The 17 best underwater drones in 2021
Table of contents
- What is the best underwater drone?
- The 17 best underwater drones in 2021
- Overview of the best tethered underwater drones in 2021
- Overview of the best wireless underwater drones in 2021
- Underwater ROVs: special mentions
- Underwater drone buying guide
- Benefits and limits of underwater drones
- Underwater drones FAQs
What is an underwater drone ?
Underwater drones (or ROVs) are submersible, waterproof drones that enable users to explore marine environments remotely. These drones are able to navigate through underwater currents thanks to one or more propellers. They are generally equipped with cameras, obstacle avoidance sensors, and powerful lighting to record good quality footage even in dark underwater environments.
What is the best underwater drone?
Underwater drones are a niche category of drones that is developing very quickly. These drones are commonly referred to as ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) and are mainly targeting professional users. But they are still fun to play with for hobbyists and diving enthusiasts!
Underwater ROVs serve a wide variety of professional purposes, including underwater exploration, filmmaking, ship inspections, scientific research, and more. Their main purpose, however, is to capture underwater footage in seas and oceans.
One important thing to keep in mind: these aquatic drones are predominantly tethered via a cable to a floating beacon or buoy at the surface. Cable tethering is necessary to get a live video feed from the drone and, more importantly, to ensure the drone doesn’t get lost in the abyss. However, some wireless underwater drones do exist (see below).
Most water drones are equipped with powerful headlamps, providing visibility in dark submarine conditions. Many of them also boast 4K cameras for high-quality image capture. Other common features and add-ons include FPV goggles, robotic arms, and ballasts.
Our selection of the best underwater drones provides a comprehensive view of the top products available on the market at different price points. We’ve broken these drones down into two sections :
- The best tethered underwater drones
- The best wireless underwater drones
Read more about drones and what to consider when buying a drone in our drone buying guide.
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The 17 best underwater drones in 2021
Underwater drones with camera | Battery life | Diving depth | 4K Camera | Tethered/Wireless | Country | Release year | Price* | Buy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chasing Dory | 60 min | 15 m | No | Tethered | China | 2019 | $499 | Buy |
Robosea BIKI | 120 min | 60 m | Yes | Wireless | China | 2017 | $799 | Buy |
YouCan BW Space Pro | 300 min | 100 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2019 | $999 | Buy |
Geneinno Poseidon | 300 min | 100 m | No | Tethered | China | 2019 | $1,099 | Buy |
ThorRobotics TrenchRover | 120 min | 30 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2019 | $1,380 | Buy |
Aquarobotman Nemo | 180 min | 100 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2018 | $1,399 | Buy |
Chasing Gladius Mini | 120 min | 100 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2018 | $1,499 | Buy |
QYSEA FIFISH V6 | 270 min | 100 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2019 | $1,599 | Buy |
Sofar Trident | 180 min | 100 m | No | Tethered | United States | 2018 | $1,695 | Buy |
PowerVision PowerRay | 240 min | 30 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2017 | $1,987 | Buy |
Navatics MITO | 240 min | 40 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2019 | $1,999 | |
Geneinno Titan | 240 min | 150 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2018 | $2,999 | Buy |
Blue Robotics BlueROV2 | 180 min | 100 m | No | Tethered | United States | 2019 | $3,483 | |
Shenzhen Vxfly CCROV | 270 min | 100 m | Yes | Tethered | China | 2017 | $3,699 | |
Notilo Plus iBubble | 60 min | 60 m | Yes | Wireless | France | 2019 | $4,499 | |
Blueye Robotics PIONEER | 120 min | 150 m | No | Tethered | Norway | 2019 | $9,878 | |
Deep Trekker REVOLUTION | 480 min | 305 m | Yes | Tethered | Canada | 2019 | $10K - $50K |
*MSRP: manufacturer's suggested retail price. These prices are subject to change over time and from one country to another (import taxes, shipping fees, etc.).
Overview of the best tethered underwater drones in 2021
Below is more information about the best underwater ROVs selected for our list, including specs and important features.
Youcan BW-Space Pro
- Battery life: 300 minutes
- Diving depth: 100 meters
- Country: China
- Price: $999
It is able to dive to 100 m and its battery can last up to 5 hours.
More information: Youcan BW-Space Pro
More information: Geneinno Poseidon
ThorRobotics TrenchRover
- Battery life: 120 minutes
- Diving depth: 30 meters
- Country: China
- Price: $1,380
Aquarobotman Nemo
- Battery life: 180 minutes
- Diving depth: 100 meters
- Country: China
- Price: $1,399
More information: Aquarobotman Nemo underwater drone with camera
Chasing Gladius Mini
- Battery life: 120 minutes
- Diving depth: 100 meters
- Country: China
- Price: $1,499
More information: CHASING GLADIUS MINI underwater drone
What is very interesting with this drone is its six thrusters that provide it with 6 degrees of freedom in movement, meaning that it can go in more directions than just forwards and backwards. It’s also possible to use a VR headset with this water drone.
More information: QYSEA FIFISH V6 professional underwater drone
Sofar Trident (previously OPENROV Trident)
- Battery life: 180 minutes
- Diving depth: 100 meters
- Country: United States
- Price: $1,699
More information: Sofar Trident open source water drone
More information: PowerVision underwater fishing drone PowerRay
Navatics MITO
- Battery life: 240 minutes
- Diving depth: 40 meters
- Country: China
- Price: $1,999
More information: Navatics MITO 4K diving drone
More information: Geneinno Titan
Blue Robotics BlueROV2
- Battery life: 180 minutes
- Diving depth: 100 meters
- Country: United States
- Price: $3,483
Various accessories are available, such as a gripper, sonar, and additional thrusters (up to 8 thrusters can be mounted at a time).
More information: Blue Robotics BlueROV2
Shenzhen Vxfly CCROV
- Battery life: 180-270 minutes
- Diving depth: 100 meters
- Country: China
- Price: $3,699
More information: Shenzhen Vxfly CCROV underwater 4K camera drone
Blueye Robotics PIONEER
- Battery life: 120 minutes
- Diving depth: 150 meters
- Country: Norway
- Price: $9,878
More information: Blueye Robotics PIONEER
DEEP TREKKER Revolution ROV
- Battery life: 480 minutes
- Diving depth: 305 meters
- Country: Canada
- Price: $10K – $50K
The REVOLUTION ROV features a 4K camera, quick-swap batteries, a high depth rating, and a convenient travel case.
More information: Deep Trekker REVOLUTION
Overview of the best wireless underwater drones in 2021
More information: Robosea BIKI underwater autonomous drone
Notilo Plus iBubble
- Battery life: 60 minutes
- Diving depth: 60 meters
- Country: France
- Price: $4,499
More information: Notilo Plus iBubble
Underwater ROVs: special mentions
Cheapest underwater drone: SilverLit SPYCAM AQUA
- Battery life: 30 minutes
- Diving depth: –
- Country: China
- Price: $74
- Seller: Amazon
More information: SilverLit SPYCAM AQUA
Best underwater fishing drone: PowerVision PowerDolphin
- Battery life: 120 minutes
- Diving depth: –
- Country: China
- Price: $749
More information: PowerVision PowerDolphin

Waterproof quadcopter drone: SwellPro SplashDrone 3+
- Battery life: 20 minutes
- Diving depth: N/A
- Country: China
- Price: $1,199
More information: SwellPro SplashDrone 3+
Underwater drone buying guide
Here are the key things to consider when buying a underwater ROV to make the right decision.
Wireless vs. tethered
Most underwater ROV are tethered via a cable to a buoy. It’s important to keep this in mind, as non-experts often imagine that underwater drones work in a way similar to aerial drones, diving freely in deep waters without any restraints.
That’s not the case, as the vast majority of submarine drones requires to be tethered to the surface while operating. There are two key reasons for this:
- To avoid losing the drone in tough and unpredictable marine conditions: the cable is essentially a leash that secures the drone in case of an engine failure, out-of-range diving, etc.
- To stream live video: the cable is used to transmit live video feed captured from the drone’s camera, thus allowing the operator to visualize in real time the footage captured by the drone on the remote control display (or mobile screen or FPV goggles, depending on the model).
Cable lengths vary depending on the manufacturer, but they generally allow the drone to reach depths of 50 to 200 meters.
Wireless underwater drones are much less common.

The PowerVision PowerRay tethered water drone.
Source: PowerVision

The Notilo Plus iBubble submersible drone.
Source: Notilo Plus
Camera quality and lighting
The primary role of underwater drones is to capture images and videos in hard-to-access areas underwater. Tough marine conditions– in rivers and at sea– mean that these drones’ cameras must be of very good quality. Hence, most ROVs feature 4K cameras (UHD) with stabilization systems.
Also, these cameras need to be paired with powerful lighting (headlamps or light projectors) to help illuminate sun-restricted, murky underwater environments. A drone’s lighting power (quantity of visible light emitted) is specified in Lumen (lm).
Thrusters and propellers
Underwater ROVs are equipped with at least two motors, thrusters, or propellers. These can be partially covered or encased by the drone’s frame for protection, unlike many aerial drones.
The thrusters tend to be powerful to allow the drone to change direction in challenging underwater currents. Some advanced underwater drones also include a self-balance control system to make the drone easier to pilot.
The speed of the drones in the water varies substantially. It depends on water currents, weather conditions, and the number of thrusters the drone has. On average, underwater ROVs reach speeds of 2 to 3 meters per second.
Benefits and limits of underwater drones
There are both benefits and limitations with underwater drones. They allow users to capture exceptional underwater footage, but they are quite expensive and must generally be tethered to a buoy.
Benefits of underwater drones
- They allow users to explore fragile seascapes without damaging the environment
- Some underwater drones come with VR goggles for FPV experiences
- Many underwater drones are able to capture high-quality images
- They generally offer a better run time than aerial drones
Limits of underwater drones
- Underwater drones often have limited ranges
- Their price tags are quite high
- Most underwater ROVs must be tethered by cable to the surface
- Users must operate the drone from the surface, as waterproof controllers are uncommon
Underwater drones FAQs
What are underwater drones?
Underwater drones are remotely controlled drones that are able to navigate underwater. Their main purpose is to capture underwater footage, but they are also used to collect scientific data for research and for military applications
How much do underwater drones/ROVs cost?
Underwater drones generally cost between $1,000 and $4,000. There are cheaper drones available for less than $100, but they are toy drones. Much more expensive submarine drones exist as well (over $30,000); they are designed for industrial or military use cases.
Where are underwater drones for sale?
Underwater drones are for sale from online resellers such as Amazon, GearBest, AliExpress, and Banggood. These drones can also be purchased from the manufacturers directly or from some brick and mortar stores.
What are underwater drones used for?
Underwater drones are used for film-making, underwater exploration, port and ship inspections, environmental research, mapping, and more.
What are underwater military drones?
Underwater military drones are highly-advanced underwater drones that can be used in swarms for surveillance or to protect coastlines. Some can be armed with explosives. The Aquabotix SwarmDiver is a military drone, for example.