Ok I got a GoPro now what the heck do I do with it?

[Horton]

[Kwoody51]

1st not helpful comment - you're supposed to add some 'cool' background music! Hopefully your new Prostar has some kick a$$ tower speakers, then you won't have to add the music post production :smiley:

 

In a more helpful thought - I do like how it shows very clearly when you are on edge, or not, and could allow you to tweak your approach if you wanted to be more consistent in a specific spot.

 

Might be interesting to get a chest mount or head mouth to similarly show where your body is pointed coming into and out of the ball.

[aussiemc]

First thing you do is, speed the boat up.

[Horton]

@Kwoody51 @aussiemc both of you not really helpfull.

[Kwoody51]

I tried to put a helpful comment/ thought in after my very not helpful one ;)

[Horton]

@Kwoody51

Okay I guess a better title for this thread was how do you use your GoPro? I mean seriously, I got this toy and I know I can get some cool shots with it but I'm still kind of getting my head around how to use it best. I have about $10,000 worth of semi-pro Nikon equipment and I understand photography but trying to figure out how to get this little tiny cute cube with no viewfinder to make interesting images is a whole different ball of Wax.

[Kwoody51]

Got ya! While I don't have a go pro my understanding is that the new ones can link to your phone so you can use your phone like a viewfinder as well as playback video and adjust. Not sure if this link from phone to GoPro would work from boat to skier. I also could be remembering this ALL wrong!

 

Of all the folks I've encountered with them (mostly during MX riding). They aim them from their helmet, confirm the resolution they are in before starting and then just hit the button to start recording. The fish eye lens really allows a wide margin of error on what's in the field of vision. The 'cool' stuff seems to be added in during editing.

 

Likely not much more helpful but trying to help :)

[lpskier]

The guru on GoPro for water ski is Slade Cole, a TC in Savanah. Unfortunately, I don't believe he posts on any of the water ski sites.

He showed me today how you can simultaneously stream from the camera to your iPad or IPhone at a low resolution, or down load at a higher to much higher resolution via wifi connection between the too.

 

Coach's Eye and Unersense were recommended viewing apps for your phone or tablet. He recommends 30-60 FBS at 1080. Anything more will eat a lot of space.

 

You can read your GoPro screen on your phone or tablet.

 

He mounts his GoPro to a contraption that could best be described as what R2D2 would look like if it was used as a pylon mount for a camera. The panning is absolutely flawless, although the SkiDoc mount with an extended mounting post and a high quality security type digital camera with a wifi connection from the boat to the tower worked exceptionally well at the Big Dawg this weekend. The picture quality was spectacular and the SkiDoc was smoother than any other non-R2D2 unit I've ever seen, including other SkiDocs.

 

I hope this is modestly helpful.

[thager]

@Horton Ugh,that made me nauseous! Was that Crown Royal or Mad Dog talking?

[MNshortliner]

Turn the camera around for some cool shots of you on your ski. Point it at about your belly button.

[MattP]

Haa trick slalom!

[dchristman]

@horton is really getting into trick ski slalom.

 

I think what you're supposed to do with a GoPro is lose it at the bottom of the lake.

[thager]

@MNshortliner BOS is not ready for @Horton junk!

[gt2003]

I'm pretty sure @Horton wears a helmet for protection everyday. So, mounting the GoPro to it shouldn't be a problem...

[BobF]

Mount that bad boy on your ski! In front of the bindings, behind the bindings, pointing forward/backward, etc. (do not mount on the bottom of the ski...)

Chest mount offers lots of options - I got a pretty cool video of a pass with the chest mount facing backwards.

[Glydon]

Ski mount is the WORST ... as others stated a chesty is a good option , if you don't have one already you may want to put a GOPRO Floaty on it ... but it sounds like you have the session which I am not sure they make one for it. Drone is the next step you will want to make but if that is the case you could of just bought a drone with a camera already. I have a lot of fun with ours making season long videos of our ski sessions. Windows movie maker is the easiest to use editing software in my opinion and is a free plug in. Good luck.

[dhofert]

They do make a floaty for the session, I have one on its way to me now. I am watching this post closely as well for ideas. Right now I just have it pointing back off the boat.

[JJVDMZN]

You can take pictures like this one Horton

 

[ScarletArrow]

I find the GoPro creative but challenging to use.

 

1. From a POV mount, I think the head strap is the way to go. It feels awkward, and you're not going to set a PB with it on, but it by far gives the best POV perspective. The "chesty" POV is obstructed by your arms/handle and not very interesting.

 

2. I think it's good to put on the end of a long extension (e.g. paddle, pvc pipe), take off your bimini, stand behind the pylon with the extension up and get overhead shots with the GoPro pointing at a downward angle.

 

3. You could also put the extension on the gunnel in a stationary position and catch the skier coming off the second wake and rounding the buoy.

 

Using it this way sort of makes it a poor man's drone.

 

4. You could also jump in the water and get some traditional action shots of the skier.

 

5. If you want the best pictures possible, finding a way to mount it to your handle bridle for selfie stills is the way to go.

 

I think the POV from a ski mount is boring and has been done a 1,000x already.

[76SS]

Marcus Brown had a pic on instagram yesterday that was pretty cool.

[scorban2]

@ScarletArrow I've been using the chest strap, and you can alleviate a lot of your arms if you shorten up the straps so that it's as high as it can go, just below the base of my neck.

[CaleBurdick]

get the Jaws mount, and a Rhino swivel mount. The Jaws are super useful and the Rhino needs to be explored more in water skiing. I have one but I can't yet bring myself to spend my limited water time doing something other than train.

[Horton]

Pretty sure this is what I am going to use it for

 

[DaveD]

@horton We want to see the video at the end of that pull where Little Miss Dangerous ask you why you are breathing so hard.

[fox197]

@Horton I prefer it facing backwards on super view mode to capture everything

[dhofert]

What do you guys use to mount on the ski? Just the included sticky mounts? How well do they come off and do they damage the ski any?

 

[Justin_C]

Yes, just the sticky mounts but I've had issues with the camera coming right out of the clip when on the front of my ski. Clip stays on the ski well but camera comes out of clip so make sure you tie it off the your binding or you can buy adhesive things to tie off to. You also need to make sure that that actual mount that the camera is attached to is good and tight cause I've had issues coming through the wake and having it go from pointing up at me to pointing down at my toes...and I'm not into that kind of thing...

[Mad_Footer]

I use this mount and it works great: https://www.brlsmounts.com/

[lpskier]

So I too have a new GoPro. When I go to set up the GoPro app, that I'm told I need, it wants my bank account info. WTF?

[dhofert]

@lpskier it does try and get you to sign up for their "premium" type thing. You do not need to give them any bank info for the app to work for using your camera.

[dhofert]

@Justin_C how well do the sticky mounts come off the ski? Any damage?

@Mad_Footer those look good but looks like they are all out of stock. Wonder how well the big gopro suction cup would work?

[Justin_C]

If I remember correctly, they aren't too bad to get off with a little goo gone

[lpskier]

@dhofert I can't get past that page in the settings. If I don't give up my bank info, they won't let me on the app.

[dhofert]

@lpskier is this the app you are trying to use?

 

 

If not, that's what you want. If so, I'm sorry I can't really help. I know for sure I didn't enter any bank info.

[lpskier]

That's the one.

[dhofert]

Sorry man i dont know what to say. Hopefully someone else here remembers what they did.

[dhofert]

Finally brought mine out of the boat and wore it on my head today. Not a whole lot to learn from it but it sure is fun. (I do need to work on my offside and staying on edge longer).