Peter's kitesurfing blog: Kitecams

Kitecams

There are three main options for setting up and using a kitecam while kitesurfing.

1. Mount the camera in your kite

Pros:

Can get great footage from an aerial perspective
Set and forget

Cons

Kites move around a lot - much of the video/photos may be poor
The camera can damage the kite if you have a big crash and it dislodges
No control over camera - it just keeps on going - so you get lots of footage/photos to edit.

2. Mount the camera on your helmet.

Pros

You can point the camera where you want it
You can turn it off and on

Cons

Hard to get smooth footage - the motion is often jumpy.
Need to wear a helmet to mount the camera.
Video cameras with helmet mounts can't take stills.

3. Mount the camera on your kite lines

You can mount the camera on your kite lines for close up shot. I haven't yet evaluated this option. I will post pros and cons when I do.

Photo taken with line mount. Credit: kitehero.com

Line mount. Credit: kitehero.com

Mounts

Here is a mount you can buy online from Seabreaze. It is designed to take a compact Waterproof Digital Camera.

Seabreeze kitecam mount

Cameras
I have used a Pentax Optio W80 which has both interval ("photo every 10 seconds") and video modes. It can take SDHC cards up to 16 Gig. This leaked when snorkelling and was ruined. I have replaced it with a Pentax Optio W90, which has now also leaked.

Pentax Option W80 (SD Card)

I used the W80 for about year, but water got inside the battery compartment when snorkelling (not diving). I flushed it out with freshwater and dried it thoroughly. It came back to life 3 months later, but has subsequently died.

Pentax Optio W90 (SD card)

I bought the W90 to replace the W80 and used it for about 6 months, but water got inside the battery compartment when canoeing. I flushed it out with freshwater and dried it thoroughly. It came back to life but not properly. It is being serviced under warranty.

Casio Exilim EX-G1 (Micro SD card)

Third time lucky. I have purchase the Casio EX-G1 to try it out. Its cheaper - about A$200 - and the seals appear to be more robust and effective than those on the Pentax Optio models. The side one has a thumb screw to cinch it in. So far so good, but I haven't yet got it wet. However, this camera only takes 30 minutes of interval shots and you cannot delay the start time (e.g. 10 minutes) like you can on the Pentax models.

Video cameras

Video cameras such at the Oregon Scientific ATC-2K come with both rubber mount straps and a brackets for helmets and bicycles. You get about 1h 640X480 video footage on a 2 gig SD card. More recent models can take larger cards.

The GoPro series of video cameras are also popular for kitesurfing. They have a wide angle video lens and a separate waterproof housing.