Shooting surfers in the water or seeking the next cool wave shot is immensely fun and a heck of a workout. Our bodies, however, are warm blooded – that is we pump blood to keep warm. When we submerged in water that is colder than our body, our muscles and nerves start to cool and over time and this leads to loss of strength and coordination (not so wonderful)! Here in San Diego, our average ocean temperature is only 63. So what to do?

Let me share a couple of tricks I’ve learned over the years. First is the most obvious: its wetsuit or die most of the year! Wetsuits come in different thicknesses with 3/2mm and 4/3mm being the most common. The first number (3 in the first example) refers to the thickness of the material around the torso. The second number refers to the thickness on the arms. I generally wear a 3/2 most of the year for in the water shooting, moving up to a 4/3 only for the coldest months.

What type of wetsuit works best? For years I used whatever surfing wetsuit I had on hand, but I have found there is a better option. Surfing wetsuits have an extra, rough front to keep one from slipping off their board. This, however, does slow one down when they are swimming. Triathlon wetsuits, on the other hand are smooth and sleek – absolutely perfect for moving through the water as quick as you can to get in position for the next shot. Roka makes a great set of triathlon specific wetsuits that fit comfortably, are super fast, and don’t allow water to pour in down the chest.

The next tip is perhaps my favorite discovery. A few years ago, my son gifted me a wetsuit insert with a hood:

This fits under your regular wetsuit and is a godsend. Think about it; as a surf photographer, your body is floating under the cold water with just your head in the air. More often than not, there is a slight breeze. We loose most of our heat through our head and a wet head in cold water and wind is the worst. This little hooded insert allows me to stay warm much, much longer, thus increasing the chances of getting the shot of the day! So the lesson of the day is, stay as warm as possible and have fun out there.