Self-filming made easy: Freestyle pro George Grisley with a creative camera solution for windsurfers

The self-built floating mount for the action cam makes it possible to take high-quality shots without additional helpers. The freestyle pro explains in a video that filming while windsurfing is often difficult, as you not only have to contend with wind and water, but also need someone to film you. This is time-consuming and sometimes costly.

Innovative do-it-yourself solution

In response to this problem, many windsurfers have increasingly turned to action cameras in recent years. However, he emphasises that he has never been a fan of sail-mounted cameras, as he believes they do not provide a good perspective and do not give the viewer a realistic picture of the experience on the water. Inspired by a video of his freestyle colleague Dudu Levi, the windsurfer has now built a floating camera mount. It consists of foam parts that he bought in a sports shop. The construction comprises two yellow foam parts with a pool noodle tied around them for additional buoyancy. The camera can be attached to the centre of the mount, which only cost him 15 euros in total.

Versatile application possibilities

The professional sees great potential in this solution, especially for freestyle windsurfers. The fixed camera position makes it possible to film tricks from a constant perspective. The mount could also be useful for slalom surfers to record jibes. Only in the waves, the use could be more challenging due to the strong movement in the water. The mount has two attachment options - one for GoPro and one for the Insta360 camera. An additional buoyancy body on the GoPro mount is designed to prevent the camera from being lost if the construction should come loose. A line at the end of the mount makes it possible to attach it to a buoy or anchor.

Spectacular shots during first test use

As you can see in the video, the construction has proved its worth! The close-up shots, especially with the height of the foil, produce very interesting perspectives. The camera position is relatively low, which gives a perspective similar to that of an underwater housing, but without the disadvantage that the surfer constantly has to be careful not to cut off the filmer's neck with the foil. In the video, the freestyler can jump directly over the camera several times with the razor-sharp foil regardless of losses. Grisley is considering widening the base so that the camera can be positioned higher. However, he also likes the low viewing angle close to the surface of the water.

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