What You Must Know Before Flying Your Drone Over Water

There is something captivating about capturing aerial footage over bodies of water. Whether it’s the ocean, a lake, or a river, the unique perspective offered by drones can result in breathtaking shots.

However, it’s essential to be well-prepared and aware of the potential risks before venturing into this exciting territory.

In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know before flying your drone over water, such as settings adjustment, safety and potential risks, advisable equipment and discussing the drones most suitable for flying over water. Also we’ve throw in some extra tips on capturing really great shots!

Is Flying a Drone Over Water Safe?

Flying your drone over water is generally safe as long as you take the necessary precautions against potential dangers such as water damage.

It’s also important to note that typical stock drones are not waterproof and can be easily damaged by water, to mitigate the risk of damaging your drone when flying over a body of water, flying with a waterproof drone will always be the safest option.

That said, you can fly over water with a regular stock drone that is not waterproof and do so safely by following the following steps.

Essential Precautions To Take Before Flying Over Water

Safety should always be a top priority when mixing drones and aquatic adventures. Here are the precautions you need to take before you take your drone to the skies and water. 

Plan your route to make the most of your battery 

You should plan your route for most flights whether over land or water. This leaves less time to waste on thinking about what you want to get and battery spending, and more time getting good shots!

The last thing you need is to have your drone crash into the water on its return because you didn’t judge the battery life or your route well enough…

When embarking on a long drone shot over the water be sure to do this with a full battery, as this will mitigate the risk of your drone not being able to return home in time. It also gives you a better margin of safety and helps prevent unexpected power loss during the flight. 

An important consideration for long shots, particularly over the ocean is judging the headwind. If your drone is returning against the wind, it may cost more battery to fly, if so, you may misjudge how much battery you have left to return and before you know it, it’s gone…

Here’s a table of the most popular DJI drones and their respective battery life:

Drone	Battery Life
DJI Mini SE	30 minutes
DJI Mini 2	31 minutes
DJI Mini 3	38 minutes
DJI Mini 3 Pro	34 minutes
DJI Mavic 3	46 minutes
DJI Mavic Mini	30 minutes
DJI Air 2S	31 minutes

Check the weather 

Wind speed and weather conditions may affect your flight over water.

As mentioned above, more wind speed can mean more battery usage as the drone is working harder to fly/maintain steadiness in the wind. So you need to bare this in mind when flying over water.

Different drone models have different limits of wind resistance. For example, lighter drones such as the DJI Mini series are affected by lower levels of wind compared to larger models.

Here’s a table of the most popular DJI drones and their respective max wind speed resistance:

Drone	Max Wind Speed Resistance (kph)
DJI Mini SE	29-38 kph
DJI Mini 2	29-38 kph
DJI Mini 3	38 kph
DJI Mini 3 Pro	38 kph
DJI Mavic 3	43 kph
DJI Mavic Mini	38 kph
DJI Air 2S	29-38 kph

You can also assess the impact of wind on your drone during flight.

For DJI drones, go on the DJI Go Fly app and click the button on the top right of the map in the bottom left corner. The map will then change into a wind attitude indicator.

Set your drone to hover and don’t touch the controls. Observe as the blue line on the indicator tilts in the direction of the wind. This demonstrates the drone’s effort to resist the wind’s force. If the drone starts moving horizontally without any input from the remote controller, it means the wind speed is too strong for safe flight. Under such conditions, it is not recommended to fly.

Additionally, the DJI Go Fly app may display a warning at the top of the screen if the wind conditions pose a risk to drone flight.

If it appears safe to fly given the wind conditions, it’s crucial to monitor the immediate weather closely. Wind speeds can change suddenly. You don’t want to find yourself struggling against strong winds to get your drone back home.

Prioritise safety and exercise caution when considering flying your drone in windy conditions.

Determine risks and avoid obstacles

Avoiding obstacles is a given in successful drone flight. But it’s even more important when you’re flying over hazardous areas like water.

To ensure a safe flight, make sure to steer clear of the following:

• Objects causing GPS or compass interference: Stay away from magnets, boating containers, or any objects that can interfere with the GPS or compass of your drone.
• Waves: If the waves are high, make sure to fly at a higher altitude above the water’s surface.
• Birds: While most birds are smart enough to keep their distance from drones, some birds like seagulls can become aggressive. Stay away to prevent any unwanted encounters.
• Trees and rocks: Be mindful of the surroundings and avoid flying near trees, rocks, or any other stationary objects that may pose a risk of collision.
• Boats, especially cruise or container ships: Flying near them can be hazardous due to their size, unpredictable movements, and potential interference with your drone’s flight path.

If you’re in doubt about any potential hazards, it’s always advisable to land your drone and wait for a safer time to fly.

Adjust Settings Before Flying Over Water

To allow a smooth flight experience over water, it’s important to adjust some of the drone settings so you don’t run into any snags. 

By default, certain features like object avoidance might restrict your drone from flying close to the water, depriving you of capturing those sweet over-water shots.

Here, we’ll give you a few adjustments to make to your drone’s settings. They will grant you more freedom to explore with your drone, albeit with a higher level of risk. But, sometimes to get a land a great shot, you have to have a little risk. 

Just remember to reset these settings before your next drone flight.

Disable Vision Positioning System (VPS) – When Flying Less Than 2 Metres Above Water

Are you planning on flying less than 3 metres above water? Then this is for you.

All DJI Drones are equipped with a technology called Vision Positioning System. This technology maps the surface below using ultrasonic sensors to help the drone understand its position. This enables things such as obstacle avoidance.

However, when flying low over water (less than 3 metres), the reflective surfaces on the water can interfere with the VPS, causing inaccurate altitude readings and making the drone behave erratically, increasing your risk of crashing. 

So if you plan on flying less than 3 meters above water here’s what you need to know:

• Disable VPS
• Fly slow and steady. 
• Never go below 1 metre above water. Waves and downward drift can cause trouble.

For DJI users, to disable VPS: Go to “General settings” > “Visual Navigation Settings” > Advanced Settings and deselect “Enable Vision Positioning”. 

Oh, and one more thing! Once you’re done with your water adventures, don’t forget to turn the VPS back on for your future flights. 

Caption: Screenshot of turning off VPS in DJI Go Fly App advanced settings. Taken from DJI website.

Enable Maximum Flight Distance to Fly Further

If you are planning to fly long distances over the water, make sure to enable the maximum flight distance.

This is at your own risk. You don’t want to lose signal with the drone or have any complications over water and be far away from your drone if it happens. But large bodies of water will require your drone to go far so make sure you’re happy to do this one.

DJI users can access this in the DJI Fly app. On the camera screen, go to the three dots on the top right and click the Safety tab. Then move the max distance or height value to your desired amount. 

The maximum flight setting by default for DJI drones is 500 metres, you can increase this appropriately to the max distance of your drone, but make sure you keep the drone within range of your remote controller’s capabilities.

For reference, there are common DJI drones with their respective max distances:

Drone	Max Distance (km)
DJI Mini 2	10km
DJI Mini 3	10km
DJI Mini 3 Pro	25km
DJI Mavic 2 Pro	18km
DJI Mavic 3	30km
DJI Mavic Mini	9.6km

Update Your Home Point Manually If You Set Flight From a Boat

When flying from land, most drones have the ability to return to their takeoff point automatically, this feature is particularly helpful in the event of low battery or loss of signal.

However, if you’re taking flight from a boat your original takeoff point may change as boats can easily drift. Or if you are planning to move about on the water, your takeoff point isn’t going to be the same. As a result, the automatic “Return to Home” feature may fail you.

To prevent this, you need to update your home point manually.

For DJI users, there are two ways to do this  using the DJI GO app:

• Swipe left on the main screen, and press “Home Point: Me,” 

Or,

• Open the general settings by pressing the three dots in the upper right corner, go to “Main Controller Settings,” and press “Home Point: Me” (the button with a person and home point below).

Set Return-To-Home Path Height High

Most of the time, I prefer to manually fly my drone back home. It keeps me on my toes, making sure I navigate safely and avoid any surprise tree branches or curious birds trying to snag my drone. Plus, it helps me stay focused throughout the entire flight.

However, if you do decide to use the handy return-to-home feature while flying over water, make sure to set this height limit high.

You don’t want to accidentally collide with someone’s sailboat, disturb folks lounging in the cruise pool, or get swallowed up by high waves because your return home flight path was set too low. 

To avoid such mishaps, set the height limit around 100-120 metres. This range usually provides ample airspace to manoeuvre safely and prevent any unwanted encounters.

Intelligent flight features – “Course Lock” 

This is relevant for the majority of DJI drones: DJI Mavic, DJI Air, DJI Phantom, DJI Inspire, DJI Mini, DJI Avata and DJI FPV.

And the concept is really easy to understand and so effective when put into practice.

Normally, when you fly your drone and push the right control stick up, the drone moves forward in the direction the gimbal is pointing. The drone has a clear front and back, so if you turn it around, pushing the right stick forward makes the drone move in a new-facing direction.

However, with Course Lock, things get interesting. This feature locks in a specific flight path and direction, regardless of how you rotate the drone or where it’s facing. So, when you push the right stick forward, the drone moves in that fixed direction, no matter which way the drone is pointing.

Caption: Diagram explaining Course Lock. Credit: DJI.

Now, why is this handy, especially when flying over water? Well, imagine you want to fly in a straight line while keeping your focus on a particular object at all times. Course Lock allows you to perform smooth, consistent movements, keep subject focus, and maintain your desired flight path.

To activate Course Lock (CL-mode), simply load up the DJI Go app and select auto flight modes on the settings. You should see all the intelligent flight modes available for your drone, including CL-mode. For the Mavic and Phantom series, you should be able to find both Home and Course Lock modes.

It’s a mode that not a lot of people know about or use but it’s powerful for achieving certain shots. Check out Mastering Drone Flight Planning: Tips and Best Practices.

Drone Float Kit for Extra Safety

Even if you’ve tweaked all the settings and have a full battery, unexpected issues can still pop up. It’s normal to feel a bit uneasy when you’re flying a fancy gadget worth a pretty penny.

We get it!

Plus, most drones, including the DJI ones, aren’t designed to withstand a lot of splash damage so it’s better to limit this as much as possible.

Here’s an option for all you beginners out there or those who love taking their drones on boating adventures. Even if it’s just for your first few flights over water, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

A floating kit can allow you to take off and land safely in water. It also gives you a sense of reassurance in case any unexpected emergencies or problems occur mid-flight and you need to land immediately. No one wants to see their drone drop from the sky!

This is the one we use:

Water Landing Gear for DJI Mini 2 SE and Mavic Mini

A few things to be aware of with this floating equipment:

• The overall weight of the drone will increase to over 250g. This means if you own a drone that originally fits in the A1 category under 250g, this would no longer apply. 
• Your battery may run down more quickly as the motors are working harder to fly with a heavier weight.
• The floaters do absorb a bit of water so you can see the drone start to sink over a period of time so make sure to take off and land as quickly as possible to avoid any mishaps.

There is a divide between people that trust your drone insurance and fly freely without buying these types of equipment. And when you have these things to consider, I do agree that this piece of equipment is not essential. I’m happy to fly over water, and if my battery is close to getting low, I immediately fly back, no questions asked. 

If I’m also out on the water, I’m happy to catch the drone in my hand so there’s no need for ground (or water) landing. However, in the future for expeditions that I may do in larger bodies of water or where the drone may be far and may not get back in time (I get greedy with my shots), I’ve always got this packed. I’m happy to risk a shot for a bit of extra battery life and land safely rather than lose my drone and all the shots in the SD card. 

Check out other Essential Drone Accessories for Safe Water Operations.

Choosing the Right Drone for Water Flight

Most stock drones are not waterproof. So while flying over water is doable, it’s about being cautious and safe in the way that you do it.

I’m not going to touch on quality as DJI is renowned for great quality footage across its drone range. Here are the best DJI drones for flying over water:

• DJI Mavic 3: Weather-resistant. Good battery life and easy to fly.
• DJI Mini 3 Pro: Lightweight champ. VPS turns off automatically over water for added protection. Great battery life.
• DJI Mini 2: The lightest DJI drone, super easy to fly. Good battery for flights.
• DJI Mavic Pro 2: Solid battery performance. Fewer holes for water to sneak in. Easy to fly.
• DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2.0: Tough as nails! One of the most sturdy DJI drones, built to withstand strong winds and harsh weathers. Perfect for capturing footage across the board.

If you want to completely play it safe with a waterproof drone, then SwellPro drones are your go-to! SwellPro offers drones that are waterproof and designed for water-based hobbies such as fishing, and taking your drone on a boat. 

Check out our Top 5 Waterproof Drones for Flying Over Water.

Tips for Capturing Epic Footage Over Water

Alright, now that your drone is up in the air over the water, let’s not let all that preparation and tedious setting changes go to waste! It’s time to get those killer shots!

One thing you might notice when the sun’s high up is that annoying glare on the water’s surface. And it doesn’t look great in photos or videos. But fear not! There’s a simple fix – polarising filters (PF). These can reduce glare and boost colour saturation, giving your shots that pro look. Easy to attach to your drone’s gimbal, and you can often find them in packs of ND filters.

Pro tip: If you don’t have ND filters, and you want to purchase a PF one, buy a pack of 4 or 6 of them. The cost spreads out nicely, as it’s not worth paying half the price for one filter. 

By the way, you might come across CPL filters instead of PF. No worries, they’re practically the same! CPL stands for circular polarising/linear, and they do the same magic – using neutral density filters, they block light and reduce glare.

When the weather’s cloudy or overcast, a suitable ND filter can also make those water blues really pop in your aerial shots. 

Here are some extra tips to capture stunning footage over water: 

• Get wild and experiment with different camera angles and perspectives.
• Incorporate elements of the surrounding environment to add depth, contrast and context to your shots.
• Take advantage of golden hour lighting for breathtaking visuals.
• Practice smooth and controlled movements – that’s the secret to that pro, cinematic feel.

Final Thoughts – Should You Fly Your Drone Over Water?

Flying your drone over water can be totally safe if you handle it smartly.

Optimising your drone’s settings is the key to avoiding any unexpected surprises. No one wants a drone with a mind of its own!

Also, you can easily minimise the risk of crashes or water landings by following precautions. For example, avoid using a battery below 50% when recording footage over a vast lake.Wind speed WILL affect battery level. And don’t let automatic return-to-home send your drone diving straight into a fish school.

Jokes aside though, the process of flying your drone over water will be successful if done right. It’s something to try if you feel confident to do so as it can provide incredible opportunities for capturing unique aerial footage. 

FAQs: Everything You Need To Know Before Flying Your Drone Over Water

Are waterproof drones necessary for flying over water?

Although not necessary, waterproof drones do provide a sense of reassurance in the worst case that could happen to your drone when flying it over water.

However, you can easily fly your non-waterproof drone over water without issues if you take the right precautions, avoid hazards and adjust your settings accordingly.

What should I do if my drone crashes into the water?

If the worst has happened and your drone becomes wet or falls into the water, it’s important to act quickly. Knowing these things beforehand could save your drone a trip to the repair shop.

• Turn off the drone immediately, if it is still powered on. This will prevent any short circuits or further damage. 

• If possible, remove the battery and memory card from the drone to prevent any potential damage to them.

• Gently shake off any excess water and carefully dry it with a soft cloth or absorbent material. Avoid using heat sources like hairdryers, as they may damage internal components.

• Allow the drone to air-dry for at least 48 hours. Try placing it in a container filled with uncooked rice or silica gel packets to help absorb moisture.

If you notice any issues or are unsure about the drone’s condition, contact the manufacturer’s customer support for guidance.

How can I protect my drone from water damage?

Avoid flying when the weather is expected to be bad. Flying in light rain might seem innocent and harmless, but it only takes a few, sneaky water droplets to enter the internal circuit and cause damage.

To be extra safe, consider investing in a floating kit. That way, if your drone’s battery decides to call it quits, it’ll gracefully land on the water rather than in.

Make sure your portable drone case is waterproof. You know how unpredictable the weather can be – we’ve all been caught off guard by a sudden rainstorm at some point. But with a solid, waterproof case, you can rest easy knowing your drone is snug and dry.

Make sure your portable drone case is waterproof. Weather is very hard to predict and we’ve all been caught in an unexpected rainstorm at some point in our lives. But with a solid, waterproof case, you can rest easy knowing your drone is snug and dry.