The ONLY Olympic photographer allowed in the water during surf events tells us what's in his camera bag

The Paris Olympic Games 2024 are well underway, offering once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for photographers to capture some of the most iconic sporting images of all time. 

Only one photographer, however, is allowed in the water during the Olympic surf competition, taking place in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. 

"Yeah, it's amazing to be honest," ocean photographer Ben Thouard told me just before the start of the surf competition last week. "It's a great honor to be chosen to be in the water to cover the Olympics." 

Representing Agence France-Presse, the 38-year-old has been spending 10 hours a day in the water, with his incredible photographs being routed directly to the international press offices in real-time. 

This unique opportunity is not just down to his immense skill in underwater photography; Thouard knows Teahupo'o of old. 

With an early and enduring love of the ocean and surfing, Thouard discovered photography in his teens, moving to Paris to attend photography school after graduating from high school. 

Quitting halfway through to go professional, he took a trip to Hawaii and met the surf community there. After traveling and photographing the world, Thouard settled in Tahiti in 2007, photographing every swell and surf in Teahupo'o. 

So, the question you're all dying to know the answer to: what’s in Thouard's Olympic underwater kit bag? 

"I've travelled with my Canon R3, and I'm mostly going to be relying on two Canon lenses, a 16-35mm, and a 24-105mm," he said.

"I chose the R3 because it's the most reliable camera available now, and it has an ethernet port, which allows me to transfer the photos onto a phone, and transmit live directly onto an FTP. 

"The R3 has a great battery life, awesome autofocus, and obviously the best frame per second for shooting sports. With the 16-35 I should be able to get some really unique shots, and the 24-105 has the best range to cover a competition."

All of Thouard's kit is secured in AquaTech water housing, complete with two different ports, a dome for the wide-angle lens, and a flat port for the 24-105mm. He is also using a special housing on top of the other housing, which will hold the ethernet cable that connects the camera to the phone, with an external battery. 

As you can imagine, almost everything is custom-made, and he has been developing this technology with AquaTech over the last few months. 

Following up with Thouard during the competition, he's pleased to report that all his kit has held up flawlessly.

"Nothing has gone wrong. Transmitting from the water has been working perfectly. While I am floating in the South Pacific, editors in Paris and the US are sitting behind desks processing the photos I've just taken, which is pretty awesome when you think about it." 

It's important to remember that all of Thouard's Olympic shots are taken while freediving; he has no oxygen tank and no extra buoyancy.

Waves in Teahupo'o can grow up to 50ft – and on top of that, there’s also the large shallow reef, waiting to impale those unlucky few who happen to wipe out. 

"I only have my camera and my fins, and then I navigate through those waves, just swimming. It's physically very demanding, swimming ten hours a day over a four-day event."

Despite the extreme conditions, and the suspension of the competition due to dangerous weather, Thouard is loving every second.

"I'm super happy with how everything's been going. During the training I was able to shoot a lot underwater, even getting in the barrel with the surfers. I can't get as close during the actual competition so it's a little bit harder, but yeah super stoked so far."

Thouard was quick to recognize the success of fellow photographer Jerome Brouillet, whose image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina 'floating' above the water went viral.

"Yesterday was a really great moment for my colleague, capturing Gabriel Medina kicking out, floating in the sky with his board behind him." 

While that shot is being hailed as the best photograph of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the whole surf competition has produced some phenomenal shots. 

"That's probably the key moment of the Olympics so far, and I mean it's amazing to see this all unfold right in front of me. It's history."

Check out our guides to the best waterproof cameras, and the best underwater housings for cameras and phones.