If you are a water sports enthusiast, there is a drone that is not only waterproof, but one that can survive salty or fresh water barrages and remain intact in one piece. In this SwellPro Spry+ drone review, you will see why this quadcopter has been creating sizzles in the market. You should be ready to spend several hundreds of dollars or even more than a grand. A bit high, but the drone does what the manufacturer says it can do if that is any consolation.
Everything about this drone seems so well thought out. This includes the color choice which is orange. This makes the drone visible in the water, in low light and in bad weather. If you surf, snorkel, paddleboard, kayak, fish or sail and you would like to record your exhilarating moments in the water, get this drone. Keep reading to see more of its features and technical details.
Just to mention, this Chinese drone maker also brought us the SwellPro Splash 3 Plus drone.
SwellPro Spry+ Features & Technical Details
The SwellPro Spry+ is rich with features. If you are looking for a drone that performs well on air and in the water, this is it. However, that does not exonerate it from a thorough review of its features and specs. So here goes …
Design and build quality of the Spry+
This is a small, solidly built drone that can withstand the rigors of flying in air and splashing through a sheet of ocean, river or lake water. It measures 9.2 by 9.8 by 3.5 inches. The weight of this drone is 538g and this includes the weight of the battery that alone weighs 200g.
This drone is equipped with 2206 1400KV brushless high thrust motors. They are effective, light in weight and they enhance the flight time. They are also quieter and they do not overheat. For a drone that will go through some serious splashes of water occasionally, these motors are priceless. You can operate this drone in racing mode (manual) and push it up to 65km/h.
Because this is a waterproof drone, the motors are coated with waterproof material to keep them corrosion-resistant. The joints in the frame are enforced with corrosion-resistant screws.
Camera quality
The camera alone is enough reason for you to buy this drone. If you are a surfer, a stand up paddle boarder, a snorkeler or a kayaking enthusiast, there is no way that you will skimp on an opportunity to document your moments on the water.
The 4K video camera will take care of your video and photo needs. This camera has a Sony CMOS ½.3 sensor. For people who know their camera, the main benefit of having this sensor is that it reduces the fisheye effect. In return, this gives you a photo or video footage that captures details vividly.
You will take 12MP photos with the camera and the video camera captures footage at 30fps. The camera is housed in a high quality waterproof glass dome. It is also abrasion-resistant so that there is utterly no distortion in your footage. The glass has a special coating to prevent distortion from water that will land on the dome.
The drone has a slot for an SD card. It can support cards of up to 64GB. That should store all of your footage that you capture in the water until you can transfer it to your computer.
For stabilization, you get two options. One of them is the mechanical gimbal, but this is backed up by electronic stabilization. Therefore, irrespective of the slanting motion of the drone, your footage will always have the correct vertical and horizontal orientation.
You will get real-time video transmission. For this, the remote controller has an LCD viewing screen which is also waterproof. The screen also displays the important stats such as battery time, flight distance, height of the drone and many more.
The remote controller
The remote controller is also waterproof and like the drone, it also floats. You have to appreciate the kind of work that SwellPro has put into this drone, especially the controller. The joysticks are not only responsive and high quality, but they are also 100 percent waterproof. The buttons, the controls and even the antennas are completely waterproof.
The remote controller has a built-in rechargeable Lithium ion battery. It can last even more than 2 hours on a full charge. The charging cable is supplied. The signal range of the remote controller is 800 meters and the maximum height is 200 meters.
Battery and flight time
Once again, this drone outdoes itself when it comes to the battery and flight time. It comes with a 3S 3600mAh Li-HV battery. With a full charge, the battery can do up to 17 minutes of flight time. When you are ordering this drone, you also get an option to buy a spare battery or two, to increase your flight time.
The charging time for this battery is 90 minutes, which once again is really commendable for such a high capacity battery.
Flight features and functions
Since this is a performance drone, it is very important that it comes with automatic flight functions. You might want to fly it hands-free so that it can capture you in action when you are pulling that huge bass into your boat.
Return To Home/Me
With the return to me function, the drone returns home to wherever the controller is. Whether you are in a boat or floating on a paddleboard, the drone will come to you. The drone will also return to you automatically when the battery charge runs low or when the signal is lost.
Auto follow and Orbit Modes
When you are coasting down the whitewaters on a kayak, you want the drone to follow you at a respectable distance taking excellent photo and video footage.
One Key Launch
With just one key, you can be able to launch this drone or bring it home. This is a nice feature for beginners.
Mobile Pairing
Download this drone’s app to your mobile and fly it with the phone if you like. You can perform every function on the remote controller with the mobile app. You can even plan your mission on the app and get the drone to pass through different points capturing footage all the time.
ACRO Flight Mode
This is an incredible function for professional drone pilots. It means that functions such as altitude hold, GPS, gyroscopes and other auto functions are disabled and so you get a real feeling of raw flying mode. You will be in direct control of the speed, the 3D flips and other functions. Only use ACRO mode when you have experience. You may switch from GPS mode to ACRO mode even when the drone is in mid-flight.
Short Summary Of Feedback from Existing Owners
I love this drone because the glass dome does not fog. I love hiking and camping in winter so that I can have the outdoors to myself. I take this drone to help me capture videos and photos for my blogs. Mark W.
Expensive drone for people who know quality! As regular snorkeling enthusiasts, my family and I take this drone to capture our videos and photos when we snorkel with turtles. Pete H.
We use this drone to monitor our farm. We just wish it could travel further than 800 meters. Lynette W.
The price is too high. Surely water resistance cannot cost all that much! Good buy though, especially because I love racing drones. Morgan M.
Having used many drones, I was getting tired of all the automatic functions and I was looking for one with manual mode. I found that in the Spry+. Geoffrey R.
SwellPro Spry+ Pros
- Comes with a high quality and waterproof carry case
- High quality build makes this drone durable
- You can switch to manual or GPS mode when the drone is in flight
- Automatic return to me function
- Remote controller has a built-in rechargeable battery
- Easy to use even for beginners
- It is a waterproof racing drone that can fly at 65km/h
SwellPro Spry+ Cons
- The price of the drone is high especially if you buy it with two batteries, two glass domes and spare blades
- It is not a foldable drone
Who should buy the SwellPro Spry+ Drone?
Anyone who can spare the money can buy this drone. However, there is no need of buying a waterproof drone if you do not intend to use it in the rain, fog, snow and other types of precipitation. For this reason, we feel that the Spry+ is best suited to people who love water sports. Even the remote controller is waterproof so you can use it in the water without worrying about damage. If you love outdoor adventure, get this drone and record every moment on camera. If you surf, sail, fish or kayak and you would like to share your adventures with people, open a YouTube channel and buy this drone.
Conclusion and Recommendation
This is a small, easy to carry drone that comes with its carry case. Apart from the high quality hardware, the drone also has admirable flight functions. While the price is a bit steep, we feel that the water resistance and the ability to switch between manual and automatic modes more than makes up for that. The drone also has wind-resistance, and a long flight range. Before you can fly it, read the user manual so that you can know how to calibrate it with the remote controller. It is best to buy a spare battery and glass dome for the camera too.
