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@punkerpat Hits the Waves

For all his in-water pictures, Pat pulls screen shots from a GoPro Hero 2 (@GoPro on Instagram). For more tips on underwater photography, check out this tips post.

Few people get to experience the thrill of surfing a barrel. Fortunately, Patrick Towersey (@punkerpat) takes his Instagram followers along for the ride. Pat grew up on the shores of Newport Beach, California and was a sponsored professional surfer by the age of 12. He competed professionally for 14 years, and now works for Hurley (@hurley).

About 6 months ago, Pat posted a #selfie in-wave shot on Instagram and knew right away he was onto something. “When I looked more at those pictures, they symbolized the experience of being at the mercy of the ocean, but juxtaposed with being calm and in control… To me, being able to capture and share that special moment of a wave overtaking you or being inside a wave is awesome. I would always be in the water thinking, man, I wish someone saw that or I wish I could share this experience with people, especially with those who don’t go in the ocean. Now it’s so easy.”