Best drone for sailboats? (solo sailing and under $2k budget)

[ol1970]

Originally Posted by dougweibel

Professionally I have flown numerous drones up to 45 pound octocopters with scientific payloads. I have never let my wife fly my drones due to some bad experiences trying to teach her to fly RC aircraft. However this past year I bought her a Mavic Mini with the idea it was inexpensive enough it wouldn't be a huge deal if she crashed it.

After flying that for a season I can say your idea that sub $1k drones "mostly suck" is outdated. The flying performance of this little drone it terrific. Buy a more expensive drone if you are after the better camera it may carry but if you don't need 4K video (the mini does 2.7K at 30FPS) then the Mini will suffice.

Even if you do get a higher end drone I'd get a Mini also as sometimes

• you want a shot but don't want to risk $$$ to get it
• you don't know if you'll want a drone along but carrying something this small is easy so you take it anyway.

I have literally spent many tens of thousands of dollars (other people's money) on drone equipment and the Mavic Mini is the best $400 spent out of all of it.

I concur with this, the best drone is the one you actually take with you and use. Technology moves so fast with this stuff it is crazy how good inexpensive units are compared to high dollar stuff only a few years ago.

[Franziska]

So, we are on the same line. I said exactly that the sub 1k drones like Mini or Air 1 are fabulous value for money.
They do not suck at all, quite the contrary.
I would not get one of the more expensive ones.

The only reason I'd go for a Air 1 over the Mini is that it has more power to battle with wind when following a sailing boat.

Originally Posted by dougweibel

Professionally I have flown numerous drones up to 45 pound octocopters with scientific payloads. I have never let my wife fly my drones due to some bad experiences trying to teach her to fly RC aircraft. However this past year I bought her a Mavic Mini with the idea it was inexpensive enough it wouldn't be a huge deal if she crashed it.

After flying that for a season I can say your idea that sub $1k drones "mostly suck" is outdated. The flying performance of this little drone it terrific. Buy a more expensive drone if you are after the better camera it may carry but if you don't need 4K video (the mini does 2.7K at 30FPS) then the Mini will suffice.

Even if you do get a higher end drone I'd get a Mini also as sometimes

• you want a shot but don't want to risk $$$ to get it
• you don't know if you'll want a drone along but carrying something this small is easy so you take it anyway.

I have literally spent many tens of thousands of dollars (other people's money) on drone equipment and the Mavic Mini is the best $400 spent out of all of it.

[Ssas5342]

I have a mavic mini with floats. It can land on water, takes great shots and is inexpensive. Granted it does suffer if the wind is strong but I just don’t fly it then. Being cheaper I suffer less if I do lose it or crash it in the water. Thankfully dji offer insurance at a very reasonable rate, which includes water damage as long as you can recover the drone. Hence the floats.