Gear to use when flying M2 over water?

[PC1134]

The vast majority of my flying to date has been around beaches and over water. Yes I do have DJI Care in case it ends up in the drink, and yes I always attach a Getterback with its 100 ft of Kevlar line to rescue the drone so I can send it back to DJI for replacement.

That said, I am now wondering the merits of purchasing this kit as a further level of protection. Not necessarily to land it on the sea (apparently has to be really calm to do so), but more to make it easier to retrieve in case of a downing.

Has anyone else had experience with this rig and can advise whether it would be worth the expense or just end up with my other 'bought it but useless' pieces of junk?

 

[brett8883]

The vast majority of my flying to date has been around beaches and over water. Yes I do have DJI Care in case it ends up in the drink, and yes I always attach a Getterback with its 100 ft of Kevlar line to rescue the drone so I can send it back to DJI for replacement.

That said, I am now wondering the merits of purchasing this kit as a further level of protection. Not necessarily to land it on the sea (apparently has to be really calm to do so), but more to make it easier to retrieve in case of a downing.

Has anyone else had experience with this rig and can advise whether it would be worth the expense or just end up with my other 'bought it but useless' pieces of junk?

I guess for me I see both this and your tether solutions to be counter productive.

The drone is going to fly better without these things attached and less likely to crash. I kinda feel like the tether especially is a recipe for disaster. You might be able to get them back if you crash with those tools but what if they cause the crash in the first place?

The floaty is better but I don’t think it’s gonna survive a wave in the ocean.

It’s up to you and I understand the desire to do this but I would reccomend practicing your flying and gather the confidence to fly over water without these things. To the drone water is just the same as land. Maybe easier because it’s mostly flat. As a veteran flyer I have no reservations about flying over water but would be extremely uncomfortable with either of these things attached to my drone especially the tether. If it makes you more comfortable then get the floaty

 

[Thomas B]

I own the Arris Raptor pontoon kit.
https://www.irepairmd.com/
They make it for several DJI drones. I liked it’s attachment, wide footprint and built in portability when not using.

 

[BD0G]

If you use this style of Pontoon mounts gluing 1/2 of those plastic easter eggs on the front and rear can be helpful and more athletically pleasing. Similar to this

 

[Thomas B]

If you use this style of Pontoon mounts gluing 1/2 of those plastic easter eggs on the front and rear can be helpful and more athletically pleasing. Similar to this
View attachment 64654

Does water get into the Easter eggs? Like the looks of the pontoons with them.
Not wild about the narrow base for the bird. Prefer this for more stability once landed and greater clearance from the water. When you take off the bird will kick up some spray and that could potentially ruin your day.

 

[PC1134]

I guess for me I see both this and your tether solutions to be counter productive.

The drone is going to fly better without these things attached and less likely to crash. I kinda feel like the tether especially is a recipe for disaster. You might be able to get them back if you crash with those tools but what if they cause the crash in the first place?

The floaty is better but I don’t think it’s gonna survive a wave in the ocean.

It’s up to you and I understand the desire to do this but I would reccomend practicing your flying and gather the confidence to fly over water without these things. To the drone water is just the same as land. Maybe easier because it’s mostly flat. As a veteran flyer I have no reservations about flying over water but would be extremely uncomfortable with either of these things attached to my drone especially the tether. If it makes you more comfortable then get the floaty

Hi Brett,

The Getterback (tether) is a really small profile and straps to the M2P with velcro. It is quite tiny and I've had zero issues when flying. With the pontoons though, they are 100 times larger and you would think would increase drag through the air, however I can't verify this as I haven't tried them.

The big issue for me is being able to recover my drone in case of a crash and if that occurs over water then it is harder without some way of locating and retrieving it.

 

[brett8883]

Hi Brett,

The Getterback (tether) is a really small profile and straps to the M2P with velcro. It is quite tiny and I've had zero issues when flying. With the pontoons though, they are 100 times larger and you would think would increase drag through the air, however I can't verify this as I haven't tried them.

The big issue for me is being able to recover my drone in case of a crash and if that occurs over water then it is harder without some way of locating and retrieving it.

Do what works for you. My fear would be the line getting caught in a rotor or someone walking by into the line and the mavic getting pulled down. It also seems like a hastle but again to each his own and what makes you comfortable is what matters

 

[brett8883]

Hi Brett,

The Getterback (tether) is a really small profile and straps to the M2P with velcro. It is quite tiny and I've had zero issues when flying. With the pontoons though, they are 100 times larger and you would think would increase drag through the air, however I can't verify this as I haven't tried them.

The big issue for me is being able to recover my drone in case of a crash and if that occurs over water then it is harder without some way of locating and retrieving it.

Dude I misunderstood what you were talking about. The way you were talking about it I thought you had the mavic on a string like a kite haha. That’s what I meant by “tether.” I took a moment to look up a getterback and it’s basically like a parachute but for sinking in water. It turns into a buoy so you can pull the drone up from the bottom.

When it senses water it releases the floating line so you can swim out and pull the drone up from the bottom.

This all makes so much more sense!!! I was blind but now I see! That’s pretty cool.

 

[brett8883]

The getterBack for those confused like I was

 

[PC1134]

Dude I misunderstood what you were talking about. The way you were talking about it I thought you had the mavic on a string like a kite haha. That’s what I meant by “tether.” I took a moment to look up a getterback and it’s basically like a parachute but for sinking in water. It turns into a buoy so you can pull the drone up from the bottom.

When it senses water it releases the floating line so you can swim out and pull the drone up from the bottom.

This all makes so much more sense!!! I was blind but now I see! That’s pretty cool.

Very biblical, ha ha

 

[PC1134]

My only issue with the Getterback is the 100 ft of line. If it goes down in depths more than that, you're screwed!

This is what grab me thinking about the floats idea, however they are big, bulky and have to be fitted each time and stored somewhere. All in the aim of being able to return the carcass to DJI to get a replacement under DJI Care.

I'm keen to do an Active Track sequence behind my boat to get some great aerials and the floats would have to give you more peace of mind i would think. Plus if you want to catch to retrieve the drone on your boat, perhaps the landing gear would provide a better grab point, not to mention lifting the props higher so less likely to carve a groove in your face.

What to do???

 

[BD0G]

Does water get into the Easter eggs? Like the looks of the pontoons with them.
Not wild about the narrow base for the bird. Prefer this for more stability once landed and greater clearance from the water. When you take off the bird will kick up some spray and that could potentially ruin your day.
View attachment 64664

Small bead of clear silicone around areas where they contact the pontoons / pool noodles.

 

[Thomas B]

Small bead of clear silicone around areas where they contact the pontoons / pool noodles.

Thx!

 

[jagraphics]

for flying over water I recommend one of these (see below) If anyone has any ideas how I convince the finace committee it is essential to my drone flying I wil let you borrow it...


On a serious note do the floats affect the aerodynamics or the time in the air?

 

[TheWolfen]

I often use a Getterback when flying over water, simply so recovery of the memory card is an option - I don't have DJI Care, I have a State Farm policy instead. It is tiny, attaches well and at least it is something. However, oddly enough, on my recent trip to Hawaii I wound up skipping it most of the time. Not sure why... I guess I'm just comfortable flying over water now and trust my bird and myself enough!

 

[PC1134]

Yes the Getterback is tiny, and easy to use, plus, I can fit in in my new Mavic 2 hard case. I can't do this with the pontoons style kit.

The other thing I've just thought of with the pontoons (either that one I originally posted or the Arris Raptor ones), is they seem to be designed for a soft, controlled landing on water. I am after something I can use as a recovery device in case of a crash (which is why I bought the Getterback in the first place). So, if you are flying at 400 feet (max permissible height) and you have a catastrophic failure, and the Mavic falls from the sky, when it hits the water, surely the pontoons would simply rip off and it would sink like a stone? I'd be interested if anyone who uses the Arris Raptor or these other pontoons, has an opinion on this theory? If this were to be true, then this style of gear would not help what I'm trying to achieve.

 

[Thomas B]

Yes the Getterback is tiny, and easy to use, plus, I can fit in in my new Mavic 2 hard case. I can't do this with the pontoons style kit.

The other thing I've just thought of with the pontoons (either that one I originally posted or the Arris Raptor ones), is they seem to be designed for a soft, controlled landing on water. I am after something I can use as a recovery device in case of a crash (which is why I bought the Getterback in the first place). So, if you are flying at 400 feet (max permissible height) and you have a catastrophic failure, and the Mavic falls from the sky, when it hits the water, surely the pontoons would simply rip off and it would sink like a stone? I'd be interested if anyone who uses the Arris Raptor or these other pontoons, has an opinion on this theory? If this were to be true, then this style of gear would not help what I'm trying to achieve.

I have to agree, and I own Arris Raptors. Good point you make.... sigh.... more gear I need to get.

 

[PC1134]

I have to agree, and I own Arris Raptors. Good point you make.... sigh.... more gear I need to get.

Just so I understand, you do agree with my theory that the pontoons would rip off in the case of a crash?

 

[Thomas B]

Just so I understand, you do agree with my theory that the pontoons would rip off in the case of a crash?

Yes, it is possible however unlikely some may feel it is. I was also thinking the chances of a drone without power landing on the pontoons was essentially nil and running water ripping them off as it moved downstream and encountered a snag of some sort. I don’t want to go swimming outside in Feb. BTW, I am the person who’s bread always lands jelly side down

 

[PC1134]

Yes, it is possible however unlikely some may feel it is. I was also thinking the chances of a drone without power landing on the pontoons was essentially nil and running water ripping them off as it moved downstream and encountered a snag of some sort. I don’t want to go swimming outside in Feb. BTW, I am the person who’s bread always lands jelly side down

Yes, well my over water flying in on the coast where the big Great Whites swim, so like you, I'm not too keen to go for a swim to retrieve either!!!

I guess the only thing (if I fly from my small boat 15 footer) is if I had the pontoons, as long as it wasn't rough water, I could potentially do a water landing and then retrieve the craft, instead of doing a hand catch on the boat. That's another thought for the pontoons. But maybe I need to learn how to deploy and retrieve my drone by hand from the boat, and then it isn't an issue?