So some of you may be aware that the new GoPro Hero 9 has come out and it is making waves.
This is why it may come as a surprise that I am not actually going to recommend the Hero 9, or even the Hero 8.
That’s right we are dialing back to 2018 and looking at the Hero 7 Black
Although the Hero 9 is more full featured and arguably the best and most advanced action cam on the market, it is difficult to recommend the Hero 9 over its predecessors.
That is unless you are someone who regularly vlogs and needs a particularly crisp selfie camera.
So just what does the Hero 7 offer that makes it such a good value proposition to capture your paddle boarding adventures?
If you need no convincing and trust my judgement you can click here to purchase the GoPro Hero 7 Black right now
Why I chose the GoPro Hero 7 Black Edition
HyperSmooth Video
The best thing to ever be introduced to any action camera is the HyperSmooth Video technology.
But you may be wondering what HyperSmooth video actually is and what it does.
Well to put it simply if you turned your mobile phone onto video mode and ran down the road recording, I imagine if you looked back at the footage it would be very shaky, out of focus constantly and just generally difficult to watch back.
If you are familiar with photography and videography you will be familiar with the gimbal.
A gimbal is a mount that rotates and pivots to keep the camera still and in focus.
This is where GoPro have changed the game.
It used to be a common occurrence to go out and splash the cash on a fancy camera only to find out you then needed to spend an additional $100-$200 on a gimbal.
Well not anymore.
GoPro with the new HyperSmooth technology allows you to simply pick up a camera and record whatever your heart desires in crystal clear quality and with no wobble or loss of focus.
If you need proof of what exactly the Hero 7 Black can do I have included a video below showcasing its talent.
Waterproof and Rugged (waterproof to a depth of 10m)
The next benefits are not specific to GoPro but are certainly key components to any decent action cam.
Considering the camera is likely to get bashed about in the surf, on the river banks or even in between the rocks if you want to do a bit of white water boarding. It is obviously very important that your camera be rock solid and rugged.
These aren’t the cheapest cameras so we can’t have them breaking after every collision, knock or bump.
The next benefit is very important and quite frankly completely overkill for what we need when paddle boarding.
That being the waterproof capabilities.
Obviously being waterproof is extremely important for a camera that is most certainly going to spend a lot of time splashed with, covered by or completely submerged in water.
However if you manage to get 10m below the surface that I am not sure whether to be completely impressed or seriously concerned.
You certainly don’t need your camera to be able to go 10m deep but it’s nice to know it will even if you happen to be paddling in the deeper water.
Voice Control and Activation
This is a bit of a common issue across the action camera industry but the batteries unfortunately aren’t the best.
This means you aren’t likely to keep recording throughout the whole adventure and instead record the highlights or special moments you anticipate are coming.
If you are the top of a slope or staring down a mountain bike trail it can be obvious when you might want to start recording.
The same can’t be said however, for paddle boarding.
Quite frankly you never know a school of dolphins may start jumping over the nose of your board or joining you as you drift across the bay.
This is where the next feature is worth its weight in gold.
The GoPro Hero 7 Black features voice activation which means you capture any moment simply by stating simple phrases such as ‘GoPro Take a Picture’, ‘GoPro Turn On’ ‘GoPro Start Recording’ etc..
Never miss a moment again with the voice activation commands available on the Hero 7.
Livestream
Want to make your friends who couldn’t join you jealous?
Or maybe you are a content creator and want to put an impromptu video for your followers.
With the Hero 7 Black you can live stream in 720p directly to your favourite streaming platform such as Youtube, Twitch, Facebook and others.
The livestreams will also be backed up on your SD card so you can review, edit and save your highlights.
Shoot in 4k @60fps and take photos up to 12mp
When the Hero 7 came out 4k was still in its infancy.
As 4k TV’s, monitors etc become more available being able to record your moments in 4k @ 60fps means all your moments will be crystal clear.
One issue that action cameras used to have was although they would record good quality video, the images they would take were never that great.
In the Hero 7 Black though, it comes equipped with a 12mp camera which is ample to ensure you get top quality pictures should you happen to find an amazing spectacle whilst out exploring.
Convinced yet?
Purchase your Hero 7 Black now by clicking here
Other gimmicks
Although the features above steal the headlines they are actually a few little gimmicky features which are the unsung heroes of this Hero 7
GPS Stickers
Now this really is quite gimmicky and to some of you not required at all.
However, with GPS stickers you can showcase the route, distance and landmarks that you paddled past on your adventure.
The best way to explain this is to think about the little airplane that you used to be able to watch on your flight that would indicate which countries you had past and which one you were currently over.
Now for most of us this won’t be something that we use a whole lot.
However, for those of you who like to do downwinders or SUP touring and like tracking distance and location, this can be a fun way to show off to your friends how far and where you paddled today.
Auto Transfer to phone/ mobile
This for me is actually one of the best features that comes with the GoPro Hero 7.
As a global population we are phasing out large bulky computers and laptops and living from our phones.
With the help of the GoPro app you can seamlessly transfer your captured footage to your phone.
This means you can get it cut up, edited and uploaded to instagram in a matter of moments.
Photo Timer
If you are out paddling with friends, trying to capture you all in one shot can be a tricky task especially as you will likely be drifting with the water.
With the GoPro Hero 7, you can simply place your camera on a nearby bank or even secure it to a buoy.
Simply set the timer and all paddle in next to each other to capture your favourite moments using the photo timer feature.
8x Slo-mo Video
Thanks to the ultra high frame rate of 1080p @ 240fps you can record crystal clear moments in upto 8x slow motion.
If you are storming down some white water rapids on your board or tucking into a punchy barrel on an overhead wave, why not capture the fast action moment in super slow motion to really show off.
Timewarp Videos
If time lapse videography is your thing, then you will know that whilst the camera is still the time lapse looks great, the second you want to capture a time lapse whilst moving though it can make the transition between scenes rather jumpy and janky.
Leaching off the HyperSmooth video technology means you create seamlessly smooth time warp transition videos creating some beautiful footage.
Final Say
Sure the new GoPro’s are more full featured and marginally better but to me they don’t offer the value proposition that the Hero 7 does.
If you want an action camera that still competes with even the newest releases but comes at a nice reduced rate thanks to it being 2 years old.
Purchase the GoPro Hero 7.
Click here to purchase the GoPro Hero 7 today