Spence Hornby has spent his fair share of time in the green room.

For some of us, it can be hard figuring out which way to go when school finishes up. Do we study? Take a gap year? Take a vow of silence? Working out what your next step is or where your “career” is headed can be daunting. For Central Coast photographer Spence Hornby, it just happened to be the time that he picked up his first camera, an old EOS630 SLR with water housing, and the rest is history.

Over the next ten years, he’s travelled around the globe shooting some of the most hectic breaks on the planet. Looking at his snaps it’s hard not to get that little tingle of adrenaline in your chest – a feeling that Spence thrives on. “My favourite places and things would be big waves on reefs. Something about that gets my heart racing and the anticipation is really amazing. hard to beat!” he says.

Of course chasing these shots, out there in the open ocean isn’t always smooth sailing and he’s had his fair share of hairy experiences. “ Back in 2010, I was swimming in the water down in South Australia and a huge seal came up out of the blue and swam through my legs,” he says. “Down there in South Oz is renowned for its large White Pointer sharks so to have that happen is just a terrible experience. Other than that, there’s been plenty of solid wipeouts and beatings from waves over shallow reefs.”

Check out a selection of Spence Hornby’s finest shots below and head here to follow him on Instagram: