HoverAir Aqua: Testing a waterproof camera drone for water sports enthusiasts

If you want to take great drone footage of yourself surfing, you usually need a pilot to control the drone from the shore. What’s more, water is incompatible with the vast majority of models on the market; if the drone crashes during a session, it’s usually almost impossible to salvage – assuming it’s even found. The HoverAir Aqua from Zero Zero Robotics is designed to solve precisely these problems: thanks to a foam-lined frame, the drone floats and can even take off again from the water.

Our colleagues at our sister magazine, YACHT, have HoverAir Aqua try out during a sailing trip. However, surfers, wing surfers and stand-up paddlers are the actual target audience; depending on speed, you can select different modes. As well as taking photos, the drone can also record videos; it is controlled either via mobile phone by a second person or in automatic mode via the so-called Lighthouse transponder: a waterproof wristband that controls the drone using GPS and accelerometers – and is said to work more precisely than optical tracking systems.

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EU Class C0 drones can be flown without a licence

Weighing less than 249 grams, HoverAir’s waterproof drone falls into EU Class C0. Class C0 comprises particularly light drones with a take-off weight of less than 250 grams. This brings a number of practical advantages: a drone licence is not required for these devices. All that is required is drone third-party liability insurance, registration as a pilot with the Federal Aviation Authority, and a clearly visible marking on the drone displaying the UAS operator ID.

C0 drones may be flown in the open category A1. This means that flights are, in principle, permitted even in the vicinity of people, provided that the applicable safety rules are observed. Flying over individual bystanders is permitted; however, flying over crowds of people is not allowed. The maximum permitted flight altitude is 120 metres above the take-off point.

Build and operation

The build quality of the Aqua makes a strong impression. Both the drone and the Lighthouse wristband are completely waterproof and can be operated easily even with wet hands. Instead of a touchscreen, the drone features a 1.6-inch AMOLED display with physical buttons. The Lighthouse complements the controls with voice prompts and a vibration alert, which warns the user in the event of an unstable connection or low battery, for example.

Set-up is generally straightforward thanks to the voice guidance on both devices. However, during testing, there was no easily accessible and clearly structured user guide. As the drone was made available to our colleagues before the official launch, it was evident that not all content had been finalised yet. For instance, the app tutorials referred exclusively to other HoverAir models. However, well-produced video tutorials are now available — you simply need to ensure you select the correct drone model.

Risk of collisions at busy spots

Take-offs from the ground, from the hand and even from the water were consistently successful in the test. The ‘Turtle’ function is particularly impressive: if the drone lands upside down in the water or is turned over by a wave, it can be righted and returned to the take-off position at the touch of a button. Landing, on the other hand, proved to be considerably more challenging: during the return flight, the drone maintains a minimum distance of around five and a half metres from the Lighthouse wristband, which could not be reduced any further during the test. On board the sailing yacht, the drone could therefore only be landed using a few tricks; it should be considerably easier on the beach.

However, manoeuvres in confined spaces are made more difficult by the complete absence of side-mounted collision sensors. So there needs to be sufficient space around the drone, not only during take-off and landing but also whilst on the water. Thanks to the propellers being protected by foam buoyancy, there is at least some protection to ensure that the drone and its equipment are not damaged in the event of a collision. However, things can quickly become tricky in crowded spots.

If the drone is in the water and the surfer moves away whilst wearing the Lighthouse wristband, the connection is quickly lost, meaning the drone has to be turned round straight away. The drone could then be launched out of the water again at the touch of a button. However, our colleagues did not have to retrieve it from the water even once.

Only an automatic transmission provides sufficient speed

Before take-off, you select a flight mode such as Surf, Kayak, Follow, Selfie or other options. The parameters for each programme — such as whether the drone should follow to the left or right, or at what distance and altitude it should fly — can be adjusted during flight via the Lighthouse transponder. However, as there is no live feed available, it is difficult to judge when the frame is just right. The selected flight mode itself cannot be changed whilst in the air; this requires a stopover.

In automatic mode, the following applies the HoverAir Aqua Extremely precise. The Lighthouse tracking system, controlled via GPS and sensors, proved to be clearly superior to optical tracking systems in the test. It works very well for close-ups of the driver – or, as in the test on the boat deck. However, when taking wide-angle shots from a greater height, the connection to the Lighthouse transponder became unstable at around 12 to 15 metres. If the connection is lost, the drone flies back to its take-off position, which is stored via GPS.

You can switch to manual mode at any time during the flight via the smartphone app. A live feed is only available in this mode. However, you can only switch back to automatic mode after a stopover. In manual mode, the drone’s speed is also significantly restricted and it can no longer follow windsurfers and wingfoilers. In automatic mode, the Aqua does not have this problem, as it can fly noticeably faster in that mode. According to the manufacturer, the waterproof drone reaches speeds of up to 55 km/h.

Limited battery life and compromises in image quality

​In practice, the battery life is around 15 minutes, and in stronger winds it’s as little as ten minutes – instead of the promised 20 to 23 minutes. During the test, the wind was blowing at just eight to twelve knots. Its light weight of under 249 grams means it cannot accommodate a large battery. The noise level was also a nuisance: the Aqua is significantly louder than many modern drones.

​The water-repellent lens and the self-heating anti-fog function performed reliably in the test. Even after contact with salt water, no salt crystals remained on the lens. The video quality is decent overall: the electronic stabilisation keeps the horizon steady, even if the colours sometimes appear slightly exaggerated. The photo quality, on the other hand, is less impressive. The photos appear comparatively soft and noisy and cannot compete with those taken by the latest smartphones or action cameras.

​The HoverAir Aqua in windsurfing

World champion Matteo Iachino has partnered with the manufacturer of the HoverAir. On his Instagram account, you’ll find not only a discount code, but also insights into take-off and landing, the controls and the image quality:

Conclusion on the HoverAir Aqua

The HoverAir Aqua is primarily of interest to drone beginners who fly solo and want to capture footage independently. However, with a starting price of 1,299 euros, it is not exactly cheap. The flight modes are clearly designed for action-packed water sports – in other words, for scenes captured close to the action. However, it lacks the range and flexibility required for wide-angle shots. Furthermore, it is difficult to judge the frame without a live view. The heavily restricted manual mode is also only really usable in light wind conditions. The limited battery life means sessions are short, particularly in strong winds.

As a photography drone, this waterproof camera drone is not recommended, as the image quality falls short of expectations. As a video drone, however, it delivers decent results. Its real unique selling point is its IP67 certification: Whilst a conventional drone costing between 400 and 500 euros often takes better pictures, a fall into water usually means it’s a total write-off. The HoverAir Aqua, on the other hand, can, in the best-case scenario, simply take off again after landing in water.

HoverAir Aqua Technical Specifications

Drone:

Lighthouse transponder:

Prices: