After several attempts I figured out how to make this DIY 360 camera pole or paddle mount to capture the look of a drone or "follow me" tracking video shot. When foil surfing I am often riding for 500 to over 1000 yards making it difficult to video the entire ride, and even more so to capture any close up detail. This homemade pole mount allows me to catch and ride waves normally AND video myself, my gear, and the wave in full detail.
Here are videos showing the paddle pole cam mount I use regularly, and the removable pole mount that I lend to friends (can be mounted to any paddle including adjustable length paddles). The first video is an overview of the 360 camera mounts, second and third videos go in depth on how I made the mounts, and the fourth video shows how I mount a 360 camera near the blade of a paddle. Full parts list and where to buy everything needed is also included in this post.
Foil - One Time Membership Required
You must be a Foil - One Time member to access this content.
On day I added up the parts cost of one of the carbon fiber camera mounts I was making, the total was almost $200. I saw the bamboo poles that were sitting unused in my garage and remembered I only paid a few bucks each for them. So I spent the next hour hacking together a bamboo mount, tried it in the surf the next day, and it was a total and instant failure. I gave up on bamboo for a while.
Experiencing the fun and welcoming vibe of SUP Downwinding and seeing how undiscovered it is I wanted a way to get the word out and share the stoke. I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 40 years and had no idea there are surfable waves in the bay, and even after I discovered this I didn’t really believe it until I saw it. Growing up I had the belief that the bay was dirty or gross and only for boats, definitely not a warm sandy beach for swimming kinda place. My first summer living in Alameda introduced me to a different idea, one where there are thousands of empty waves every day right in front of a beautiful warm sandy beach. For me the thing that really blew mind is that there is no one out surfing these waves, and when I tell other surfers this they don’t believe it. The idea or dream of having endless uncrowded waves with warm welcoming people is real…