In this test:
The market for action cams is booming. In the social media age, there is virtually no leisure activity that is not filmed, posted and shared. Windsurfers are no exception - partly because on most good surfing days, no one can be expected to stand on the beach in the storm and rain and hold the lens into the wind with a trembling hand. A camera mounted on the equipment, on the other hand, is patient. It doesn't grumble and usually doesn't want to get into the warm car after five minutes.
The footage that modern action cams now spit out has nothing to do with the pixelated shaky images of the past. A GoPro Hero 7, for example, films with a sophisticated image stabiliser in Ultra HD and up to 60 frames per second, allowing smooth slow-motion sequences in top quality. But one question remains even after buying a camera: which mount should you use to attach it to your equipment?
At first glance, there's nothing that doesn't exist. Even special mouth mounts, with which you can clamp the camera between your teeth when riding the waves (or demolish your chewing bar during the first skid), are a reality. For this comparison, we have limited ourselves to mounts that can be attached to the material - mast, boom or harness.
The best perspectives for action cams when windsurfing
If you want to mount your camera on the mast or fork, you need clamps with a diameter of at least 30 to 35 millimetres. Mounts such as Flymount, iShoxs or Ram Mount can be mounted both on the mast - the ideal position is about 1.5 metres above the fork - and on the fork. On the mast, the view directly downwards is particularly fascinating when jumping, but a perspective to the front or rear can also be exciting if you are surfing together with several surfers and staying close to each other. With boom mounts, it is advisable to mount the camera below the boom and in the direction of travel - the result is often shots with an attractive mix of action, surroundings and the surfer's emotions.
A mounting on the trapeze also offers extraordinary insights. Here too, the view of fellow surfers can be particularly inspiring. As a general rule, the further the camera is mounted towards the top or on a boom, the greater the risk of producing blurred images.
Most of the mounts we tested have a firm grip on everything, and they can usually withstand even heavy falls or washing in the water without the risk of losing the camera. Nevertheless, it is advisable to secure the cams to the material with a thin rope - preferably from the clew for boom mounts and from the top for mast mounts.
Flymount
The classic camera mount is manufactured in Great Britain. With its solid clamping screw and an adjustment range between 20 and 50 millimetres, it fits both thin carbon forks and thick SDM masts. The hold on the mast is perfect, even rough wash cycles cannot tear the mast out of the Flymount's iron grip. Large turning handles ensure relaxed tightening. Only the upper screw on the camera mount could have been a little larger - you have to turn it very hard to get the camera really tight. As the camera sits close to the mast, vibrations are reduced to a minimum. The all-round view is guaranteed, but mounts with a ball head offer even more in this respect.
Solid, safe & low-vibration
Swivelling range somewhat restricted
(-) -
- Mounting location: Mast/fork
- Weight: 150 grammes
- Price: 71 Euro
GoPro Jaws
The GoPro Jaws is attached to the fork or mast like a clamp lamp. The jaw swallows diameters from six to 50 millimetres and snaps shut in a matter of seconds. The mount can be adapted to thin tube diameters using a rubber band. The 15 centimetre long "spine" can be bent in any desired direction, but can also be removed. The camera then sits directly on the clamp - with severely restricted viewing angles. Although the Jaws sits firmly on the mast, it does not really make a secure impression during heavy crashes. In addition, the boom adjusts itself almost automatically with every major impact and the camera often has to be readjusted. The use of a safety tamp is advisable in any case. All in all, not so much a tip for surfers!
Quick assembly
Vibrations noticeable
No secure hold
- Mounting location: Mast/fork
- Weight: 205 grammes
- Price: 65 Euro >> available here
IShoxs Shark SE
The Shark mount will be available for windsurfers on request in conjunction with the "Small Grab Pro" intermediate piece. The aluminium components look very high quality, the mount sits firmly on all diameters between 28 and 65 millimetres and has non-slip rubber strips on the inside. You have a good grip on all the turning screws and two ball heads allow every conceivable angle of view of the action. Clever: both ball joints can be locked simultaneously with just one screw. When fully extended, the camera sits just under ten centimetres away from the fixed point; when folded, the distance is reduced to a minimum of five centimetres. All in all, a top mount on the market - solid, variable and with a large clamping range.
Swivelling range; safe & solid
(0) Weight slightly higher
- Mounting location: Mast/fork
- Weight: 300 grammes
- Price: 110 Euro >> available here
K4 Harness Mount
With the bracket from K4, you can look over your own shoulder. The solid plastic plate is attached to each harness using two tensioning straps. Assembly is quick, the hold is secure and solid. The almost 130 centimetre long, thick-walled carbon boom sits in a holder on the plate and the action cam is simply clicked into place at the top. A thin rope in the carbon fibre tube secures the camera against loss. Despite weighing 820 grams, the construction hardly disturbs you when surfing. Depending on the light and camera quality, the fact that the bracket swings a little is sometimes reflected in a higher rate of blurred images. On the other hand, the mount offers special perspectives, as the pole can also be fixed in a rotated position, allowing surfers in front to be filmed.
Exciting perspective
Slight tendency to blur
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- Mounting location: Trapeze
- Weight: 820 grammes
- Price: 63 Euro
Ram Tough Claw
The claw from the US supplier Ram Mounts can handle diameters of up to 35 millimetres, which is still suitable for thick SDM masts, at least in the upper third. The plastic handles of the screws look rock solid, as does the attachment of the main bracket to the mast, even if the clamp is quite narrow and therefore the contact surface on the mast is smaller. The highlight of the Tough Claw is undoubtedly the ingenious intermediate part - both ball joints are fixed simultaneously with a single screw. Similar to the iShoxs, this allows almost all viewing angles in three-dimensional space, with the cam sitting between five and ten centimetres away from the mast/fixed point due to the design. The function and price-performance ratio of the Tough Claw are convincing in any case.
Solid; swivelling range
Clamping range somewhat small
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- Mounting location: Mast/fork
- Weight: 235 grammes
- Price: 60 Euro >> available here
This test was first published in surf 5/2019 and was updated in June 2023.
