HydroBlind Mount
Bring stealth, safety, and better angles to the water. The HydroBlind Kit transforms a large bodyboard (or similar float) into a floating wildlife hide. Built around a rugged 3D-printed mount, it securely holds your tripod head and attaches with two 25 mm ratchet straps (straps not included). Add your own camouflage cover, and you get close to ducks, crakes, and other waterbirds without disturbing their natural behaviour.
Compared to handholding or balancing on a monopod, a HydroBlind Kit is a lower-risk option in water. When wading, a stumble or trip can cost you your camera. With the HydroBlind Kit, your gear is already supported on a buoyant and stable platform, with a tether point for backup. And because the rig holds your lens right at the water’s surface, you capture low, eye-level perspectives that make your photos feel closer, more dramatic, and more alive.
Your gear sits steady, secure, and right at water level, while you control position from the shallows. Combined with camouflage cover the result is calmer subjects, less risk, and immersive low-angle shots that are hard to match.
What’s Included
1 × 3D-printed HydroBlind mount (tripod head interface + strap slots + tie points)
What You’ll Need to Supply
A large bodyboard or similar stable floating object suitable for attachment via ratchet straps (>44in, >100L float volume)
Two 25 mm ratchet straps (stainless steel recommended - see e.g. this product)
Tripod head. Use your existing telephoto lens head, or fit a panoramic head like the Leofoto PCL-70 to put the lens closer to the surface of water.
Camouflage cover/netting (to conceal the bodyboard and gear - cotton scrim net is a recommended starting point as wet cotton edges will stick to the board and it's easy to look through the mesh and maintain concealment. Cut a slit in the net to poke your camera through.)
Key Benefits
Lower Risk Than Handholding – Safer than wading with gear in your hands.
Immersive Perspective – Low, eye-level photos of ducks and waterbirds.
Floating Hide Conversion – Turns a bodyboard into a stealth platform.
User-Configurable – Choose your own 25 mm straps and pair with your own camo cover or netting to blend in with reeds, water, or woodland edges. (We recommend camo netting option 1 and lightweight camo fabric for best results)
Field-Tested Reliability – Strong, lightweight, and packable.
Tech Specs
Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
Material | 3D-printed PETG (black, semi-gloss finish). |
Mounting | 316 stainless steel 3/8" bolt (fits most larger tripod heads). |
Weight | ~195 g |
Dimensions | 250 mm (L) × 220 mm (W) × 30 mm (H) |
Recommended Platform | Large bodyboard (>44in, >100L float volume) or equivalent floating surface |
Camouflage | User provides own cover/netting |
Made in | Australia, by TalonFab |
Safe use
The HydroBlind Kit is designed for calm, shallow water (lakes, wetlands, slow ponds) with feet on the bottom. Mount securely to a large bodyboard (≥42 in, ≥50 L volume) or equivalent. Not suitable for deep water, surf, rivers, windy conditions, tides, currents, or swimming use. Not suitable for attachment to inflatable flotation.
Max load: 8 kg (tripod head + camera + lens). Lock your tripod head in all axes — especially tilt — and position gear over the board’s centre of buoyancy. Test stability before use. For angle changes, tilt or rotate the board — keep the head locked. Always lock quick release plates. Secure with straps and tether through the board plug for a third point of attachment.
Do not sit, lie, or use the board as flotation. Straps may snag in sand/mud; HydroBlind is for floating use only. Never leave unattended — it may drift. Secure other items in a drybag.
Straps, boards, camouflage, and tethering equipment are user-supplied; Talonfab is not responsible for third-party gear failure. Safe operation depends on correct setup, equipment choice, and field conditions. We recommend photographers carry insurance for gear used near water. HydroBlind helps reduce risk compared to handholding, but no system can eliminate it.