Anyone Use/Try the Octomask? Looking for a GoPro Mount Idea

[rongoodman]

I will say the arm movements happen almost exclusively when I am "putting the breaks on" and trying to slow down to avoid either bumping someone or hitting coral/the bottom.

That's what your fins are for.

 

[Belzelbub]

For any halfway decent video you need to manage the camera actively. Which means having it in your hand. I just use a stick. Ive tried wrist mount and sticking it in my BCD etc and the results were crap.

I wouldn’t go that far as to say you need to actively manage the camera for halfway decent video. For best results, some sort of hand-held is best, no doubt. But hand held is not always a reasonable option.

I would definitely not recommend hand-held for a new diver. They’ve got their hands full, figuratively, already with the activity of diving. For new divers that want to take video, a mask or head-mount is a good option. Apart from starting it at the beginning of the dive, and stopping at the end of the dive, they don’t really have to do much. The first videos will undoubtedly be shaky, but this gets better with time.

I use mask mount on just about all my dives. My hands are usually already occupied with a speargun and stringer, so hand-held mount would not work. Despite the less than optimal mounting, I still usually end up with decent footage with a GoPro 3+. It will undoubtedly get even better with a more modern camera with image stabilization.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have not tried an octomask. My GoPro is mounted on an old bicycle helmet, with is not a foam-based one (it's really old). I have used it for quite a while, and it works well for scuba.

But for snorkeling, the mask or helmet is not a good option. Why? Because the camera is alternately under and out of the water. For snorkeling, there are a few snorkels with a GoPro mount, which would be much better. This way, the camera is almost always underwater, and not dipping up and under alternatively. That dipping makes editing really difficult.

Either way, I agree that new divers should not have the camera in his or her hand. A new diver should simply get the camera going, and ignore it. Then, use your editing skills to get what you want. Here is an example of a recent video I put together off a dive that happened after the dive. I had forgotten that my GoPro was on, and simply reacted to the situation. The camera was on my helmet too.


SeaRat

 

[SubNeo]

That's what your fins are for.

I haven't discovered the maneuver with my fins yet to effectively "avoid a head on collision."

 

[SubNeo]

I wouldn’t go that far as to say you need to actively manage the camera for halfway decent video. For best results, some sort of hand-held is best, no doubt. But hand held is not always a reasonable option.

I would definitely not recommend hand-held for a new diver. They’ve got their hands full, figuratively, already with the activity of diving. For new divers that want to take video, a mask or head-mount is a good option. Apart from starting it at the beginning of the dive, and stopping at the end of the dive, they don’t really have to do much. The first videos will undoubtedly be shaky, but this gets better with time.

I use mask mount on just about all my dives. My hands are usually already occupied with a speargun and stringer, so hand-held mount would not work. Despite the less than optimal mounting, I still usually end up with decent footage with a GoPro 3+. It will undoubtedly get even better with a more modern camera with image stabilization.

My current fear is the iffy battery life on the GoPro. They don't last that long, and Florida "waters" don't act as a coolant nearly at all.

I actually bought the mask, it seems to seal better than my main mask. Guess I have a "large face."

 

[SubNeo]

I have not tried an octomask. My GoPro is mounted on an old bicycle helmet, with is not a foam-based one (it's really old). I have used it for quite a while, and it works well for scuba.

But for snorkeling, the mask or helmet is not a good option. Why? Because the camera is alternately under and out of the water. For snorkeling, there are a few snorkels with a GoPro mount, which would be much better. This way, the camera is almost always underwater, and not dipping up and under alternatively. That dipping makes editing really difficult.

Either way, I agree that new divers should not have the camera in his or her hand. A new diver should simply get the camera going, and ignore it. Then, use your editing skills to get what you want. Here is an example of a recent video I put together off a dive that happened after the dive. I had forgotten that my GoPro was on, and simply reacted to the situation. The camera was on my helmet too.


SeaRat

You missed your chance to aim for those free clickbait views, cause technically this doesn't appear to be "clickbait."

Yeah the consensus I've gotten is "put it somewhere you don't have to manage it."

 

[Belzelbub]

My current fear is the iffy battery life on the GoPro. They don't last that long, and Florida "waters" don't act as a coolant nearly at all.

Haven’t really had an issue with battery life. I charge the day before, and the battery seems to last long enough. I do bring a couple of spares, though. And this is for a GoPro 3+ that I got pretty soon after the 3+ came out. So battery and camera are getting up there In age.

I actually bought the mask, it seems to seal better than my main mask. Guess I have a "large face."

Cool. Enjoy. Remember to slow down on your dives. That will not only help with video, but will be good for air consumption as well.

 

[rongoodman]

I haven't discovered the maneuver with my fins yet to effectively "avoid a head on collision."

If you're going to be shooting video or photos it would be worth your while to learn to position yourself in the water precisely where you want to be, without needing your hands to do so. Learn to frog kick, which is the basis for back kicks and helicopter turns.

 

[loosenit2]

I got an octomask for my daughter a few years ago, she has used it with the smaller gopro session. She turns the video on when she starts a dive and does not mess with it during the dive. It has worked well, good mask and solid mount. The results from a video perspective depend on how you control your head movement. IF you look around a lot it will be very unstable. Also in certain body positions exhalation bubbles can obscure the view of the camera.

It is good if you are not looking for photography, but just an action cam to record your dive.