What camera

You can still find some new GoPro Sessions4 or Sessions5 ... but they don't make it anymore.

Small, light and easy to use.

Featured in my Kook Hat Cam video:

I use the cheapest good quality camera that I can find. You just need one mishap & you will either break it or lose it.
A mate of mine had a go pro & didn't shut the housing properly & the water leaked in ruined the camera. $500 goooone!
I have fallen on two cheaper cameras. One had a thin housing which cracked easily. The other which had a thicker housing cracked & broke open after falling on it with considerable force. So they can all break in my view.
My first, strong & most favourite was an AEE Magicam that had dual batteries that would last a 3 hour session. Good quality video & vibrant colour too. And at that time about 6 years ago the video looked better than a Go Pro and was half the price. But I sunk that due to it being connected to a metal extension arm that I fell on. The float didn't save it. It was a heavy camera with 2 batteries connected & annoying to have attached to a paddle.
So the one I am currently using is a Kaiser Baas X90 that I am happy with. It is nice & light to be attached to a paddle & has survived a few knocks. It is a square shape & fairly small. It is the second I had purchased. The first was the one I broke with considerable force as mentioned earlier. The housing is strong as can be expected. Video quality & colour is good. But if you want over 1080p like 2k & 4k then it will cost you. But for fairly close work like in a surfing zone I think it's great. And for the cost of around $100 Australian you wont cry if you break or lose it.
It all depends what you use & want it for. If you want all the bells & whistles then you will pay more & cry more if you break or lose it.
There are many other brands on the market that claim exceptional resolution but some I found are just crap. So do your research regarding resolution & high frame rates.
The pics attached are just frames taken off my AEE videos. The AEE & the X90 are very similar in quality. But I think the AEE is a touch better probably due to higher frame rate. Good enough for me.

Hi Scuba,
I have a Kaiser Baas X90 like Seajuice and they are a great camera and a really good price. I also have the sessions 5 (mounted on a Kook hat like STC) and although a little more expensive, is really small, no housing to break and has a great picture too. Not sure why they stopped making them but the price has dropped heaps now they are up to Hero 8 or whatever......

Thanks Emeboy

I have bought a session 4 off gummie. cant wait to get it, and try out next week.

I wieghed the Hero 3+ with housing an it was 180 grams, way to heavy for a surf cap.

Was going to try the drone way of getting footage, just start with the cheap Dji and give it a go.

Looking forward to the experiment........

Anyone else exsperimenting with the drone type of footage for sup surfing or river,?

Cheers
Scubs

Ye olde go pro hero 3 works pretty good......and is usually pretty cheao coz not a new glamorous model :)