David Mark recently asked: “How do you attach your Gopro to your boom, and what perspective settings are you using (eg wide, superview)? Is there any risk to the board hitting the Gopro, and any tethering mechanism you use?”

I use 3 different GoPro boom mounts.

GoPro Handlebar / Seatpost / Pole Mount
gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-accessories/...mount/AGTSM-001.html
Small, installs quickly, deceptively sturdy, conveniently swivels with positive stops every 45 degrees, good stability but can lose its grip and turn on small diameter aluminum booms (A piece of duct tape on the boom under the mount can provide some additional friction), Won’t fit booms with large outside tail piece (i.e North/Duotone Slalom 190-240 boom). Nicely-made.

Flymount
flymount.com/
Open-jaw (can mount on masts), sturdy, exceptional grip/won’t turn on the boom, can mount on large outside tail piece booms, poor ergonomic of the camera mount swivel (hard to grip, slips), swivel is sensitive to sand, rubber ring wears off, swivel is hard to secure and unlock (friction is not reliable enough, can move while sailing). Company won’t answer questions.

Clew-View Boom Mount
shop.wind-nc.com/products/clew-view-boom-mount-windsurf-gopro
Nice view of both tacks without repositioning of the mount/camera, easy and quick installation, won’t fit very wide tail piece (i.e. Slalom/Race booms) as it cannot stretch out beyond a certain point, fragile and can easily break when laying sail on the ground/beach clew first (material and engineering are so-so, looks and performs like a prototype). Inventor/Owner is friendly and has helped when things are breaking.


How I do it?
- I film in Superview, 2.7K, 60fps (allows 200% zoom and slow motion up to about half the normal recording speed for a final HD 1080p/24fps encrypted video)
- I mostly attach the GoPro Pole mount or Flymount to the tail end of the boom
- I mount camera upsidedown on the boom, and set the GoPro rotation as “down” in Settings
- I point the camera down at about midpoint between the boom clip and the mast base on fin and slightly below that on foil
- To secure everything: I use the thin tether rope that comes with the camera that I loop around the axis pin of the backdoor
- I use another small diameter tether rope (~2’/2. ½’) that I attach to the mount
- I loop twice the mount tether to the camera tether, and then pull on the camera tether so it is tight around the thickness of the mount tether
- After mounting the camera and mount on the boom, I loop the mount tether around the boom until I can slip the tether end under 2 or 3 of the loops, and then pull hard on the end to cinch the loops tight
- I tuck away excess tether ends wherever I can (avoids flying across the lens when filming)

Who has better ways to manage the tether or to mount, please share.

The part that can break is the prongs of the camera case through which the thumb screw goes through. The thumb screw and the boom mounts are not likely to break however. With my setup, I know that I won’t lose the camera if either the camera case or the boom mount fails.

I also install the GoPro on my Garth helmet through an available DIY kit. To secure, I use 2 of the small GoPro tethers looped one into the other – one looped through the helmet holes and the other on the back door hinge pin. I then attach the camera on the helmet mount and loop the excess tether around the thumb screw. I point the camera slightly down so when I look straight, the horizon sits in the upper section of the frame. This allows more view of the action at water level. Looking down towards feet and behind once in a while offers neat views as well.

To use the helmet mount and film friends on the water while following them, I recommend either Linear or Wide lens setting, otherwise the subject look tiny in the frame. The issue is that the subject can “escape” out of the camera frame if you can’t keep a steady head towards him/her.

Alternatively I use the mount on the front of the boom and camera looking back when I feel like I can tolerate looking at my face! I mount the GoPro upside up and the lens pointing slight downward to capture the tail of the board and upper body and maybe a back leg. The proximity of the boom when filming in Superview isn’t bothersome.

I also use the Flymount once in a while on the mast at mid-height in Superview. It offers cool shots during jibes, jumps, etc.

GoPro also has a Large Tube Mount that I haven’t tried yet. It looks big-enough to fit on large outside tail piece booms. gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-accessories/...mount/AGTLM-001.html

Finally, I’ve never sailed a board long enough with a sail short enough that the camera could ever hit the board.

GoPro Pole Mount on regular boom




Flymount on large boom diameter (same install as on mast)


Clew-View Mount



Garth helmet attachment

Thanks so much for the details. I bought a flymount, seems like that will work. My interest and skill in editing is modest, unlikely to be zooming/cropping in editing, so I'll figure out the best perspective, thanks for the aiming tip. The Gopro 8 doesn't have a housing, only the thumb screw tabs directly on the cam. They sell replacements, which tells you something about what might happen. No easy way to tether the cam if the camera gets bumped and the tabs tear off. I think I'll get the float housing, which fits around the whole cam, and figure out a way to tether the orange foam to the booms.

I use the Flymount. I attach it to right where the back of the boom curves. I've never used a leash or float. The GoPro has never moved out of position and it can't hit the board. You do want to loosen all the parts of the Flymount after use and not let them dry tightened.


The GoPro hangs upside down on the boom. And it's just a matter of the angle of the dangle. You have to account for the sail lean when on plane. Also note that the top of the sail cut out or the boom clips are a good place to start where the top edge of the frame should be. The stills below are shot in 1440p. Super View might be able to get the tail of the board in view or a bigger sail with a longer boom length. 4.7 sail in photos below.



The boom mount lets you get a selfie when flipping the sail in a jibe.



Boom!

Flymount is by FAR the best. It stays put, you can mount it on multiple types of tubes, and they have great customer service if you break something. If you're just mowing the lawn, then mounting on the boom or the clewview is fine, but if you're doing freestyle or working duck jibes it'll get in the way.
I mount mine on my mast just above the 2nd batten and it gives me the information I need (I use it as my coach, since no one here does freestyle and no one is ever going to video me). If you care about the camera, use a float: they work. I used to mount at the mast tip with the MastHero attachment, but it came off during a forward one day, and had I not had a float, that GoPro woulda been at the bottom of the lake. But there it was, bobbing in the waves about 40 ft away from me! That's when I switched to the Flymount.
BTW, be careful tightening the jaws on the Flymount: they are just plastic, and if you really crank it, you'll snap the lower jaw.

while not a boom mount, the backymount/harness mount POV is really cool. backymount is out of business now, but K4 Fins has their own harness mount:

www.k4fins.com/product/standard-extended-k4-harness-mount/

I prefer the angle of the original backymount which puts the camera in a position closer to the water... perhaps the K4 system can be adjusted/modified to get a lower angle. There is also a product from Insta360 that might work... can't find it on Amazon anymore but it looks like a small harness w/ a pole out the back.