Cool waves: the best surfing photography – in pictures

British surfer Oli Adams reaps the reward of setting his alarm to go off before dawn at a secret spot in County Donegal, Ireland Photograph: Roger Sharp / Carve

The west coast of Ireland is home to some genuine world-class waves. This spot, christened Aileen's by the bodyboarders who first rode it a decade or so ago, has to be one of the most dramatic surfing locations in Europe, tucked under the mighty Cliffs of Moher in County Clare Photograph: Mickey Smith

Small, clean waves at Kirra in Queensland allowed photographer Ray Collins to shoot this surreal underwater image. On bigger swells Kirra morphs into a sand-dredging freight-train barrel, adored by Aussie surf stars like Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson (current and former world champs respectively) Photograph: Ray Collins

Photographers dodge swirling vortexes of turbulence beneath a wave at Teahupoo in Tahiti Photograph: Brian Bielmann

This savage reef break in Western Australia was dubbed Cyclops by the bodyboarders who first discovered it. 'For shooting empties it doesn’t get any better,' says WA photographer Russell Ord, 'but it’s a deadly place to surf. Photos don't really portray how dangerous it is' Photograph: Russell Ord

This is not a close-up of a wave tank experiment in an oceanography lab, it's a wave the size of a two-storey house. Shipstern's Bluff, situated on the southeast tip of Tasmania, is yet another of Australia's deadly surf spots, only ever tackled by the most experienced (or deranged) riders Photograph: AndyChiz.com

Skeleton Bay in Namibia is home to the longest, hollowest left-hander on the planet. But it's not the best place for a picnic on the sand. 'The beach is littered with seal skeletons ... you see quite a few jackals skulking around, picking bits of flesh off the bones,' says South African photographer Alan van Gysen. 'The whole place has a very eerie, desolate feel. But when you’re in the water you forget all that because the wave is so phenomenal' Photograph: Alan van Gysen

Surfers at Waimea Bay in Hawaii get caught inside by a "cleanup set" when waves break further out than normal. Nine-foot boards are too big to duck dive, so the only option in this situation is to swim for it Photograph: Lucia Griggi

Thick, heavy and shallow, this remote reef in Western Australia is known simply as The Right. One of the world's most visually dramatic surf breaks, it's also one of the most dangerous, with the added threat of great whites lurking beneath the surface. Here's Brit James Hick (from Jersey) taking his chances Photograph: Spencer Hornby

The inside view of a sand-bottom point break in the Caribbean which offers turbo-charged barrels for surfers with lightning-fast reflexes. 'This spot only breaks in the winter, like three or four times a year,' says Californian photographer Chris Burkard. 'It’s shallow and the current's real strong, but the water’s warm and the colours are amazing' Photograph: BurkardPhoto.com