Dive Mount
OUTMōRE | May 2017
Overview
The Dive Mount is a GoPro mount designed for hands-free recording while diving or snorkeling. It fits nearly any dive mask on the market, and produces high-quality, first-person footage free from bubble exhaust (a common problem with other SCUBA oriented GoPro mounts). This product is patented and thousands have been sold to underwater enthusiasts around the world.
The Origin Story
The Dive Mount journey began after trying a number of different GoPro mounts on SCUBA dives. After using a wrist mount on a particular dive I realized that I had recorded the open ocean rather than the shipwreck I was intending to film. Once I got home from the trip I immediately began prototyping a better way to record my dives.
The same issues I came across with the wrist mount, plagued the other mounts I had tried as well. Namely, it was difficult to constantly juggle a camera while adjusting your buoyancy, clearing your mask, signalling your partner, and other critical hand-related diving tasks. Not only was it difficult to get high quality footage, but its also distracting while you're diving. I wanted to develop a mount that didn't require your hands and would blend into the background, allowing the user to be present during their dive. With this goal in mind I determined that a mount attached to your mask would keep the camera pointed in the right direction and wouldn't take away from the diving experience.
When I started this project in college I had no prior CAD or 3D printing experience, so I began teaching myself how to use these tools while constantly iterating and improving my design. After hundreds of iterations, I reached a design I was happy with. I then developed a mold, and began resin casting parts in my parent's basement to assemble into mounts I could sell. I listed the mount on Amazon and sales began flying in. However, I realized that resin casting was bottle-necking my production and led to quality defects so I temporarily halted production and sales.
Version 2
I began researching other methods for manufacturing plastic components that would increase my capacity and produce more reliable parts, at which point I came across injection molding. I found a free tool online that helped me prepare my model for manufacturing and made improvements to the design to increase stability in the water and the strength of the overall structure.
In addition to outsourcing the plastic component manufacturing, I also commissioned a steel rule dye to cut the neoprene pads (a process I was doing by hand up to this point). I also made a custom 3d printed jig to help place the acorn nut into the mount. With some additional improvements to the packaging, I drastically sped up my production time, volume, and quality all while decreasing my unit cost. I then relisted the mount on Amazon and began selling again.
While getting quotes from manufacturers I realized that there would be a significant up front cost for tooling and the initial run of parts. So I began reaching out to banks to secure funding. I went go on to secure a line of credit which I used to outsource the plastic component manufacturing and applied for a utility patent as my provisional patent lifespan was coming to a close.
The Outcome
I have now been selling the Dive Mount for roughly 8 years. In that time, my utility patent has been granted, I have long since paid off the startup costs for the version 2 improvements, and it has remained a cornerstone product in my outdoor gear brand OUTMōRE. This journey taught me a lot about persistence, prototyping tools, manufacturing techniques, design, and so much more.
Skills & Tools
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Fusion360
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DFM
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Resin Casting
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E-Commerce
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Injection Molding
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Steel Rule Dye
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Packaging Design