What is the ProAir Pole System?

The ProAir Pole System is an innovative new product designed to let you get yourself in the action when using your action camera. The System is comprised of the Pole, and four different base mounts: the Body Mount, Suction Mount, Boom Mount, and Rail Mount. The base mounts allow the pole to be attached onto a huge range of equipment and items, including yourself, so you can achieve great footage of yourself in almost any sport, leaving your hands free from holding the camera or pole.

This pole has been refined for over two years through relentless testing. Only by using the pole on ski slopes, under water, scaling vertical cliffs, pillar jumping, mountain biking, windsurfing, and more, did we discover practical difficulties in using earlier prototypes, which we then set about resolving and improving. The result is truly a pole made by dedicated action sports enthusiasts, for dedicated action sports enthusiasts.

The ProAir Pole

We've designed and engineered the ProAir Pole to be, I believe, the best stand alone pole available. It's made from locking, telescopic, carbon fibre tubes making it adjustable, and is extremely light weight, whilst allowing it to maintain a high level of strength and rigidity. The handle is a made from a high density foam which is both rugged enough to withstand the harshest of environments, yet forgiving enough to remain comfortable at the end of a long day's filming. Every little detail serves a purpose, even the matte style of the carbon fibre finish - we found that poles with a glossy finish were often more conspicuous in the footage. After changing to a matte finish there was less reflection on the pole making it far less noticeable.

Another key feature of the pole is the swivelling head mount. We wanted to be able to quickly and easily change the orientation of the camera at any point through 360 degrees, so we could capture a new angle almost instantly. Using a locking screw requires 2 hands and is cumbersome, so instead, we have designed and built a spring loaded swivel head on a ratchet. This allows you to rotate the camera in any direction, with one hand, and once you've adjusted, it is already locked in place.

The angled part of the pole near the camera not only makes the pole much smaller and less obtrusive in the footage, as the lens is further away from the pole, but if you turn the camera outwards to film a friend (snowboarding for example), the camera can sit below the centre of gravity of the pole. This makes the pole more comfortable to hold, and easier to maintain the camera in a horizontal position.

ProAir Pole

The Base Mounts

Body Mount

The body mount is arguably the most versatile of the base mounts, allowing you to attach the pole to your body to achieve phenomenal filming angles. It can be worn facing forwards or backwards so you can obtain the best shot depending on your sport. It's also designed so that it's narrow and slightly curved – this makes it practical to swivel around your body making fitting and adjusting very quick and easy. It's overall profile however, is such that it provides sufficient stability to support the pole. This stability is further enhanced with a careful combination of a wide elasticated waist band, and rigid webbing.

Body Mount Made with Carbon Fibre Back Plate

Body Mount In Action

Suction Mount

The suction mount uses two powerful suction cups to securely fasten the pole to any surface which is smooth and hard, meaning you can attach the pole to a huge range of equipment.

Examples of equipment I've attached the pole to using the suction mount:

Yacht

Stand Up Paddle Board

Snowboard

Car

Kayak

Canoe

Suction Mount

Suction Mount In Action

Rail Mount

The Rail Mount uses a u-bolt mechanism whereby you can securely attach onto a rigid rail, such as those found on a road bicycle, motorbike, or quadbike. Using this mount you can capture previously unobtainable footage of yourself in your sport. You can see yourself in action from an angle never seen before, and because its hands-free, you don't even have to think about the camera.

Examples of equipment I've attached the pole to using the Rail Mount:

Motorbike

Quadbike

Vehicle

Off Road Buggy

Go Kart

Speed Boat

Yacht

Jet Ski

Ski-Doo

Rail Mount

Rail Mount In Action

Boom Mount

The Boom Mount is a mount designed specifically for windsurfers and sailors. It uses a jubilee clip mechanism so is more suitable for larger tubes, and tubes with reduced strength and rigidity such as thin sections of aluminium, plastic and carbon fibre. Using the boom mount you can obtain a unique new perspective in which both yourself and the vessel are in the action.

Examples of equipment I've attached the pole to using the boom mount:

Windsurfer Boom

Windsurfer Mast

Sailing Dinghy Boom

Sailing Dinghy Mast

Boom Mount

Boom Mount In Action

ProAir Pole Features

The ProAir Pole System has been extensively tested, and consequently, every detail of the product has a story from a real life situation which explains exactly why that particular detail is the way it is. One thing we learned while skiing for example is that we wanted to be able to operate every aspect of the pole with ski gloves or mitts on. We also wanted it to pack away sufficiently compactly when not in use, to fit in a small back pack or a small hold luggage suitcase. Necessary modifications were made to ensure such features could be achieved.

Breakaway/Quick Release Mechanism

The breakaway mechanism is a unique safety feature, and a vital part of the system. It works in a similar way to a ski boot or cycle cleats, meaning it's rigid in most circumstances, but in adverse conditions, such as having a wipe out when skiing, the pole will breakaway, reducing risk of injury and damage to the pole. There is also a safety leash included meaning that when the pole does break away it is easily recoverable.

Quick Release Mechanism

The breakaway mechanism also acts as quick release, allowing you to easily remove the pole from the base mounts. This is an important feature as it makes it easy to change between mounts, and easy to remove the pole at any time where it's no longer convenient to wear. I found this a vital requirement, for example when arriving at the bottom of a ski slope to a busy chair lift queue.

To achieve the strength, precision and smoothness required in operation, the casing of this mechanism is manufactured from aluminium, anodised, to give it a beautiful cool and solid feel. Take a look at the video to see the quick release in action.

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Adjustable Ball Joint

I quickly realised that I wanted to capture different angles depending on what sport I was doing. The solution to this was the ball and socket joint. This feature allows for an unlimited number of angles, and it only takes a few seconds to adjust, thanks to the quick release handle that operates it. The anodised aluminium socket around a solid rubber ball gives this component superb strength and a lovely smooth, solid feel.

Adjustable Ball Joint

Integrated Spare Locking Screw

The spare locking screw is another perfect example of a feature that I added as a result of personal experiences I've had when testing. On two separate occasions I've lost the locking screw, once when out on the water, and once when snowboarding. On both occasions I've missed out on capturing some great footage (since you can't film without the screw), so now, built into the pole and completely concealed, is a spare locking screw.

Integrated Spare GoPro Locking Screw

Swivelling Head Mount

Unlike many poles, which only allow the camera to face forwards or backwards, the ProAir Pole swivelling head joint allows you to change your camera, to face any direction, in a matter of seconds.

Swivelling Head Mount

Interchangeable Head Mounts

Whilst action cameras are the ultimate tool for filming action sports, there are many action sports which can be filmed with your smartphone or compact camera. For this reason I have made the ProAir Pole System compatible with all smartphones and 1/4" thread cameras, as well as the standard action camera mount, as used in GoPro's.

Fits Action Cams, Compact Cameras & Smartphones

ProAir Action Camera Case

The Story

The idea for the ProAir Pole first came about when I got tired of seeing this every time I used my GoPro...

Chest Mount View

When what I really wanted to see was this...

ProAir Pole View

I was tired of the fact that I was never in the action. I'd accumulated a whole hard drive of footage of my shadow, my view, and my friends, but not of me. I found this sort of video becomes boring and repetitive very quickly. I remember thinking how great the videos on the GoPro website looked when I bought my first GoPro, and after re watching them, I quickly recognised that the best footage is filmed from a 3rd person point of view, meaning there's always someone 'in the action'. Accepting that I’m not a professional or Red Bull sponsored athlete, I still wanted to obtain good footage of myself, quickly, cheaply, easily, and for this to be achievable even if I was on my own. For most action camera users, quality 3rd person footage is very difficult to achieve, unless you can afford the luxury of a drone (and someone to fly it), or you wanted to commit your hands to holding a pole (which is impossible in many sports). I set out to solve this problem.

My first prototype was made in my dad's work shed from some copper plumbing pipes and an action sports back pad. It was the the earliest version of the body mount and pole you see today. I tested this prototype and continued to develop it over 2 years. Soon the copper pipe became a walking pole, making it telescopic, and the back pad became a windsurfing harness, making it more rigid. I also added new features such as ball and socket mount because I realised that I wanted to be able to easily change the angle of the camera when I was out skiing. Every alteration I made was based on extensive testing in real life situations, meaning as I developed the product it became tailored to have everything an action sport enthusiast could want, and nothing they didn't need.

One of my Early Prototypes

Over time I developed the product into a system consisting of the pole and the four base mounts, this development allowed users to film themselves in virtually any action sport. Once I had refined the system sufficiently, I had professional prototypes made and began to look at how the product could be viably produced. I worked on the business throughout my A levels and all through my summer holidays after school finished. I'm now a first year student at the University of Leeds studying Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and I'm running the business alongside my studies. It's been a long road to get the product to this stage, but with your help I feel I now have a chance to bring the ProAir Pole System to market, and help you get the footage you really want from your action camera.