I use the cheapest good quality camera that I can find. You just need one mishap & you will either break it or lose it.
A mate of mine had a go pro & didn't shut the housing properly & the water leaked in ruined the camera. $500 goooone!
I have fallen on two cheaper cameras. One had a thin housing which cracked easily. The other which had a thicker housing cracked & broke open after falling on it with considerable force. So they can all break in my view.
My first, strong & most favourite was an AEE Magicam that had dual batteries that would last a 3 hour session. Good quality video & vibrant colour too. And at that time about 6 years ago the video looked better than a Go Pro and was half the price. But I sunk that due to it being connected to a metal extension arm that I fell on.

The float didn't save it. It was a heavy camera with 2 batteries connected & annoying to have attached to a paddle.
So the one I am currently using is a Kaiser Baas X90 that I am happy with. It is nice & light to be attached to a paddle & has survived a few knocks. It is a square shape & fairly small. It is the second I had purchased. The first was the one I broke with considerable force as mentioned earlier. The housing is strong as can be expected. Video quality & colour is good. But if you want over 1080p like 2k & 4k then it will cost you. But for fairly close work like in a surfing zone I think it's great. And for the cost of around $100 Australian you wont cry if you break or lose it.
It all depends what you use & want it for. If you want all the bells & whistles then you will pay more & cry more if you break or lose it.

There are many other brands on the market that claim exceptional resolution but some I found are just crap. So do your research regarding resolution & high frame rates.
The pics attached are just frames taken off my AEE videos. The AEE & the X90 are very similar in quality. But I think the AEE is a touch better probably due to higher frame rate. Good enough for me.