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If you are a lover of underwater sports, your experience is not complete without a recorder. What you need is an underwater drone that lets you descend into the deep waters while recording every bit of it. The best drones come equipped with video recorders. The aim is to help you capture every experience underwater. Underwater drones are inventions that many people dream of having, and thanks to technology, this is becoming a reality.
Owning an underwater drone largely depends on the size of your pocket. As it currently is, drones are highly priced and not affordable to many people, but things are bound to change. Here is an analysis of the best five drones that you may want to consider having.
Underwater Drones FAQ
Many people, both drone buyers, and non-buyers, usually have some questions they ask about underwater drones. We compiled the following list of the most frequently asked questions and came up with the best answers as follows.
1. What Are Underwater Drones?
Underwater drones are unsupervised military-like vehicles that can explore under water. They are ideal for use by recreational fishers, military personnel, and treasure hunters among others interested in undersea exploration.
2. Why Are Underwater Drones so Popular?
Underwater drones have become popular over time because they come with recording technology. They allow you to capture your moments under the sea conveniently and with a lot of ease. Much of what happens undersea is still unexplored, and underwater drones make this possible.
3. How Do Underwater Drones Work?
Underwater drones are designed to follow you submerged in water and record your activities. They operate independently, meaning you don’t need to tether them for control.
4. Where Can You Buy Underwater Drones?
Underwater drones are mostly available online. Due to their expensive nature, there aren’t many local dealers who’ve been able to stock them in a wide range.
5. What Should I Know before Buying an Underwater Drone?
There are many factors you must take into account before buying a drone. They include the price, autonomy, battery life, customer service, and whether they are wired or wireless.
How We Reviewed
In coming up with this review of the best five underwater drones, we looked at what real users have to say about what they love and hate about each drone. We didn’t want to rely on what manufacturers say about their products, as we needed to substantiate their claims. We reviewed the following products based on the parameters of features, pros & cons, price, where to buy, and warranty.
Overall Price Range of Underwater Drones (and Similar Products)
Underwater drones are new inventions that are currently expensive and unaffordable for most people. However, some small models cost as little as approximately $16. Such are ineffective, don’t come with many features, and have a limited recording time. Most of these small models require your involvement in their control.
Larger and more advanced models cost as much as approximately $1,000 to about $6,000. These are powerful models packed with unique features. You don’t have to control them; they capture footage for longer and produce high-quality images. They can also launch as deep as 150 meters deep, while the cheaper models may only submerge up to a few meters deep.
What We Reviewed
- Power Vision PowerRay
- iBubble
- Robosea BIKI
- Deep Trekker DTG2
- Fathom ONE
Power Vision PowerRay
[amazon box=”B0746SZR7X”]
Features
If you want to capture and explore the world beneath while capturing high-quality photos, use the Power Vision PowerRay underwater drone. The powerful 4K video comes with a wireless controller and a 64GB memory card that gives you ample space for media storage.
In the package are a PowerRay Vehicle and base station, chargers, batteries, and a 210’ tether. It also comes with a pair of ONE plus goggles and a PowerSeekerFishfinder. The glasses work with a smartphone to let you access real-time streaming videos from underneath.
The experience you get is as though you are riding inside the ROV. The PowerRay drone comes packed in a wheeled carrying case that keeps the drone safely and securely stored away.
Warranty
PowerVision PowerRay underwater drone has a warranty of 2 years.
Pros
- An excellent choice for fishing experts
- Provides information on underwater temperature and depth
- High-quality and strong camera
- A wide variety of applications like fishing, treasure hunting, and recording films
- Runs for four hours after fully being charged
Cons
- Expensive
- Difficult to control
- Doesn’t come with an instruction manual
iBubble
Features
iBubble underwater drone is one of a kind because of its hands-free features. It follows you underwater and automatically captures high-quality footages without your involvement. The company that makes this drone claims that this is the first user-friendly and intelligent diving drone. The completely autonomous features present you with unprecedented opportunities. You can create underwater movies, complete with sports episodes.
iBubble was developed for scuba divers. This intelligent device identifies the person to follow through a bracelet they have to wear. The bracelet is the point of communication between you and the drone. You can use the bracelet to call the drone if you need the camera or you need it to come to the surface. It can keep a distance of up to 25 meters apart.
Warranty
iBubble drone comes with a 30-day replacement guarantee.
Pros
- iBubble is the fastest drone among the ones we reviewed
- Has high collision avoidance capabilities
- Follows the diver
- Can cover a maximum depth of 200 feet
Cons
- Extremely expensive
- The battery lasts for only an hour
- Doesn’t have a built-in camera
Robosea BIKI
[amazon box=”B074NX6WF1″]
Features
Robosea BIKI is unique in its a way, being the world’s first bionic underwater drone. It features obstacle avoidance, automated balance, and return to base features.
The drone supports a 4K camera that gives you a pleasant view from underwater. BIKI drone is a small but very powerful drone that lets you visualize the world below from a new perspective. Its emotional intelligence capacity allows you to communicate emotionally with the drone, letting you tell it what it needs to do.
Warranty
Robosea BIKI drone has a warranty of 90 days from the date of purchase.
Pros
- Takes only two hours to charge fully
- Can go to a depth of 196 feet
- Easy to clean
- Ideal for starters
- Comes with a remote control for better control
- The camera is of high quality with an impressive 4k resolution
Cons
- It’s a slow drone operating at only 1.12mph
- Hard for it to maneuver into deep waters
- Short warranty
Deep Trekker DTG2
Features
The DTG2 is one of the best underwater drones designed for unmatched maneuverability. It’s endowed with a Deep Trekker patented pithing system that makes it easy to use. It also features an internal HD camera that has a 330-degree scope of view. This means that you can inspect your surroundings from in front, behind, below, or above.DTG2 operates at a speed of 2.5 knots and can go to a depth of 150 meters. It comes with a 246-foot tether and a 700ppi camera.
The contents of the package include a 75-meter long tether, buoyancy weight set, and smart chargers. These ensure you never have to miss a recording moment while underground because of flat batteries. The integrated super bright screen controller provides a clear view of the necessary information.
Warranty
Deep Trekker DTG2 has a warranty of 1 year.
Pros
- Best for exploration and work under the surface
- Reliable
- Ideal for use in tough inspection situations
- Impressive high-quality HD camera
- Can maneuver up to 500 feet
- High speeds of 3mph
- Battery lasts up to 8 hours
- Simple control system
- Low maintenance procedures
- Integrated LCD screen controller
- Unmatched maneuverability
Cons
- Very expensive
- Submerges up to only 50 meters deep in both salt and fresh water
Fathom ONE
Features
The Fathom ONE underwater drone is one of the cheapest drones we reviewed. It comes with a simple design but also offers a lot of versatility. The drone runs on a modular thruster attachment system that has three components. Two of the thrusters lie on the sides, while one is positioned at the rear. They clip on and off, giving you the easy access for customizing, upgrading, or packing your drone. With the option of customizing it, you can also develop thrust modules that suit your underwater needs and experiences.
The Fathom ONE drone also features a 100-foot line for custom tethering to a floating buoy. This allows for quick retrieval of the drone. The float creates a Wi-Fi network that makes it possible to connect to Android or iOS smart device with a radius of 100 feet.
Integrated Rail System
Fathom One underwater drone features a rail system whose purpose is to let you attach action cameras, additional sensors, and extra lights with much ease. The versatility of the drone allows you to customize its features to suit your needs.
Tethering
Fathom One drone comes with a 100-foot tether for custom buoyancy that makes its retrieval easy. The buoy can create a Wi-Fi network, enabling the drone to stream to any Android device with a radius of 100 feet.
Battery
Upon being fully charged, the Fathom ONE drone can run for one hour. Its ability to suspend itself with neutral buoyancy helps save on the battery energy. In comparison to aerial drones that require a lot of power to hover, this underwater drone is energy efficient.
Connectivity
The battery is fixed in place, which is a good thing because the water-tight seal is not compromised as batteries are swapped. One exciting feature of the Fathom ONE is that it allows you to share your footages. Once you record your videos or images, you can upload them to social media through the Fathom app. The app allows the integration of Bluetooth gaming controllers for a precise piloting experience. Bluetooth integration eliminates the need for a physical controller.
Portability
Fathom ONE measures approximately 8 inches by 6 inches by 4 inches, giving it a compact size that makes it easily portable. You can easily pack it in a backpack for a vacation or hike. Once you remove the thrusters, you can trust your drone to remain intact.
Warranty
Fathom Warranty comes with a 1-year warranty.
Pros
- Easy to assemble on site
- Submersible drone
- It moves at high speeds of up to 3 knots
- Lightweight
- Has a 100ft standard tether
- Cheaper than other models reviewed
- Live streaming of videos
- Portable
- Ease of use
- Bluetooth features
- Customizable thrust modules
- A wide range of applications
- Cheapest among the reviewed models
Cons
- Battery lasts for a shorter time compared to other models
- Not readily available
The Verdict
The best five underwater drones are the latest inventions aimed at making your activities underwater exceptional. Whether you are a recreational fisher, diver, military personnel, or treasure hunter, drones should be your closest ally.
Among the five best drones reviewed, we decided that the Fathom ONE is the best. For its price of less than $600, it gives you a full array of features to enhance your experience. Its portability and versatility are factors that would make you want to choose it over others.
It’s an easy-to-use drone that’s ideal for both beginners and experts. The fact that you can share your footages as soon as you gave them is also an added advantage. The only shortcoming of the drone seems to be the limited battery time of one hour only.