7D Photography On the Water

What setting do you typically use on the water?

I took pictures while tubing on a small lake, mostly sunny with occasional cloud cover. I had trouble with exposure on most shots except for those with the subjects directly facing the sun. The reflection off the water would way over expose washing out the subject.

I tried AF Zone and AF Point Expansion, Auto ISO on 7d with a 70-200mm 2.8L

I'm sure most if not all of my issue is me. Just wondering what DSLR settings and what 7D specific settings are good to use for that environment?