Product Review; CoachCam

Underwater video of swimming is invaluable when evaluating stroke technique. Underwater video has come a long way since I started coaching. We used to have to video from a small room under the pool where the small window was positioned. Then we had the periscope type of video. Periscopes provided nice enough video, but they were clumsy and immobile. Now we have the cameras that actually go beneath the surface. The industry leading underwater camera is the CoachCam from the Underwater Camera Company of America.

The CoachCam is a relatively simple looking device. There is the camera at the end of a telescoping pole that connects to a control box. The box contains the batteries and the video out port that connects to your recording device (typically a hand held type of camcorder). The camcorder is positioned atop the pole on mono pod type of camera platform. The entire CoachCam is light and easy to hold or even move through the water for great underwater video of swimmers.

Once you are finished recording, you can connect your camera to a tv, computer, etc. to review the video with the swimmer. We personally use a laptop computer to review the video. It is simple to upload and then manipulate the video while viewing. We can even burn a DVD for the swimmer to take home.

The CoachCam is available for purchase through the website of the Underwater Camera Company of America. There are a couple of models with a few options. We use the base model and it works great!