Best Underwater drones in 2021

What to look for and what to avoid

While looking for an underwater drone seems like no easy task, there are a couple of things you should look for and that's what this article is all about.

These underwater ROV's(remotely operated vehicles) were no long ago only used by professionals, but now you can get pretty affordable ones for exploration and personal use.

I'll give you a list of the best things to look for in a submarine drone and my best underwater ROVs selected by such criteria from all the online abundance.

Quick note on underwater drones

Two things you should quickly note before jumping into my top list are the fact that most of these aquatic drones are tethered via a cable to a floating beacon at the surface, mainly to get a good live feed to the surface.

They are also equipped with powerful LED lamps to easily navigate dark underwater territory. I'll talk more about other accessories down bellow.

My 9 best underwater drones in 2021 (and 2 to avoid)

In this section, we're looking at most underwater drones for sale currently on the market (the consumer level ones) and underline which ones are worth and which aren't.

Here are 5 of my favorite underwater drones compared in a table (in no particular order).

Read the entire article for more information on each of these!

Powerray	Dory	Titan	Gladius	Nemo
240 min	60 min	240 min	120 min	120 min
100 m	15 m	150 m	100 m	100 m
4k	1080p	4k	4k	4k
3 motor	5 motor	6 motor	4 motor	4 motor
$$	$	$$$	$$	$$
Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

These are most of the easily accessible and cheaper underwater drones available for sale, but I'll only recommend a few of them for specific purposes.

1.Power Vision Powerray (best underwater drone)

240min

100m

with LED

One of my favorite underwater drones, the powerray is probably the best fishing drone too, thanks to its fishing add-ons available like the bait and drop, powerseeker fishfinder that can detect fish to a depth of 80m.

For the specs it has, the price is also very well deserved, being able to swim for 240min, which is more than most on this list with a 100m (230ft) tether cable, means you have plenty of space to play with it in the ocean and not feel constrained.

It comes with a 4k camera that's not stabilized but is mounted next to two powerful LED lights.

Overall my top recommendation on this list.

ADVANTAGES

Amazing battery life of 240min
Long tether range of 100m (230ft)
powerful LED lights next to the camera
Ideal for fishing
Fishing add-ons available
Great specs for the price

DISADVANTAGES

Nothing I can think of

2.Chasing Dory (best cheap underwater drone)

1080p

60 min

15 m

with LED

Chasing Dory is the cheaper option when you're looking for an underwater drone and even though it doesn't have the highest specs, it might just be enough for most people to have a lot of fun.

It can dive up to 15m in the water with a tethered cable of the same length and it can swim for about 60 minutes while streaming 720p video to the phone and record 1080p 30fps on a micro SD.

It also has two 250 lumen lights in front and a color restoration algorithm that is supposed to make things look a bit better.

ADVANTAGES

Very affordable
Recording at 1080p in 30fps
Easy to use with just a smartphone

DISADVANTAGES

Limited range

3.Geneino Tether Titan (Professional underwater drone)

240 min

150 m

1500 LM lights

This is the highest level entry on this list, making for some stunning specs, high water pressure resistance, and a 1080p live feed to the controller.

The 150m tether length is pretty much unbeatable in this price range and the two extra bright 1500 lumen lights make for some of the most exceptional underwater explorations you can imagine.

Its real strength is the 6 thrusters (4 vertical and 2 horizontal) which can help it self balance against currents and hover in place.

The 4-hour battery life is also making it on top of the list and what's more, it also comes with a range of accessories, the best of which is a robotic arm for grabbing things and bringing them back to you.

ADVANTAGES

Great battery life of 4 hours
Longest range of 150m
Great at high pressures underwater
very powerful headlamps
6 thrusters
Range of accessories available (FPV goggles, robotic arm, sonar system, waterproof microphone)

DISADVANTAGES

The price isn't for everyone.

Chasing Gladius Mini (pitch adjusting camera)

120 min

100 m

with lights

The Gladius mini is an underwater smart submersible with a 4k camera, 5 thrusters that give it great maneuverability and a great 1080p Livestream (the best on this list).

The camera can also adjust the pitch up to 45 degrees in each direction. The Livestream can be seen simultaneously by 3 devices like smartphones and it has a 100m tether(or the cheaper option with a 50m cable). Battery life is at 2 hours and it can reach up to 2m/s.

ADVANTAGES

Smart Submersible
Changeable ballasts (for fresh and seawater)
5 thrusters
Pitch adjusted camera
1080p live stream

DISADVANTAGES

Sometimes hard to find online

Nemo Drone (success or failure?)

120 min

100 m

1000 LM lights

A Kickstarter sponsored project, the Nemo drone has most things people are looking for, long-range of 100m, 120min battery life, a balance stabilIzing system, and can be used with VR sensors when tilting your head to move the drone camera at the same time.

Depending on your budget, this may or may not be the perfect one for you. I think there are better ones on this list in terms of cost and specs, so let's look further.

ADVANTAGES

Balanced stabilizing system
16mp photos
great underwater tether lenght

DISADVANTAGES

Slightly pricy for the specs

Youcan (Underwater Zoom Drone)

4k zoom

300 min

100 m

with Lights

This is one of the few if not the only drone that can come with a zoom camera (the good optical type) which can definitely prove useful in many situations. The specs are quite outstanding, having a 130 degree wide angle lens, 4 thrusters which help a lot with very precisely controlling the direction and stabilizing and a 100m cable.

What's most impressive about this is the battery life of 5 hours which is most than any of the drones on this list. However, one downside is that in the basic package (that's already well ofer $1000) comes with just a 1080p camera, and you need to pay extra if you want the 4k cameras.

ADVANTAGES

Best reported battery life I've seen (5h)
12 mp photos
Great 100m cable lenght
Can have a zoom camera

DISADVANTAGES

Need to pay extra for the 4k and zoom camera versions

Powerdolphin - Fish Scouting drone (boat-like)

120 min

moving camera

While not an underwater drone, the Powerdolphin is a great fish scouter and amazing looking boat-like drone.

It can be used to scan the fish in the water to find the perfect fishing spot and even tether you fishing hook.

The camera can rotate to see bellow, you can actually do some underwater exploration this way too.

It also has add-ons available like a bait container, tow line and powerseeker sonar.

ADVANTAGES

Affordable and optimal for fishing
Rotating camera to see above or bellow the surface
Longer 500m range since it's above water and doesn't have a tethering cable.

DISADVANTAGES

Doesn't go underwater completely.

Don't buy: Trident Underwater drone

1080p

180min

25m

with lights

While very compact, and with pretty nice features like 180min swim time and good operating temperatures, it lacks behind some of the other underwater drones on the list as for the hefty price it lacks some important specs like a long thread (it only has 25m) and a 4k camera (coming with 1080p). So my advice is to skip this one.

ADVANTAGES

Pretty good for fresh and saltwater
Good 180min battery life

DISADVANTAGES

Not enough tether cable for the price (25m)
720p live stream

Don't buy: Geneinno Poseidon

1080p

100m

with lights

While its bigger brother, the Titan does really well underwater, the Poseidon stumbles a bit, especially since the specs aren't that great for the price. It also doesn't come with a controller, but it does have a serious 100m lenght tether. Considering the feedback of other online reviewers outhere like Dustin Dunhill, this underwater is to be avoided.

ADVANTAGES

Cable with 2 lenghts (100 or 150m)

DISADVANTAGES

Too expensive for the specs
Been reported to malfunction

What to look for in an underwater drone

In this section we're looking at the main points you should focus on when picking the perfect underwater drone for you.

Tether range

Most underwater ROVs are tethered with a long cable to the surface, unlike their airborne counterparts who rarely are tethered and are free to fly anywhere.

There are some good reasons for that:

It works as a leash to bring the drone back in case motors failed or it got stuck in some unpredictable marine crease, got out of range, or damaged some part.

The second reason for a tether is using it to transmit live information, as the Livestream has a difficult time traveling through huge amounts of water, this live feed is to see what the camera records in real-time to see it on the controller screen, your phone or even FPV goggles.

Cable lenghts vary depending on the manufacturer, but they range somewhere from 20m to 200m.

Benefits and limits of underwater drones

ADVANTAGES

Cable with 2 lenghts (100 or 150m)
easier exploration of underwater locations without having to get yourself wet or in danger (or too cold)
ability to capture great underwater video and footage to use or brag with
the ability to use FPV goggles to feel like in a submarine and see what's at the bottom of the local lake or pond(or an exotic location with very clear water)
these offer longer times compared to normal air drones.
can be used in delicate environments like near corals or other seascapes without damagin the environment

DISADVANTAGES

Most underwater drones require to be tethered for the live feed to be sent through a cable
these can cost quite a bit depending on the model
can't really use them if you're already submerged yourself, as waterproof controllers are very rare(I don't know of any)

FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

In this final section, we're taking a look at some specific questions that people ask me, which might also be useful to you.

What are underwater drones?

Underwater drones are controlled drones that can navigate underwater, basically a remote controlled submarine, used for capturing underwater footage, but also could be used to collect scientific information and materials especially if they come with an accessory such as a robotic arm that could deliver samples.

How much do underwater drones cost?

Underwater drones cost somewhere between $500 and $4000 while the average price is around $1000 for a good quality underwater drone.

Where are underwater drones for sale?

Underwater drones are for sale at most online resellers like Amazon, Bangood and Gearbest. You can also purchase them in brick and mortar stores or directly from the manufacturer.

What are underwater drones used for?

Underwater drones are utilized for various purposes, from fishing, to film making, underwater exploration as a hobby, boat inspections, underwater bridge inspections, mapping and more.

What are underwater military drones?

Military underwater drones are high tech, very expensive mini-submarines that are used to map and survey for the protection of coastlines. One example of such a drone would be the Aquabotix SwarmDiver of which many are used at a time to swarm an entire area and survey it more effectively.

Conclusion

Underwater drones can be quite different compared to their airborne counterparts, but the struggle is definitely worth it, especially when you'll be rewarded with intimate moments discovering unknown depths... even if that may be the local pond.

Paul Posea

Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.