paddling with a camera

I have been using sticky pod suction camera mounts for a couple of years. I originally bought a set known as my sticky pod - a triangular plate with three suction cups. This option is perhaps the best deal ($69) for kayakers and other small camera users. Later, I bought a few more suction cups.

How much space on your kayak deck is needed for my sticky pod? 10 x 9" of clean, smooth surface. It doesn't have to be flat, but any texture or sharp edges may cause problems. This space requirement limits where you can place the sticky pod with three suction cups.

What if you don't have enough room, especially, on your kayak bow? You can disassemble the sticky pod and use individual suction cups with some creativity.

A single suction cup with a knuckle provides sufficient support for a compact digital camera like Pentax Optio W or Olympus Stylus SW series. You need just 3.75" spot on a deck or side of you kayak to mount a single suction cups. I don't recommend using any extensions with single cups.

For heavier cameras or heavy duty use in waves you can connect two or three suction cups together to create a customized camera mount to fit your kayak and needs. Typically, I use narrow aluminum bars (or something similar) available in hardware stores to connect suction cups. These bars are easy to drill and bend to confirm to your deck shape. You also need a 1/4” bolt and some nuts to attach you knuckle. I have created this way several different mounts for my cameras, GPS units, or bow lights.

Of course, there are boats, like ICF K-1 kayak, with bows too narrow and/or too low even for a single suction cups - see the article in Peter Unold's blog.

Related posts:

• Sticky Pod Review - A Suction Cup Camera Mount for Kayak Photography
• How to Mount a Camera on a Kayak Deck with Suction Cups from Sticky Pod
• More on the Sticky Pod and Two Suction Cup GPS Mount