IIn this review, we test the XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector on the GoPro action camera while kite surfing. Anyone who has a GoPro knows that you can make incredibly cool kitesurf action photos and videos with it. It is an action camera, so we also take the GoPro out to sea when we go kite surfing. Mounted on your helmet, with a line-mount in your lines and / or even through your mouth via the mouth-mount or the buoyancy pad itself. The latter is how we use it the most.
However, nothing is more annoying to find out after a kitesurfing session, of which you thought you have made beautiful images, that water droplets have stuck to your lens and the images have thus become almost worthless. To avoid this, you can of course get grandma's tip out of the closet by regularly spitting or licking the lens and then dipping it in the water and holding it upwind in the hope of preventing water droplets on the lens. You run the risk of being more involved with filming than with kite surfing itself. Let's face it, kitesurfing is primarily about fun, not about the images.
After some orientation online and reading reviews, we got there before Rain-X Anti-Rain ordered and tested. This review / test was successful. When we looked into the various options, we also became acquainted with the XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector. We have now tested those too.
What is Hydrophobic ('Hydrophobic')
Hydrophobic substances are substances that are water-repellent or cannot be mixed with water or are difficult to mix. Means hydrophobic literally 'water-removing'. When water droplets land on the hydrophobic surface, they become spherical to minimize contact. The assumption is that a hydrophobic substance on the lens of a GoPro should cause water droplets in combination with a little wind to immediately slide off the GoPro lens.
The XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector
Online we ordered the XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector with a promotion for 21 Euro. With another discount coupon we ended up under 20 Euro. This hydrophobic lens is well packed with all essentials included. Included in the luxury packaging:
- an alcohol cloth to clean your GoPro lens;
- a hydrophobic lens to stick on the GoPro lens;
- a hydrophobic lens to stick to the GoPro's control display;
- a fabric cover to store your GoPro.
XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector mounting
Montage actually speaks for itself and is a matter of cleaning your GoPro and then sticking the XCLEAR protectors on it. They suck themselves almost immediately after application.
Kitesurfing with a GoPro and XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector. Test passed?
Ja, it works! View the result yourself in the recorded kitesurfing video (set it to the highest resolution for the best image). The kitesurfing weather situation was stormy with drifting sand on the shore and drifting water at sea. What we noticed is that at the start of the session, the XCLEAR effortlessly brushed all the water away from the lens. Once longer on the water, it seems that salt crystals are more and more attached to the lens. This in combination with the bright light at sea seems to make the image less sharp. The water does not stay on the lens, but the salt crystals do.
Do not forget to set the image to the highest resolution.
Conclusion review XCLEAR on GoPro with kite surfing
Dhe XCLEAR Pro-Repel Hydrophobic Protector for the GoPro works. Our assumption was that with this addition to the GoPro we would no longer have to worry about the GoPro during a kitesurfing session. However, this has turned out to be an incorrect assumption for us. Despite the fact that the XCLEAR does its job on the GoPro, you will still have to lick the lens every now and then to prevent salt crystals from drying on the lens and therefore the kitesurfing images are not sharp.
