FAA Part 107 certified, $2M-insured drone work for Gulf Coast boats, tournaments, and charters. Tracking shots, reveal orbits, and aerial coverage from a pilot who flies over open water every week — not just over backyards.
No emergency landing spots. Salt mist. GPS reflection off the surface. Wind gusts you can’t see coming.
Anyone with a drone can shoot a backyard. Flying over open water is a different category of operation entirely. The drone can’t emergency-land, the surface confuses some sensors, and the wind off the Gulf does things a pilot used to inland flying isn’t prepared for. We’ve flown over the water consistently for years — tournaments, charters, listing shoots, and one-off owner commissions — and the workflow reflects that experience.
Every marine drone shoot at KDH is operated by a Part 107 certified pilot, cleared through LAANC where required, logged, and covered by $2M in liability insurance. The aerials look the same. The risk profile and the legal exposure do not.
The drone following the boat at speed — the signature marine shot that puts the buyer in the cockpit and sells the experience of ownership.
The cinematic orbit pulling out from the bow to reveal the full vessel and the water around her — the opening move of every great listing reel.
The directly-overhead shot showing the boat’s lines, layout, hull condition, and how she sits in the water — what serious buyers spend the most time on.
Aerials showing the vessel at her slip, the marina, the surrounding water, and the proximity to the Gulf — the photos that tell the location story.
The fight, the boat working, the spread, the gaff shot — aerial coverage that captures the action the deck camera can’t.
Beauty aerials timed to the Gulf Coast’s evening light — the single most stopping-power frame in a typical scroll.
Added to any marine photo or video shoot in the same visit — most common booking, one trip, single delivery.
Aerial photo & video already included in Walkthrough Film and Tournament packages — nothing extra to add.
Aerial-only shoot for tournaments, marina coverage, or aerial-first marketing where you don’t need ground photography.
There’s no shoulder to pull onto when you’re flying over open water.
Marine drone operations require a different protocol than inland flying. Battery management, wind monitoring, sensor calibration, and recovery planning are all different over water. After 50+ over-water flights in the last six months, the workflow is dialed.
Wind speed, gust forecast, sea state, and recovery zones identified before launch.
Drone returns with significant battery reserve — we don’t cut it close over water.
Surface reflection can confuse sensors. Pre-flight calibration is non-negotiable on every marine job.
For long-range underway tracking, a chase boat or platform keeps the drone within VLOS and recoverable.
Gear rinsed and dried after every shoot — salt is the silent killer of drone electronics over time.
Sustained winds under 25 knots, gust forecast under 35, and no precipitation in the operating window. Light overcast is actually ideal — harsh midday sun creates more glare problems than gray sky does. We monitor wind and conditions hour-by-hour and reschedule freely for safety.
Yes — tournament coverage is a regular part of what we do. We coordinate with the captain in advance, fly at heights and distances that don’t disrupt the spread or the fight, and stay out of the way during gaff shots. Most captains tell us they forget we’re flying after the first hour.
Primarily gimbal drones — they produce the cinematic, stable footage marine clients want for listings, charters, and sponsor reels. FPV (cinematic first-person view) is available for specific high-energy tournament shots or promo reels when the brief calls for it.
Drones are rinsed with fresh water after every saltwater shoot, gimbals serviced regularly, and replacement units kept on hand. We treat saltwater exposure as a known cost of doing marine work, not as something to avoid.
Both work. Marina launch is easier for dockside shoots; boat-launch is required for offshore tournament coverage and long-range tracking shots. Marina launches must comply with FAA rules around uninvolved people, which we handle in pre-flight.
Yes — $2M in liability coverage with certificates of insurance available for marinas, tournament organizers, or charter operators that require them. Certificate naming your venue or event as additional insured available on request.
Liability insurance covers third-party damage. We’ve never lost a drone over water in our marine work, but the coverage is there. Equipment loss is our cost, not yours.
For tournaments and multi-day events, daily social-ready cuts during the event are standard on tournament packages. For single-day shoots, same-day teaser cuts are available for an additional fee.
Send the vessel, the marina or launch location, and the shoot date. We’ll confirm airspace and have a quote within 48 hours.