Waterproof Cameras for Surfers - GE G3wp Review

The GE G3wp is an exceptional camera. Never mind its stylish looks, I like the overall quality of the 12 mega pixel GE G3wp.
The battery life of the G3wp is unlike any other waterproof camera on the market. I took the G3wp out surfing for 3 hours on an overhead day and when I finished the battery indicator was still full. I was even using the video mode which on other camera models is a fast battery killer. Not with the GE G3wp. Just keep the camera turned on during your entire surf session.
It shows all colors throughout the pictures with sharp clarity out to about 20 feet but then further than that the subject’s edges become a little soft. Mind you I’m bobbing around on a surfboard while shooting surfers moving very quickly down a wave. The Pentax cameras beat the GE G3wp on far away surfer shots with picture sharpness but you'll still be happy.
I did use it for family pictures over the holiday and the G3wp worked perfectly with its smile, face detection and picture quality but I’m here to review it out in the ocean with different surf conditions.
It is very easy to get around the different mode selections without ever having to read the directions while you’re out on your surfboard. This is mainly because GE kept it very simple. Unlike the Olympus waterproof models with tons of useless mode selections that you will never use and have to scroll thru them all to find the right one; the GE G3wp only uses the basic modes for selection. This eliminates confusion and big time frustration when you just want to quickly switch modes from continuous shooting to single high quality shots or video for example.
The down side though is you have to re-select the continuous shooting mode after turning the camera off. But it is quick to figure out and switch to that mode even if you never read the directions. That to me is huge!
The shutter response time is par. GE can work that out in the coming years but the auto focus works almost instantly with the shutter halfway down while spotting the surfer in its large 2.7 inch viewer. When the shutter is then pressed the rest of the way down the shot is instant.
The view finder works well. Even with the sun behind you glaring on the view finder, I can still see the surfer and follow him.
I am highly recommending the GE G3wp. At around $200.00 the G3wp waterproof camera is an incredible deal!!!

Check out my surfer shots in a slide show using the G3wp.