I bought a GoPro Session to record my trip Night Kayaking on the Thames in London (which was completely amazing, by the way!). I knew I wanted a GoPro – it’s the market leader of action cameras and they’re so small and light. But then I realised the need for an additional purchase decision – which GoPro mount for kayaking?
GoPro comes with a couple of sticky pads which are fab if you want to attach the camera to your cycle helmet, the nose of your surfboard, or even your own kayak.
But if you’re renting a kayak they just won’t work. At least not without losing the attachment, or upsetting the owner of the kayak!
What do you need in a GoPro Mount for kayaking
There are so many different mounts available for GoPro – it’s quite amazing! But which is the best GoPro mount for kayaking? You need something that has:
- A secure attachment. You do not want to watch your new action cam sink to the bottom of the murky Thames!
- A temporary attachment. Something you can use again and again – so it’s not permanently attached to someone else’s kayak.
- Something that leaves both hands free to hold the paddle.
GoPro Mount for kayaking options
I found a few potential options:
The head strap + quick clip
A Head Strap + QuickClip could be a good GoPro mount for kayaking and this one comes with a hat clip too. But… too dorky?!
Besides, if you’re night kayaking, you might need a head torch as well. You probably don’t want too much tech on your head.
The GoPro Chesty (Chest Harness)
Another potentially good GoPro mount for kayaking is the GoPro Chesty (Chest Harness) but… also too dorky?! I wasn’t sure about how well it would fix over a life jacket. And, taking the trip solo, I didn’t really want to ask for help getting into it from a stranger!
The suction cup
A suction cup could be handy in a lot of situations, but in this case I was worried I’d slip with the paddle and knock it into the Thames.
My Recommended GoPro Mount for Kayaking
The Sametop Backpack Strap Mount clip
I ended up buying the Sametop Backpack Strap Mount Clip, which is really designed for clipping to a backpack strap to go hiking.
I was a little worried that the clip wouldn’t be secure enough, but I needn’t have been concerned. The clip is so strong that it was a little bit of a challenge (requiring the strength of both my hands!) to clip it on! There was absolutely no way it was going to get knocked off accidentally.
I was able to attach the clip firmly to my life jacket, switch on the camera, and forget about it. My amazing trip was recorded without me having to worry about it at all.
I’ve since used the clip for a number of kayaking trips, and I find it works best clipped onto the bungees on the front of the kayak. You can clip it either facing towards you, or facing away from you, and it’s easy to turn around mid-paddle.
This is a major plus because I’m always struggling with the balance of wanting to take amazing photos (for Instagram…) and wanting to see and experience things without constantly staring through a lens.
I can definitely recommend the Sametop clip as a GoPro mount for kayaking. Plus – it’s the cheapest option by far!
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