new gopro helmet mount for SUP (and not only).

[cammar]

I don't know how to embed videos here, so here's the link to the post that shows it: http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/2011/01/helmet-stick-on-sup.html

It find it great for windsurfing: http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-bet-you-havent-seen-this-angle-yet.html

Oh well, it's not related to the topic, but I just posted the photos of today's waves... another gorgeous day of surfing in Maui! http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/2011/01/epic-surfing.html

[PonoBill]

Cool Video GP, but only you would care so little about looking like a dork to get a good video! I haven't seen you with this on yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

All you have to do to embed video here is paste in the URL of the actual video, the same as you pasted in the link to your site:



That works amazingly well, it's what I tried to do with a tail mounted mast on my boards--doesn't work. The Helmet stick obviously works great, I just have to get over how it looks.

Today was indeed an awesome day. I looked at the swell from here at the house and thought it was going to be flat. Instead it was just clean. I did other stuff all morning and finally hit the water about 2:00. I was planning on doing Mamas, but it was junked up by the offshore wind, so I just went to Kanaha. It was very fine and there were only a few people out. About 4:30 the water got very weird looking--monster pressure ripples in the water way out. I turned to a couple of longboarders and said "this is the part of the movie where the scary music starts". The big blast of onshore wind was accompanied by a really big set, I got the first wave fortunately. Unfortunately it closed fast but I rode the whitewater to the edge of the lagoon. I figured it might die as quickly as it came up, so I tried to paddle back out--no go. At one point it felt like the wind was going to lift me off the board. Sure am glad it wasn't blowing Kona or I'd be writing this from Molokai. When I finally did turn and give up I got a fast free ride to the beach.

[crtraveler]

Nice video!!  I am really not a fan of 90% of Go Pro vids mounted on paddles or the nose of the board, cause you have no idea of what's going on most of the time.  Thanks for giving us a quality one!!

[H2Oman]

Is this stick mount something you made or purchased?

[cammar]

Answers, in reverse chronological order.

H20man: I didn't purchase it (I doubt it would be a best seller because of the reason Bill mentions), I made it. Super easy.
Clearly you need a helmet. Make four holes on the very top (dremel tools work great for that) so that they can allow two hose clamps to go through. Buy two hose clamps (two bucks) and thread them through the holes. The last piece of equipment you need is a stick. I used a piece of broken carbon paddle shaft that I found in the trash bin of the surf shop I work for. It's that simple.

crtraveler: you just gave me a great idea. Sooner or later, I'm gonna shoot a wave from both points of view: from the front and from the helmet stick and then make a video that shows both, so that one can compare the different sizes the wave appears to be depending on where you put the camera.
The wave in the helmet stick video was AT LEAST head high at the take off.
This wave below was AT MOST knee high at the take off, but it looks kinda bigger because the camera is down on the board.

In both cases, it's really hard to judge the wave size.

Bill: first, I want you to know that I always enjoy your writings. Second, you're right: this is not a mount for shy guys!
I chose that day to try it out, because, as I say in the post, the waves were weird and a bit junky (for the very high Maui standards). Hence, spoiled as we are, there were not many people out. But now that I know how good it looks, I will sure take it out again. Ideally, I would like to film a belly high wave at 1000 peaks and show how I can really turn my 7.4!

Thanks guys, nice inputs!