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Whether you’re paddling in a new picturesque location or just want to capture some memories with the family, attaching a GoPro or Camera to your paddle board will allow you to do just that.
Lucky for you, mounting your GoPro or action camera to your board is a fairly simple process and requires only one piece of equipment, an action camera mount.
If you’re wondering how to mount a GoPro on your paddle board, keep on reading for a step-by-step guide and a few extra tips that we’ve learned along the way.
Paddle board mounts come in two varieties, a suction cup mount or an adhesive-backed mount.
Have you ever seen one of those car mounts that attach your phone to your windshield so you can use it hands-free? Well, that’s what the GoPro suction cup mount is like, but obviously used on paddle boards instead.
If you’ve ever had one of those mounts for your car, then you’ll know they aren’t always the most reliable. Cue your phone falling off the windshield while you’re driving down the highway, clueless of your directions.
An adhesive-backed board mount, however, attaches to your board with, you guessed it, adhesive. If installed correctly, the adhesive mount will hold your camera securely in place, giving you the reassurance you need to take on any and all water conditions.
Now, let’s get into how to mount your GoPro camera or action camera to your paddle board with a simple step-by-step guide.
If you choose to use an adhesive mount like the GILI Action Camera Paddle Board Mount, there are six crucial steps you need to follow to secure the camera mount correctly.
The first step is to wash your SUP. This step is crucial as the surface on which you’re mounting the adhesive needs to be flat and clean; otherwise, it won’t mount correctly.
If you don’t clean your board and there are small pieces of dirt or debris, the camera mount won’t be fully stuck down and could risk falling off while you paddle.
The good news is, if you’re feeling lazy, you don’t need to clean the entire board. Take a bucket of soapy water and a soft sponge and clean the section you intend to mount the camera on.
Another simple yet extremely important step is to make sure the board is completely dry before applying the camera mount. Adhesive works best on dry surfaces, so it is best to towel dry the area and then let it air dry before moving on to the next step.
Take your action mount and remove the adhesive backing. Remember, the backing is sticky, and if it comes into contact with anything other than the area you want to secure it to, it’ll lose its effectiveness and will be a pain to remove.
Place the camera mount in the desired spot and put pressure on it for one to two minutes.
Once the camera board mount is in place, leave the adhesive to dry for 24 - 48 hours.
Finally, mount your GoPro and get going!
If you decide to go down the suction cup mount, the steps are fairly similar.
Just like with the adhesive mount, you need to ensure your board deck is thoroughly cleaned before applying the suction cup.
Take a bucket of soapy water and a soft sponge and clean the area in which you’ll be placing the mount.
Next, take a towel and thoroughly wipe down your board, making sure that there is no water left on the deck. We also like to let the board air dry for an hour or two just to be safe.
Dip your finger into some water and run it over the suction cup.
Once the cup is slightly wet, stick it in your desired location and press down.
Wiggle the mount around to ensure your action camera won’t be going anywhere when you get on the water.
Over the years, we’ve gathered some great tips for paddling boarding with a GoPro.
GoPros aren’t cheap, and unless you want to try your luck at diving down to the floor of the waterway you’re paddling on, we suggest purchasing a floaty for your GoPro.
Depending on how you’re going to mount your GoPro to your board will influence which type of floaty you should purchase. There are two main types, the first that acts as a handle and attaches to the bottom of the GoPro, and the second that encases the GoPro like a phone case would a phone.
The handle option is great if you don’t plan on mounting your GoPro and would prefer to hold it. This is hard while paddle boarding because you don’t exactly have your hands free.
If you do plan to mount it, we suggest the second type. As we mentioned before, the floatie case encases the GoPro, not only acting as a barrier to prevent damage, but to keep it afloat if anything were to happen with the action mount.
The next thing we suggest is a spin mount. The spin mount will do exactly as the name suggests and allow you to easily rotate the camera angle without having to remove the camera completely.
Our final tip is to attach a leash or tether to your GoPro. Action mounts are sturdy and if installed correctly, should remain on your board for a very long time. If you’d prefer an extra layer of protection, however, you can purchase a leash or tether that also attaches to the board with adhesive.
There are a few different ways you can use a GoPro while paddle boarding. The first is by an action mount that is mounted to the nose end of your board. Most action mounts come with an adhesive backing that is extremely easy to install. The GILI Action Camera Mount is a perfect example of this.
You can also use body mounts, like a head or chest mount, but these angles will only capture the scenery around you and not paddling. In our opinion, board mounts are the way to go because you can rotate your camera to face the water or to face you.
An adhesive-backed GoPro mount like the GILI Action Camera Mount is the easiest way to mount a GoPro to a paddle board. All you need to do is clean and dry down your board, remove the adhesive tape from the back, and mount it to the deck. It’s a straightforward process and will take you less than a minute!
Depending on the angles you want to capture, there are a few ways to film while paddling on a SUP. The first way is by an action mount usually mounted to the nose of the board.
Mounts like these fit camera equipment such as GoPros and other action cameras to capture your surroundings or videos and images of you paddling.
The second way would be by purchasing a head, chest, or mouth mount. One of the downfalls of these types of mounts is that you’ll only be able to film what’s in front of you.
We recommended investing in a GoPro floaty or a GoPro leash for extra GoPro security. GoPro floaties can either be attached to the bottom of the GoPro and used as a handle, or they encase the entire GoPro allowing it to float.
On the other hand, a GoPro leash tether your GoPro to a surface. They’re similar to GoPro paddle board mounts, meaning you can stick it down to the deck of your SUP with adhesive and attach it to your camera.
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