Solved: Which Handboards Can Use An Adhesive Mount?

Not all handboards have a mounting insert for your GoPro so you will need to use an adhesive mount to secure your camera to the board. This means your handboard must have a specific type of surface texture and shape in order to bond the adhesive mount to your deck. Otherwise, it won’t securely stick to your board and you could lose your camera to the ocean.

So which handboards are best for installing an adhesive GoPro camera mount? The best handboards for installing adhesive mounts are boards with a smooth, hard, flat non-porous surface. Here is a list of handboards that provide a favorable bonding surface for an adhesive mount:

• Wedge Slyde handboard
• Phish Slyde handboard
• GoFloats
• Ecto Handplanes
• Garage handplanes
• Sole handplanes
• PPP handboards

If you intend on using an adhesive surf mount for filming then purchasing a handboard that has the ideal bonding surface can make all the difference regarding the safety of your camera. This post covers the different types of surface material and contours for installing adhesive surf mounts. It will also discuss which boards you should buy and avoid if using this this type of mount.

which handboards to use for adhesive surf mounts

Which handboards are the best for using adhesive surf mounts? The table below compares popular handboards and whether or not they are favorable for using an adhesive surf mount. This resource will help you determine which board to buy in case you plan on filming using this type of mounting support.

handboards	can adhesive mount be used?
Wedge Slyde Handboard	yes
Phish Slyde Handboard	yes
Bula Slyde Handboard	no
Grom Slyde Handboard	no
GoFloats	yes
Ecto Handplanes	yes
Garage Handplanes	yes
Sole Handplanes	yes
PPP Handboards	yes
Hydro Handboards	no

Can you use an adhesive mount on the Wedge Slyde handboard?

The Wedge by Slyde handboards is by far the best handboard for using an adhesive mount. The board deck is flat and smooth. There is also ample surface area compared to other boards that allow multiple filming angles so your wrist and hand won’t obstruct the viewpoint.

Can you use an adhesive mount on the Phish Slyde handboard?

You can use an adhesive mount on the Phish handboard because it is extremely smooth and flat. This makes it an ideal bonding surface.

However, note that this board is not as wide as the wedge so filming angles behind the handstrap may be limited depending on the size of your wrist and hand. The viewpoint may be slightly obstructed. Your camera may have to be positioned very close to your hand or wrist which could cause hamper your range of wrist or arm movement.

Can you us an adhesive mount for the bula handboard?

You can NOT use a flat adhesive mount for the Bula Slyde handboard because of the contour of the board design. The board deck is too curved to successfully bond an adhesive mount.

Can you use a curved adhesive mount for the Bula? I would not recommend using a curved adhesive mount. These do not work as well as the flat adhesive mounts.

Many consumers have found curved mounts to be ineffective. Plus, the Bula board design has too much curvature for a curved adhesive mount design to handle.

Can you use an adhesive mount on the Grom Slyde handboard?

You can NOT use an adhesive mount on a Grom Slyde handboard. Gopro clearly advises to NOT use a surfing mount on any soft top so you do not lose your expensive camera.

Can you install an adhesive mount on a GoFloats handboard?

The GoFloats handboard does have a favorable bonding surface for using an adhesive surf mount. However, since the board is so small there is limited surface area to install the mount.

Your filming angles may be blocked by your hand or wrist. You are more than like to hit your camera with your hand or wrist while bodysurfing. Therefore be mindful of the space you have before mounting it to your board.

Can you install an adhesive mount on Ecto handboards?

Ecto handboards provide a smooth finish on both their Glass boards and Wood boards. This coating provides an ideal surface for installing an adhesive mount.

Can you install an adhesive mount on Garage handplanes?

You can install adhesive mounts on both the Garage woodies and carbon fiber handboard versions. I reached out to Dave Archer, creator of Garage Handplanes, and he explained that the epoxy finish on his boards should give you a favorable surface for using an adhesive mount. I recommend the Riva Series since this board design is larger compared to the Go Kart series. The additional flat surface area will help you find better filming angles.

Can you install an adhesive mount on Sole Handplanes?

Handplanes by Sole appear to be conducive for adhesive mounts. The wooden surface is relatively flat and is sealed with a varnish that provides a smooth finish. However, the majority of their boards are fairly small so it may be difficult to fit your hand and mount. Their Lunch Lady Tray collection is definitely wide and flat enough for an adhesive mount.

Can you install an adhesive mount on a PPP handboards?

I reached out to the people at PPP Handboards asking this specific question because their boards are designed from wood. Damo from PPP Handboards explained that he has been using an Ion adhesive mount for the past 3 years on their boards without any issues. Their boards feature a smooth laminate surface, which is ideal for installing and adhesive mount.

Can you install an adhesive mount on a Hydro handboards?

I would not recommend using an adhesive mount on a Hydro handboard because the surface area is too small and the deck surface is not even. This handboard is small so you really won’t have enough room to create a decent film angle.

Also, the surface is smooth but not flat. There are aerodynamic design ripples that give it a slightly uneven surface, which would make it difficult to bond your adhesive surf mount for filming.

How adhesive mounting is affected by handboard shape

The way your adhesive mount bonds to your handboard depends on the shape of the board. This is something many people overlook when mounting their cameras using an adhesive mount.

What surface shape is required for installing adhesive mounts?

The ideal board surface for installing an adhesive mount is a flat, smooth deck. If there are any bumps, indents, dings, cracks or other imperfections then the adhesive mount will not bond properly.

If the surface has an extreme contour or is uneven, the surf mount might not stick to your board at all or never reach its true bonding strength. This means it could fail and detach while bodysurfing.

Why can’t an adhesive mount stick to an uneven surface?

An adhesive surf mount is designed to be in full contact with the desired surface. It requires the entire adhesive pad to be touching the board surface in order to be effective.

The structure of an adhesive mount is flat and straight. If it is placed over a bump or extremely curved contour, the adhesive sticky pad will not be entirely in contact with the surface. This type of placement will weaken its integrity.

Why are flat surfaces best for adhesion?

Flat surfaces are best because it increases the adhesive to surface area ratio, which ultimately improves bond strength. Flat surfaces provide the adhesive surf mount more opportunity to remain anchored to your board.

How adhesive mounting is affected by handboard material

Handboard material also plays a large role when it comes to adhesion. The properties of the compounds used to create the surface can directly impact the stickiness of the adhesive mount. Check out my article on factors that impact the stickiness of an adhesive mount for more information on this.

What type of material will an adhesive mount bond to?

The 3M adhesive mounts used to secure your camera to your handboard should bond to just about any type of non-textured material. This means any non-porous material should be favorable for installing an adhesive surf mount.

The epoxy laminate applied to the majority of handboards in the market is perfect for placing your adhesive mount. This type of surface coating seals up any openings and creates a super flat finish.

Why can’t adhesive mounts bond to textured material?

Adhesion requires a closed, flat surface in order to bond properly. Therefore, any type of porous material is not ideal for adhesive mounts because the surface is essentially “open”.

Do adhesive mounts work on foam handboards?

Porous material, like foam, would not allow the mount to adhere properly to the handboard. Therefore, you would not be able to use an adhesive mount for the Grom Slydehand.

The microscopic openings in porous materials would not provide enough surface area for strong bonding compared to a surface sealed in an epoxy coating. Porous surfaces allow air and water to find its way in between the adhesive sticky pad and board surface thus causing it to weaken over time.

Do adhesive surf mounts work on rubber handboards?

Adhesive mounts will bond to rubber material but it will not be fully stable. Rubber is a material that can expand or contract depending upon temperature. It can also soften as it ages.

Both of these factors can ultimately impact the bonding strength of the adhesive mount. Just keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing a rubber board and plan to use an adhesive surf mount for filming.

Related Questions:

Do you need to remove wax before installing adhesive mount?

Wax creates an uneven surface. Adhesive mounts need a flat smooth surface in order to adhere properly.

Before installing an adhesive mount to your handboard, it is best to remove any wax from the deck. Trying to bond an adhesive mount to a board that already has wax on it will prove to be ineffective and frustrating.

Wax has the ability to alter form (i.e. melting in warm temperatures). This would ultimately weaken the bond between your board and the mount.

Wax can also attract sand and dirt. Adhesive mounts need a very clean surface for maximum bonding strength.

Can you use adhesive mounts on wooden handboards?

You can use adhesive mounts on wooden handboards if the board is sealed with epoxy or poly resin coating. However, I reached out to PPP Handboards, which specialize in wooden handboard design and asked this question. They said their wooden boards do actually provide a favorable surface for adhesive mounts.