• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Joe
  • Privacy Policy

Joe's Scuba Shack

SCUBA DIVING GUIDE

  • Popular Posts
    • Best Cold Water Scuba Diving Equipment
    • Best Diving French Polynesia Liveaboards
    • The 10 Best Diving Watches of 2019
    • Kursk Submarine Disaster and My Friend
    • Best Komodo Island Scuba Diving Liveaboard Reviews
    • Best Full Face Dive Mask Reviews
    • Gold Dredging Alaska – The Walrus
    • Best Underwater Drone Reviews
    • Best Raja Ampat Liveaboard Reviews
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Sea Life & Safety/Survival
  • Scuba Equipment
    • BCDs
    • Cold Water Gear
    • Dive Bags
    • Dive Boots
    • Dive Computers
    • Dive Gloves
    • Dive Scooters
    • Dive Watches
    • Dry Suits
    • Drysuit Undergarments
    • Fins
    • Full Face Masks
    • Hoods
    • Knives
    • Masks
    • Rebreathers
    • Regulators
    • Surface Market Buoys (SMBs)
    • Tanks
    • Underwater Drones
    • Underwater Lights
    • Underwater Photgraphy
    • Wetsuits
  • Liveaboards/Resorts
    • Arctic/Antarctic
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Antarctica and the Arctic
    • Australia
      • Best Ningaloo Reef Holidays – Liveaboard Diving
      • Best Australia Liveaboard Dive Trips
    • Brazil
      • Best Scuba Diving Brazil Fernando de Noronha
    • Burma
      • Best Burma Liveaboard Diving Trips
    • California
      • Best Scuba Diving San Diego California
      • Catalina Island Scuba Diving
      • Monterey Bay Scuba Diving
    • Carribbean, Bermuda & Cocos Islands
      • Best Costa Rica Scuba Diving
      • Best US Virgin Islands Vacations Scuba Diving
      • Best Trinidad and Tobago Vacations Scuba Diving
      • Best Caribbean Beach Vacations Curacao Scuba Diving
      • Best Caribbean Diving Destinations Aruba
      • Best Caribbean Dive Vacations Bonaire
      • Best Tropical Island Vacations Dominica Scuba Diving
      • Best Caribbean Scuba Diving Los Roques Venezuela
      • Best Bermuda Scuba Diving Reviews
      • Barbados Scuba Dive Vacations
      • Grenada Scuba Diving Review
      • Best Scuba Diving Caribbean – Martinique
      • Best British Virgin Islands Diving Liveaboard
      • Best Bahamas Liveaboard Scuba Vacations
      • Best Roatan Honduras Liveaboard Reviews
      • Best Belize Dive Trips & Cocos Island Diving
      • Best Caribbean Liveaboard Dive Trips
    • Central America
      • Best Costa Rica Scuba Diving
      • Best Roatan Honduras Liveaboard Reviews
      • Best Belize Dive Trips & Cocos Island Diving
      • Guadalupe Island Shark Diving and Socorro Islands Liveaboards
    • Europe
      • Best Mediterranean Vacations Tuscan Archipelago Liveaboard
      • Best Isle of Man Diving Holidays
    • Galapagos
      • Best Galapagos Liveaboard Dive Trips Described, Reviewed & Compared
    • Gulf of Mexico
      • Best Panama City Florida Scuba Diving Wrecks
      • Best Florida Scuba Diving Sites Pensacola Wrecks
    • Indian Ocean
      • Best Scuba Dive Vacations Sri Lanka
      • Best Diving Vacations – Madagascar Liveaboards
      • Seychelles Best Scuba Diving Holidays
      • Best Liveaboard Diving Maldives
    • Indonesia
      • Best Scuba Diving Indonesia Pulau Weh
      • Best Indonesia Liveaboard Vacations – Alor and Flores
      • Best Indonesia Liveaboard Diving – Cenderawasih Bay
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Wakatobi Liveaboards
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Bunaken Island & Lembeh Strait Indonesia
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Banda Sea Liveaboards
      • Best Komodo Island Scuba Diving Liveaboard Reviews
      • Top Bali Dive Resorts & Day Trip Diving Packages
      • Best Raja Ampat Liveaboard Reviews
    • Macronesia (Atlantic)
      • Best Scuba Diving the Canary Islands
      • Best Vacations Scuba Diving the Azores
      • Best Scuba Diving Cape Verde Islands
      • Best Madeira Islands Portugal Vacations Scuba Diving
    • Malaysia
      • Best Dive Resorts Malaysia – Layang Layang Island & Lankayan Island Borneo
      • Best Sipadan Scuba Dive Resorts
    • Middle East
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Djibouti Liveaboards
      • Best Red Sea Liveaboards – Reviewed and Compared
      • Great Scuba Diving Destinations – Oman Liveaboards
    • New Zealand
      • Best Scuba Diving New Zealand Milford Sound
      • Best New Zealand Vacations Poor Knights Islands Diving
    • Pacific Islands
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll Wrecks
      • Best Diving French Polynesia Liveaboards
      • Best Palau Diving Liveaboard Trips
      • Best Scuba Diving Trips, Solomon Islands Liveaboards
      • Best Scuba Diving Hawaii Liveaboards
      • Best Fiji Dive Resorts & Liveaboard Diving
    • Pacific Northwest (North America)
      • Best San Juan Islands Holidays Scuba Diving
    • Papua New Guinea
      • Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Papua New Guinea Liveaboards
    • Philippines
      • Best Scuba Diving Resorts Malapascua
      • Best Scuba Diving Reviews Anda Bohol
      • Best Diving Philippines Anilao Batangas
      • Best Philippines Diving Bacuit Bay El Nido
      • Philippines Best Diving Mactan Island
      • Best Scuba Diving Philippines Sogod Bay
      • Best Scuba Diving Holidays Boracay Philippines
      • Best Scuba Diving Puerto Galera Philippines
      • Best Diving Bohol Philippines – Panglao Island Resorts
      • Best Coron Wrecks & Apo Reef Liveaboards
      • Best Scuba Diving Philippines Subic Bay Wrecks
      • Best Liveaboard Diving – Tubbataha Reefs National Park
      • Best Liveaboard Scuba Diving Philippines
    • Taiwan
      • Great Scuba Diving Destinations Green Island Taiwan
      • Top Dive Destinations World Orchid Island Taiwan
    • Thailand
      • Best Pattaya Thailand Scuba Diving
      • Best Scuba Diving Thailand – Koh Tao
      • Best Scuba Diving Phuket Thailand Liveaboards
      • Best Scuba Diving Thailand – Liveaboard Scuba Vacations
  • Books
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Educational & Reference
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Cave & Underwater Explorer Diving
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Sea Life & Safety/Survival
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Wreck & Inspirational
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Children’s & Fiction
    • Best Scuba Diving Books Ever – Underwater Photography & Freediving
  • Commercial Diving
    • Alaska Gold Mining
  • Hookah Diving
    • Hookah Diving
  • Ship Wrecks
    • Ship Wrecks

underwater drones

Best Underwater Drone Reviews

July 30, 2018 by Joe 2 Comments

Introduction to Underwater Drones – Public fascination with underwater drones is growing by leaps and bounds.  The undersea world is getting increasing exposure through TV and the media and that has fueled curiosity to participate in diving and fishing and everything in the water.   We are also in a technology boom that has started to create economies of scale in the production of ROVs, otherwise known as underwater drones.  In other words, they are getting more and more affordable.  What used to be available at relatively high prices for military, research and commercial enterprises to trained professionals only, is now possible for recreational use by the general public.  So much of the undersea world has been explored so little, people now are using this opportunity to be in the forefront of discovery by purchasing a drone.  Videographers, photographers, divers and even fishermen have a great new tool. And underwater drones are so much fun to drive!

Factors to Consider When Buying an Underwater Drone

Being new on the market and having such a rich variety of specifications to digest means there is a unique set of advantages and disadvantages to evaluate before buying.  There are questions concerning battery life and maximum depth.  For example, is it for snorkeling or deep diving?  Is the drone tethered or autonomous?  How is it controlled?

Control Types

  • Physically tethered, wired cable connection – With these systems there is higher bandwidth than the wireless models.  The driver often can more discreetly control movement.  This can include independent control of the camera gimbel, so that as the drone moves the camera can turn and remain focused on an object even as the drone moves past the object.  Real time video feeds can be possible which is useful for inspections of hulls and docks.
  • Wireless – These are often the simplest for a beginner to learn to operate.  Controls are basic and streamlined for user friendliness.  The downside is that wireless connections are less stable and reliable and with more limited underwater range.
  • Autonomous – The drone can be set up to follow a diver automatically without real time control input.  This is great for the diver who is able to remain busy without having to focus on operating the drone.  There are a few models that do this including the iBubble which is not yet for sale, but scheduled for release in November, 2018.

Depth rating – Some drones are designed to operate at the surface. Most under consideration will dive below the surface and will need to operate at increased pressure from that of the surface.  The camera and shell of the drone will have to be rated to handle this pressure.  You need to make sure that the equipment you use is rated for the planned depth.

Battery life – With the physical support of the underwater environment in terms of buoyancy, the rating is usually in terms of hours rather than the minutes talked about when using aerial drones.  Make sure you know how long it will last and under what conditions.

Salt or fresh water – There is some difference in tolerance between fresh and salt water.  Salt water can cause damage to some equipment.  Make sure if you are in salt water that your drone can handle it.

Cameras – Resolution is an important feature of a camera, but equally important is the lens in front of the camera.  It is important to thoroughly examine those specifications.  Some drones are not equipped with a camera and some will require adding one.  The GoPro camera is one you can install yourself on many models.

Summary – Underwater drones have long been important and in some cases the only means to access certain underwater locations for research, military and commercial applications.  Today it is possible for fishermen, treasure hunters and everyday recreational divers to enjoy the benefits.  The best systems today have powerful cameras for video capture and batteries with solid run time that are easy and convenient to control.  The only drawback is that no good ones are very low priced.  There isn’t really an entry level sort of budget drone to break yourself in on.  However, considering the price of the tools of the trade for fishing and diving these days, underwater drones are increasingly affordable.  In addition, the features and user friendliness are continuously improving.

Best Underwater Drones For Sale Today

There are several models that are in development and/or not quite on the market yet which appear to offer advanced features. The models below are ready to go and on sale right now.

Robosea BIKI Underwater Drone

The BIKI looks like a chubby little fish and is actually propelled and steered much like a fish with a fin at the back of it.  On the surface it is controlled by an app (IOS, Android) through a wifi connection to a compatible phone which allows a real time camera feed.

Upon submerging from the surface to depths up 196 feet, the WiFi control and video end.  Then you must rely on a pre-determined path for the drone set up on the app, and the drone starts recording on its 32 GB of storage.  The video can then be seen when BIKI gets back to the surface.

While on the surface or submerged you can use the remote control to direct BIKI to swim according to your instructions: ascent, submerge, direction, speed, light on or off, photograph or videotape (no real time scenes below the surface).

The camera on BIKI can record at a 4K resolution and illumination at depth is aided by two powerful lamps on the front of the unit. Battery life is about an hour and a half and can be recharged in about 2 hours. The lens over the camera has a 150-degree field of view.

It is easily portable at 2.65 lbs, 10.71 x 4.33 x 7.13 inches and easy to clean up.

Advantages

  • 4K resolution
  • Battery recharges in only 2 hours
  • Maximum depth of 196 feet
  • Easy to control even for beginners

Disadvantages

  • Relatively slow at 1.12 mph
  • Not very maneuverable

Check the Price

Power Vision PowerRay Wizard Underwater ROV

The PowerRay Wizard from Power Vision, one of the favorite underwater drones on the market today, has many features useful for underwater exploration, treasure hunting, fishing and mapping. It has received wide use in studies and film making projects.

This package is the “Wizard” bundle, as opposed to the “Explorer” bundle. The Wizard has the 64 GB version of the drone, which has more space for footage.   Included is a base station, controller, smart phone clip, batteries and charger, bait dropper, fish finder and a Zeiss VR One smart phone enclosure headset. Importantly, there is the 230 foot communications cable as opposed to the standard 164 foot cable.

The PowerRay 12 megapixel camera can record 4K UHD video and has 1080p real-time streaming. Still photos are rated at 10 megapixels and you can take them in 5-fps bursts. The lens has a 95-degree field of view with footage captures of 1080p, a high definition quality.  Maximum depth is 98 feet with a tether 210 feet long.

Also included with this mode is a fish finder that can be detached and used on its own.  As suggested it provides details for fishing like distribution, water temperature, depth and bottomscape.  These can be read using the PowerRay Wizard app downloaded into your smart mobile device.  This PowerSeeker fish finder features a precision remote bait drop, as well, that enables you to place a fish hook strategically.

Power Vision indicates that in still water at low throttle the battery will last for 4 hours.  Maximum speed in still water is 1.5 meters/second.

A particularly interesting feature that is included  is the ZEISS VR One plus goggles that deliver an immersive diving experience to someone on the surface.

To top it off it can all be stored in a wheeled carrying case.

Advantages

  • 4K resolution
  • 4 hour battery life
  • Excellent features for fishermen
  • Zeiss VR One goggles

Disadvantages

  • a little expensive

Check the Price

ThorRobotics Trenchrover 110 Underwater Drone

The ThorRobotics Trenchrover underwater drone is an extremely sturdy 9.5 pound model with a hardwired control system designed for underwater research and the FPV enthusiast.  It comes with a 100 foot cable to match its maximum depth of about 100 feet. The cable runs from the drone to a durable case which includes a built-in monitor and controls.

It has 4 vector thrusters which enable good maneuverability and allow a speed of 1.8 mph with a battery life of around 2 hours.

The Trenchrover is a stable platform for taking underwater still photos and videos.  It has 4K UHD Video, 1080p real-time viewing enabling streaming and recording.  Two 300-lumen LED spotlights supply bright illumination even in deep dark water.  It is equipped with an EgleII Eye camera with 16 GB SD card, battery and charger ready to run.

Advantages

  • Built-in monitor
  • Rugged steel construction
  • Fairly maneuverable 4 propeller unit
  • 4K resolution

Disadvantages

  • Heavy to transport at 9.5 lbs. with lots of side equipment included
  • Cable restricts range

Check the Price

Geneinno Poseidon I Underwater Drone

The simple lines of the Poseidon I underwater drone tend to represent an understatement of its capabilities.  Its triple thruster design provides precision  navigation in six directions and built-in posture sensor and self-balance control system ensure steady movement in any situation.

It’s fast at a maximum speed of 2m/second and will run for 5 hours on a full charge on average use.

It comes with either a 164 or 328 foot tether and has a maximum depth of 390 feet, which means it is capable of out diving the longer tether.

The Poseidon I can be connected to its provided wifi buoy, then linked wirelessly from there using the Geneinno app for IOS or Android on any smart device.  Poseidon I’s buoy uses a 2.4GHz frequency to connect with controlling devices. You can live stream your underwater adventure directly to your smart devices and  view it in real-time.  The camera is a full HD 1080p, 30fps unit with a 120-degree wide angle lens.

At 7.8 lbs it is light enough and in its sturdy protective carrying case small enough to take onto a TSA approved airplane. The side panels of the drone itself are made of industrial grade plastic and rubber coating, which protect it from unknown underwater obstacles as well as rough handling when being transported.

About the only thing you could consider a weakness is lack of autonomy. It is a simple high-performance drone that can fill a number of roles.

Advantages

  • Sturdy construction
  • 390 foot maximum depth
  • Very maneuverable
  • Good all round specifications

Disadvantages

  • Not autonomous

Check the Price

From the above reviews you can see that there is a richness of features possible on underwater drones.  Here is a chart showing a probably inadequate summary of some of the most important ones.  Please read the reviews carefully before deciding which underwater drone best suits your needs.

Underwater Drone Wired Wireless Depth Battery Charge Price Rating
Robosea Biki No Yes 196 feet 1.5 hours $$ 4.5
Power Vision PowerRay Yes No 98 feet 4 hours $$$ 4.8
ThorRobotics Trenchrover Yes No 100 feet 2 hours $$$ 4.5
Geneinno Poseidon 1 Yes No 390 feet 5 hours $$$ 4.8

There are several new models that are not yet available in the general marketplace.  Here is one to whet your appetite for the future.

iBubble Automous Underwater Drone

I hope you enjoyed this review of underwater drones.  If you have any questions, comments or experiences to relate, please share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Filed Under: product reviews, scuba diving equipment, underwater drones

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Best Scuba Diving Indonesia Pulau Weh
  • Best Scuba Diving New Zealand Milford Sound
  • Best Scuba Diving San Diego California
  • Best Costa Rica Scuba Diving
  • Best Scuba Diving the Canary Islands

Categories

  • Alaska gold mining
  • BCDs
  • books
  • cold water gear
  • dive bags
  • dive boots
  • dive computers
  • dive gloves
  • dive scooters
  • dive watches
  • dry suits
  • drysuit undergarments
  • fins
  • full face masks
  • hoods
  • hookah diving
  • knives
  • liveaboards
  • masks
  • product reviews
  • rebreathers
  • regulators
  • resort diving
  • scuba diving equipment
  • ship wrecks
  • SMBs (Surface Market Buoys)
  • tanks
  • Uncategorized
  • underwater drones
  • underwater lights
  • underwater photgraphy
  • wetsuits

Archives

  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018

Recent Comments

  • Joe on Best Vacations Scuba Diving the Azores
  • Joe on Best Vacations Scuba Diving the Azores
  • Joe on Best Vacations Scuba Diving the Azores
  • Joe on Best Vacations Scuba Diving the Azores
  • Joe on Best Vacations Scuba Diving the Azores

Apollo AV-2 Evolution 2 Dive Scooter  Recreational and Technical Use

Atomic M1 Regulator – Great For Very Cold Water

Nardi Esprit 3T Electric Compressor Hookah System

Waterproof D1 Hybrid – Top Cold Water Drysuit

Geneinno Poseidon I Underwater Drone

Zeagle Stiletto – Top Back/Wing Travel BCD

Visit Dive The World - the No. 1 online authority on dive travel

Joe

Footer

Copyright © 2019 · Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in