6 Best Universal Camera Mounts For Inflatable Boats to Nail Every Shot

You’re out on the water, the lighting is perfect, and a pod of dolphins starts playing off your bow. You fumble for your camera, trying to hold it steady with one hand while managing the tiller with the other. The resulting video is a shaky, unusable mess. This is the classic challenge of filming on an inflatable boat—there’s nowhere solid to put anything down. Getting stable, professional-looking footage requires a dedicated mounting solution designed for the unique world of flexible, non-porous boat surfaces.

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Choosing Mounts for Inflatable Boat Surfaces

The biggest hurdle with an inflatable boat is the surface itself. Unlike a fiberglass or aluminum hull, you can’t just drill a hole and bolt on a mount. The boat’s tubes, made of either PVC or Hypalon, are flexible, airtight, and demand a completely different approach.

Your choices really boil down to two main strategies: adhesive mounts or clamp-on mounts. Adhesive mounts involve gluing a dedicated base pad directly onto the boat’s tube, creating a permanent, rock-solid anchor point. This is the most secure method by far, but it requires careful surface preparation and the right kind of two-part marine adhesive. Clamp mounts, on the other hand, are temporary and grab onto existing hard points like a wooden transom, bench seat, or oarlocks. They offer great versatility but are only as stable as the object they’re clamped to.

Many of the best systems are modular. You first attach a base receiver—like a RAILBLAZA StarPort or a Scotty base—to the boat. From there, you can click in various accessories, from a camera mount to a fishing rod holder. This approach is a huge space-saver and a smart investment for anyone using a small, versatile craft.

RAILBLAZA Camera Mount Kit: Ultimate Modularity

If you see your camera mount as part of a larger system for outfitting your boat, RAILBLAZA is the answer. It’s less a single product and more of an entire ecosystem. The magic starts with their StarPort base, which can be securely glued onto PVC or Hypalon tubes to create a universal docking station.

The camera mount itself is highly adjustable, featuring several rotating pivots on both the top and bottom. This lets you dial in the exact height and angle you need, whether you’re aiming for a low-to-the-water action shot or a wide-angle view of the entire boat. It’s compatible with any camera that has a standard 1/4-20 tripod thread, and adapters for GoPro are readily available.

The real genius here is what happens when you’re not filming. In seconds, you can remove the camera mount and click in a navigation light, a cup holder, or a fish finder mount into the same StarPort. On a small inflatable where every inch of real estate matters, this ability to swap accessories on the fly is a total game-changer. It turns a simple camera mount into a multi-purpose utility port.

Scotty Portable Camera Mount: Rugged Simplicity

Scotty has a long-standing reputation in the fishing world for making gear that is simple, tough, and reliable. Their Portable Camera Mount is no exception. It’s a straightforward, no-fuss piece of equipment built to withstand the harsh marine environment. There are no tiny, fragile parts to break or corrode.

Like other systems, Scotty relies on a base mount. Their #341 Glue-On Mount is a popular choice for inflatable boats and creates an incredibly durable foundation. The camera mount itself has a post that drops into the base and locks securely in place. While it offers pan and tilt adjustments, it’s less about infinite fine-tuning and more about setting a solid angle and trusting it to stay put, even in choppy conditions.

This is the mount for someone who values durability over intricate adjustability. If you want to set your camera to capture a specific view—like looking back at the person running the motor—and leave it there for the day without worrying about it drooping or vibrating loose, Scotty is your workhorse. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it solution.

RAM Mounts Tough-Claw: Versatile Clamp Solution

For those who don’t want to permanently glue anything to their boat, the RAM Mounts Tough-Claw is the undisputed champion of versatility. This isn’t an adhesive solution; it’s a high-strength clamp designed to grab onto rails, bars, and flat edges with incredible force. It’s the perfect non-permanent tool for an inflatable boat.

Think about the hard points on your inflatable: the transom, the edge of a plywood bench seat, or even an oar handle. The Tough-Claw can securely latch onto any of them. Its rubber-padded jaws prevent slipping and protect the surface from damage, while the famous RAM ball-and-socket system provides nearly limitless articulation. You can position your camera at virtually any angle imaginable.

The tradeoff for this flexibility is a reliance on the stability of the clamped object. If you clamp it to a flimsy seat that flexes and vibrates, your footage will reflect that. But when attached to a solid transom, it’s one of the most stable and adjustable temporary mounting solutions you can get. It’s ideal for renters or anyone who uses their boat for different purposes and needs to clear the decks completely.

Brocraft Glue-On Base: The Most Secure Adhesion

Sometimes, you don’t need a whole kit. You just need a bombproof foundation. Brocraft specializes in making high-quality aftermarket parts, and their glue-on mounting pads for inflatables are the go-to choice for a permanent, professional-grade installation.

You’re essentially buying the most critical part: a well-made PVC or Hypalon pad with a built-in receiver compatible with popular systems like Scotty, RAILBLAZA, or Cannon. The job is on you to source the correct two-part marine adhesive and follow the prep instructions to the letter. This involves cleaning, abrading, and applying the glue in a controlled environment.

Why go to the trouble? Because the result is a mount that feels like it was installed at the factory. It’s a seamless, low-profile, and unbelievably strong anchor point. For heavier DSLR cameras or for use in rough offshore conditions where failure is not an option, building your system on a properly installed Brocraft base provides the ultimate peace of mind.

YakAttack PanFish Pro: Best for Angling Shots

While YakAttack gear is designed for the kayak fishing world, its utility translates perfectly to inflatables, especially for anglers. The PanFish Pro isn’t just a mount; it’s a camera positioning tool. Its primary purpose is to help you get those epic shots of you fighting and landing a fish.

The key feature is its long, multi-jointed extension arm. This allows you to position the camera far away from the mounting point—over the side of the boat for an underwater release shot, or high above for a top-down view of the action. The entire system is designed for quick, one-handed operation so you can adjust the shot without putting down your fishing rod.

To use it on an inflatable, you’d pair it with a compatible base, such as a glue-on Scotty or RAILBLAZA mount with a track adapter. This makes it a more specialized, two-part solution. But if your main goal is to capture dynamic fishing content, no other mount offers this level of reach and rapid repositioning.

GoPro Suction Cup Mount: A Quick & Easy Option

The official GoPro Suction Cup Mount is everywhere, and it’s tempting to think it’s an easy solution for an inflatable. It can be, but only with major caveats. Its industrial-strength suction is designed for smooth, rigid, non-porous surfaces like glass or car paint.

On an inflatable boat, this mount is only reliable on the few truly hard and flat surfaces available. Think of the flat top of your outboard motor’s cowling or the smooth, gel-coated surface of a fiberglass transom. In these spots, for short-term use in calm water, it can work wonderfully for grabbing a quick, temporary shot.

Crucially, you should never trust a suction cup on the inflatable tubes themselves. The material flexes, air pressure changes with temperature, and a small layer of salt or grime can easily break the seal. The cup will fail eventually, and your camera will end up in the water. If you must use it on a questionable surface, always use a tether as a backup.

Key Factors: Adhesion, Materials, and Angles

Ultimately, your choice comes down to balancing three key factors. First is adhesion. Do you want the unmatched security of a permanent glue-on mount, or the flexibility of a temporary clamp? The glue-on option is superior for stability and heavy cameras, while clamps are perfect for versatility and leaving no trace.

Second, pay close attention to materials. The marine environment is brutal. Look for high-strength, UV-stabilized composite plastics and marine-grade stainless steel hardware. Cheaper mounts made with inferior materials will quickly become brittle in the sun and corrode from salt spray, leading to catastrophic failure.

Finally, consider the angles you need. A simple mount with basic tilt is fine for a static, wide-angle shot. But if you want to capture dynamic action or fine-tune your composition, a system with a ball-and-socket joint (like RAM Mounts) or a multi-jointed arm (like YakAttack) will give you the creative freedom you need to nail every shot.

The right camera mount transforms your inflatable boat from a simple vessel into a mobile film studio. It’s not about finding the single "best" brand, but about honestly assessing your needs. By matching the mounting method to your boat and the adjustability to your filming style, you can finally stop worrying about your gear and focus on capturing the adventure.