Steadicam Seadoo Water Rig

What is Water Steadicam?

A world first breakthrough in filming watersports. Melbourne camera operator Dale Henderson

has produced and operates the world’s first waterproof Steadicam.

Filming surfers and other watersports quite literally from the wave, the Fluid Motion waterproof Steadicam

has so far been used to film Taj Burrow in action, to cover the 2006 Iron Man Championships live broadcast for

Channel 7, and the 2006 Surf Life Saving Championships for Channel 9, also the Ripcurl Pro at Bells Beach Australia 2007/08. 

Where did it come from?

Initially studying Steadicam operation with Oscar-winning creator Garrett Brown in the US,

Dale developed a completely new use for the technology in Melbourne, some 30 years after its invention.

The Fluid Motion waterproof Steadicam rig and filming process was developed,

tested and refined in Australia by Dale Henderson and his team, over a twelve month period.

Originating from a ‘crazy’ idea of taking the land-based Steadicam,

mounting it on the back of a Seadoo, and taking it to water, several attempts,

many equipment refinements and plenty of ‘water work’ by Dale and his driver Brett Penman,

the rig was tested in Victoria and along the East coast of Australia,

until Dale and his team were happy with the results. Bookings soon followed.

How is it done?

The 100 % waterproof Steadicam rig is mounted on the back of a modified Supercharged Seadoo (Jet Ski).

Piloted by a highly experienced driver Brett Penman,

the Fluid Motion team can track as close as one metre to a surfer or to watersports activities, capturing smooth, steady high definition footage.

Why is it so good?

Up until now, surfing and other watersports have mostly been filmed from helicopters or from shore.

The disadvantage with shore filming is that it’s always a long shot, and it’s sometimes difficult to differentiate one location from another.

Footage from underwater cameramen, or ‘seals’ is limited to 2 or 3 second-shots only, as the wave approaches.

Large wakes and lack of flexibility are drawbacks of filming from larger watercraft.

Hand-held camera operators have filmed from Jet Skis, but none of the above methods guarantee a steady shot.

Where can it be used?

Having already covered some nationally televised water sporting events,

the Fluid Motion set-up’s flexibility could be optimised in controlled environments, such as film and TVCs.

We have a good team, we’ve tested the set-up extensively and now we’d like to team up with some more creative minds and see how far we can take this thing! said Henderson.

What the pros say!

Australian pro surfer Taj Burrow was keen to try out the Fluid Motion waterproof set up early.

I’ve shot a bunch of things from the water before, and we’ve tried pretty much every angle under the sun.

I was very excited to hear about a steady shot camera that you could ride out through the bumps with,

and that you could get a nice clean shot. The public can see everything up close. It’s that angle of the wall, the wave and they’re right there with you, he said.

What the creators say!

Waterproof Steadicam inventor/operator Dale Henderson talks about filming Taj Burrow at full pelt.

To be sitting on the wave as it’s ramping up – with Australian aerial specialist Taj Burrow just there was incredible.

With the waterproof Steadicam we can film a surfer from as close a metre, and we can capture steady,

clean and smooth tracking footage in up to 50-foot waves.  Really the potential is limitless, said Henderson.

A promotional DVD can be sent by request Email:   dale@fluidmotionfilm.com