen later, he lit up. A small win, but a genuine one. A couple more waves rolled through and the smiles grew wider when I showed the results.
There is something special about sitting out there anyway, drifting between sets, watching people choose their next ride. It slows the world down in a way nothing else does.
By the end of the session the whole morning felt like a crash course in handling steeper, hollower waves while sharing the water with surfers who know exactly what they are doing. Add a shark or two cruising the neighbourhood and the energy under the surface felt sharp enough to keep you honest.
What began as a simple early morning mission ended up as a lesson in confidence, timing, and staying calm when the ocean decides to remind you who is in charge. A few good photos, a few laughs, and the feeling that next time, I will be ready for even more.
Check out the full shoot within the Surf Photo Gallery Tab!
