hi the dronists ,
I would like to fly over the water but I'm afraid of losing the drone, I saw a lot of videos on YouTube or it was quite risky and many lost even at high altitudes . Do you have any advice for me. Thank you

Flying over water is no more risky than flying over land.
It's actually safer as there are generally no obstacles to hit.

Don't fly to low and if you have to don't hover for too long.
Try flying over the shallow part and move out from there.
Considering you seem to be new, I would not risk flying out to far.

What I did: Fly over land for a while and see if you have any issues. If none, then make short trips over water. Save up at least $300 to purchase a used replacement to keep as a spare. After a while you will get over it, especially if you have some kind of insurance ;-) Avoid windy days at any cost.

Labroides Posted at 7-19 14:46
Flying over water is no more risky than flying over land.
It's actually safer as there are generally no obstacles to hit.

If he has DJI Care Refresh, it is far riskier because he probably won't be able to send back the Mini. Do you assume that everyone has SCUBA equipment?

GaryDoug Posted at 7-19 19:30
If he has DJI Care Refresh, it is far riskier because he probably won't be able to send back the Mini. Do you assume that everyone has SCUBA equipment?

I have flown my drones thousands of miles over water.
I have a little experience in the subject.
The flying is not any riskier.

It's obvious that recovery of a lost drone at sea might be a problem.
That's the chance you accept if you fly there.
Just as it is in many places people fly on dry land.

Low and fast over water is a no no

Con's:
-If you crash and hit the drink most companies will void any insurance claim as the drone will unlikely be recovered and you typically need to return the drone for diagnostic evaluation when making a claim. DJI Care refresh does not cover total loss
-The reflections from the water can cause the downward vision system to be erratic at lower altitudes
-Wind speeds tend to be faster over open areas like sea, large lakes - this will impact on flight times and air speeds and the performance of a drone like the Mini will be compromised in heavy winds

If you are willing to accept the possibility of total loss and don't fly too low then the pro's are:

-At higher altitudes there is no difference between flying over water or land in terms of the drones performance due to the surface below as the drone can't detect it and uses GPS
-There is typically less to zero obstacles over water to contend with meaning that crashing the drone is actually less likely - though be mindful of seagulls and low flying aircraft
-Signal tends to be optimal due to limited obstructions and clear LOS
-You will get some stunning shots and footage in the right place that flying over land won't give you

I'm certain far more drones have been lost over land than water - though it's your drone, your money and your risk to take.

Thank you all for your answers, I will try but gradually test already on small lakes and short distances.

VanzPix Posted at 7-20 02:53
Thank you all for your answers, I will try but gradually test already on small lakes and short distances.

You're welcome - good luck with it

VanzPix Posted at 7-20 02:53
Thank you all for your answers, I will try but gradually test already on small lakes and short distances.

Just like all flying, learn to do it correctly, as labroids said flying over water is the same as flying anywhere and you will have no obstacles and less signal interference, you might be nervous first time as everyone is, but you were probably nervous on your first flight, so it’s very similar. Go for it once over the initial shock it’s pretty much the same as all flying.

Or....you can do as I did (and still do at times) and install some "training wheels" flotation ;-) But be aware that does negatively impact performance and should only be used in calm air. I do NOT recommend the pontoon devices however, too unstable.
One of many flights with this primative setup, warnings are about the heavy WiFi interference in the area: https://app.airdata.com/flight/9 ... ENERALNotifications

Dirty Bird Posted at 7-20 00:47
No worries, mate.  If she does go down, may she find herself in service of the Dutchman!

https://youtu.be/LQDIRGtlwJY

Hey Dirty Bird. I got nervous just watching that!  I was wondering what drone and how much battery you had left. I did have my Mavic Air 2 tell me critical battery level, landing! while still out over the water, I started to panic, but gained control and got her back.

GaryDoug Posted at 7-20 07:33
Or....you can do as I did (and still do at times) and install some "training wheels" flotation ;-) But be aware that does negatively impact performance and should only be used in calm air. I do NOT recommend the pontoon devices however, too unstable.
One of many flights with this primative setup, warnings are about the heavy WiFi interference in the area: https://app.airdata.com/flight/9c462a3ce0b752002a21e98c47fab481/GENERALNotifications

it's ingenious but I'd rather it never meet the water ;)

VanzPix Posted at 7-20 09:29
it's ingenious but I'd rather it never meet the water ;)

Well of course, that would be the best outcome, but I am a pesimist ;-)

And is this accessory really useful

VanzPix Posted at 7-20 14:33
And is this accessory really useful

NO!..absolutely not.....unless you really want to land on the water, but it had better be a very quiet pond with no wind. I tried that set and although it did work, I had a lot of motor overload error messages and the slightest wind blew it all around. If you really want to use them in some wind, fly only directly upwind or downwind. It goes very squirrely aside the wind.

By the way, those are called pontoons..... and after only a few uses, the styrofoam floats will start to fall out of their plastic holders and you will need to tape them on or use tie wraps.

Hello there VanzPix. Thank you for reaching out and for these information you have shared with us. Just a reminder that when flying above the water, the vision positioning function will turn off automatically and only the GPS and barometer are used for positioning, if affected by the accuracy range, and an accident might happen. In addition, I will also post a DJI Forum thread on How to Fly Safely Over Water. Thank you and fly safe always.

https://forum.dji.com/thread-181878-1-1.html

GaryDoug Posted at 7-20 19:13
NO!..absolutely not.....unless you really want to land on the water, but it had better be a very quiet pond with no wind. I tried that set and although it did work, I had a lot of motor overload error messages and the slightest wind blew it all around. If you really want to use them in some wind, fly only directly upwind or downwind. It goes very squirrely aside the wind.

By the way, those are called pontoons..... and after only a few uses, the styrofoam floats will start to fall out of their plastic holders and you will need to tape them on or use tie wraps.

Thanks again, I was mostly thinking for a safety in case it came to fall

DJI Stephen Posted at 7-20 19:56
Hello there VanzPix. Thank you for reaching out and for these information you have shared with us. Just a reminder that when flying above the water, the vision positioning function will turn off automatically and only the GPS and barometer are used for positioning, if affected by the accuracy range, and an accident might happen. In addition, I will also post a DJI Forum thread on How to Fly Safely Over Water. Thank you and fly safe always.

https://forum.dji.com/thread-181878-1-1.html

thank you very much for this link, you talk about disabled the vps but on the Mini Mavic I do not see this feature. Either I see nothing or it does not exist on the mini unfortunately