Monday 20 September 2010

Elevated Vision - the Kayalu 8" Extension ToughBar

People have been snapping up the Kayalu Accessorised RAM Suction Camera mount, and have asked us for our opinion on the 8" extension arm which is an advertised accessory. We didn't include them with the mount as we wanted to get one out in a range of rougher water to make sure it wasn't going to be a liability. Essentially, the suction cup has to be very strong to counter the leverage effect of the camera weight extended 8" off to one side, and while it looked OK on flat water, there is a lot of force when things start going sideways, and we wanted to be sure it would be up to the task.
So, with a decent swell running last Friday I stuck my camera on the mount with the extension bar to see how it would fare. I began with the camera in the upright position, which as expected fared well, and gave a nice image of the sea & paddler in perspective.
I then mounted it offset on a 45 degree angle to capture Rob paddling alongside, and in some turbulent water, including a few small breakers across the deck, again everything held solid.
Finally, we set up up at deck level, out off the edge of the gunwale, pointed back up & across, where it was often being dragged by the moving water in concert with my hull speed. No problems, with a short amount of time to make sure the cup is fixed and holds, everything is well designed & the results are excellent.
The conclusion, this is another great piece of kit from Kayalu that stands up to the rigours of sea paddling.
The Kayalu Toughbar 8" extension arms are available from the online store for $39.95.

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