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About Wet Drone
Wet drone: Once your drone hits water or gets too much rain, its Electronic Speed Controls (ESC) will burn out. ESCs manage power to your drone’s motors; once a fuse blows, it damages your battery. If you don’t have a waterproof drone, it’s best not to picture it to water at all costs.
Have you ever observed a rainy window and wished to be out there with your drone? Most of our favorite quadcopters wouldn’t get wet well, but a few can handle it. We are not just talking about a bit of rain; a handful of drones love swimming!
A quick look at some flying machines that can handle an ocean dive, here are some of the best-wet drones.
Best Wet Drones: Land in Water, on Purpose
Swellpro Spry+
Swellpro Spry+ is one of the most excellent affordable, fully submersible drones. That’s right, it is not just waterproof for a bit of rain or accidental splashes, and we’re talking about landing in water, capturing video below the surface, and taking off again.
A fully waterproof wet drone, the Swellpro Spry is one of the best fully waterproof drones available; Hold the 4K camera up to the sky or place it just below the surface to see the world below the waves.
Swellpro Splash Drone 4
In many ways, the Splash Drone 4 is everything some DJI Phantom owners have dreamed of. A large and robust airframe capable of carrying multiple payloads and flying safely over water and landing on water. Released in the summer of 2021, the fourth version of Swellpro’s Splash Efforts features most of the best cameras, parts, and accessories available. What we understand is that this is an intelligent machine.
The Splash Drone 4 is available for just $1,868 with just the clearance for fishing line, but figure around $2,800 for the best 4k camera option and an extra battery.
Power Vision Power Egg X
The PowerEgg X is further than just a waterproof drone; it’s not even waterproof and has a case you can put in to keep it safe. The PowerEgg is more like a camcorder with propellers as an optional accessory. The value here is in the plethora of operating modes, making the PowerEgg X a versatile machine for many users.
- waterproof wet drone
- It works like a portable camcorder.
- Good object tracking
- Waterproof and versatile camcorder
The PowerVision PowerEgg X is a versatile camcorder and waterproof drone in one. Fly in the rain, remove the holster to add flight time, or use the AI as a handheld camera.
Swellpro SplashDrone 3 Car and SplashDrone 3 Fishing Drone
Update: We have been informed by Swellpro that they will be discontinuing the SplashDrone 3 soon. You may still be able to buy these, and it would be a worthwhile purchase, but check out the newer SplashDrone 4 before you buy the 3.
Released via Kickstarter in 2015, the Swellpro SplashDrone 3 is an enthusiast-built, fully waterproof quadcopter. The latest version of this diving drone comes in two flavors, the Auto with a well-equipped 4K camera and the Fly-fishing Drone with a load release system. As much as I like dropping cargo, please update your US FAA rules before doing so. Sixteen minutes of airtime will keep you entertained as you fly over water or dive underwater. You can also fly well in the rain, which is a plus.
Check out the SplashDrone 3, starting at $1,199 for the drone alone. You must connect the camera and other necessary parts to fly from there, and expect to pay around $2000 for a complete package.
QuadH2O
This is probably the best-rounded drone on our list, but I like many things about the QuadH2O waterproof drone. In terms of abilities, the fact that it looks like a flying submarine has a good reason. Sorry, it’s not a sub per se, but it could be if I could figure out the propulsion and ballast systems.
The built-in FPV camera, action camera mount, complete levitation design, 1000m range, and 10+ minutes of flight time on a single charge are pretty mediocre specs. The passionate team behind the product and utterly waterproof construction all add up to a ready-to-fly price of $2895 for the Quad H2O. Now check out a starter kit for $849.00.
HexH2O Pro V2
From the makers above of the QuadH2O, the new HexH2O Pro V2 is a foldable hexacopter design that uses many DJI components, including the Zenmuse X3 camera and Lightbridge radios and controllers. You can smooth fly the HexH2O using the DJI Go app. When you pack this powerful 4K camera in a waterproof case that sits below the water’s surface, you can land on waves to look down or take off for DJI Inspire-level aerial shooting.
This is an impressive expert drone with the added benefit of being weather resistant and capable of landing on water. I hope this has prepared you for the next part, the prize. The HexH2O Pro V2 starts at a range of $1995.00 for the base drone, but you need to add a few things before you can fly, a full-featured purchase that includes the Zenmuse camera, remote, flight controller, a control tablet remote, a case, ND filters, and a microSD card is $8590.90. You should expect to pay around $5400 to get the HexH2O Pro V2 off the ground.
PowerVision PowerRay
We make fun of a submersible drone; let’s go all out with Power Vision Technology Group’s PowerRay, a submarine with a camera. The tethered vehicle is designed for water and features a 50-meter cable, 4K camera, FPV headset, and more.
Tetra Drone Tetra
Tetra Drones, a UK part of our list, builds the Tetra drone. This fully submersible flying machine tilts its propellers forward to propel itself through the water and then back to soar into the sky. From what we’ve seen of the device, it looks like it takes a GoPro or similar small camera and stabilizes it behind a glass ball. We’d love to see more about this drone, but from what we know, it’s a solid offering for a waterproof drone.
Inflatable Drone
I would be wrong to suggest you buy this drone without any research; we came across it on our travels and thought you might like it. In short, the vehicle’s intelligence is packed into a 3D-printed waterproof shell; the inflation tubes perform as propeller arms. The bottom is flat, ready for water landings.
What to Aspect for in a Waterproof drone?
Pay attention when buying a waterproof drone; some are splash-proof that can handle a light rain, but not all drones are entirely waterproof, and some can only be freshwater.
A waterproof drone doesn’t mean it can land and take off on the water. To do this, a drone must swim or lift the propellers far enough out of the water to push enough air to take off. Breaking the surface tension of water also requires a lot of force, most drones won’t have a problem with that, but it’s certainly something to consider when buying.
Before we get to the list, there are waterproof measures you can take on almost any drone. We won’t cover or endorse these options, but a little research on products like Corrosion X may meet your needs. When in doubt, check out your local hobby store that sells RC boats – the electronics in your drone are likely to be similar to those in an RC boat; if it can go on the water, then your drone can too.
We’ve also seen some DIY projects attaching buoyancy aids to popular drone landing gear; we don’t recommend this either. Not to say you can’t, but beware of the surface tension and added weight of the water – the failed DIY attempts we’ve all seen either were unable to take off or ended up dumping the water onto one side or corner couldn’t be evenly emphasized. This $4 pool noodle sounds like a cheap experiment. Please don’t drop your thousand-dollar drone.
Conclusion
Some Wet drone are designed to deal with rain, but not all are safe due to their designs or capabilities. Therefore, the answer is no. Most drones are not water-resistant, unlike some unique drones that are waterproof but not 100% waterproof. Water can damage them, and they must stay dry to fly correctly. If your drone is simple to rain or snow for too long, the controls will become unfeeling, and you may have distress staying in the air.
Also Read: DJI Mavic 3 Battery – DJI Mavic 3 Drone Leak Reveals the Battery
