I put the finishing touches on my go-pro backpack mount today. It's made of 20mm PVC pipe, shaped like a square with two arms that hold the camera away from your back/shoulders and out and above one side. The pipe is glued together with PVC Pipe Cement (if you try this at home, bear in mind this stuff sets in about 15 seconds). A screw-in pipe-end with the go-pro tripod-mount screwed to it provides a (hopefully) secure attachment point. I used four eye bolts for the harness to attach to, and I made the straps out of some webbing from buckles from Spotlight.

Now for some wind to test it out! An initial run through the house and around the backyard went well, the footage is pretty stable and the angle is interesting. To be continued...

I would suggest that you run some type of line or cable through the inside of the pipe with some type of attatchment at either end incase the pipe breaks or gets stuck on something causing the pipe to come unattached.
But very nice cheap back mount!

Just be careful the pipe snaps with a big stack.

If you can throw in a waist strap or attachment to your harness to stop it turning on your back.

... nice work, cool idea there Ezza. Looks light but strong!

How much has it cost you so far? Do you feel the offset weight of the camera and mount or is it light enough not to worry about, I supose you gotta try it kiting first to know?

Look forward to your results!

cheers,

Robbie

hey Robbie,
the squareness of the shape made allows it to strap pretty securely to your back and in addition to the shoulder straps I have one round my waist. I ran and jumped and generally acted like I was infected with rabies for ten minutes in the backyard and the footage was surprisingly stable. I need to perfect the camera angle for kiting though, that might take a few tries because I don't have the LCD backpack thingy so have to rely on going home and watching it on the computer.

Thanks Suniboy - future incarnations may have a cable.... I have already glued this one together with a litre of pipe cement and there aint no way it's coming apart. That stuff sticks like cement!

Here is a couple of tutorials on it



#!

Maiden test voyage on flat lagoon at mud bishops, Old Bar today in 25-30 knots. Using 7m f-one Volt2 and a bamboo 5'8" signature surf. Stoked with the stability of the footage, though I can see one way will be good for lefts and one for rights so I might have to build another rig :) I think it's ready to test in the surf.
Check it out.

Select to expand quote

ezza said...


I put the finishing touches on my go-pro backpack mount today. It's made of 20mm PVC pipe, shaped like a square with two arms that hold the camera away from your back/shoulders and out and above one side. The pipe is glued together with PVC Pipe Cement (if you try this at home, bear in mind this stuff sets in about 15 seconds). A screw-in pipe-end with the go-pro tripod-mount screwed to it provides a (hopefully) secure attachment point. I used four eye bolts for the harness to attach to, and I made the straps out of some webbing from buckles from Spotlight.

Now for some wind to test it out! An initial run through the house and around the backyard went well, the footage is pretty stable and the angle is interesting. To be continued...

showed it to a plumber mate , said the only fault would be you need a rodding point, and a p trap for you to bring it up to current regs, otherwise all good dude

Nice job man. Wondering if some foam tubing on the main rods might give some padding and make the footage even smoother? Also any chance of getting it higher above your head, probably would bend to much I suppose. Also do you know how to switch feet and gybe? You don't stop in the surf do you?

Hey Eppo,
The pipe is completely rigid so adding a couple more inches to the height shouldn't make it bend. I'm going to try this. Yeah I can gybe unstrapped, usually don't bother just go toeside. I'm natural so when you see me riding out goofy I'm just doing it to get out of the shallows. I don't go toeside goofy, and I don't make 100% of my gybes with the damn straps in the way. So there you have it

Was thinking ezza that lifting it above your head, might just give the same perspective as having a head mounted go pro? So maybe my suggestion doesn't have any merit?

Also I can't go toeside on my goofy, I want to, something to practise this summer. Also want to be able to land blind, can ride blind but can never seem to land the bloody things.