Water Sports and FPV

The opening thirty seconds of this piece are hilarious and all too relatable for any pilot who dares fly their quad over the water. NurkFPV gets a little too close to the wake and ends up in the water, but he survives another day of capturing epic FPV footage this time of the group that makes up Wake Nation Cincinnati. He’ll get up close and personal with the wake boarders as they are towed through an obstacle course. The flight earned him an AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch nod in August of 2019.

Kiteboarding is the action sport that combines aspects of snowboarding, windsurfing, paragliding, skateboarding, wake boarding, and sailing all into one very extreme sport. The kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a power kite to propel themselves across water, land or snow. JohnyyFPV captured two kiteboarders making their way across the water, then sauces it up with some fancy, tight tree proximity flying and skyscraper diving in this aptly-titled flight. This was an easy pick for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.

Known for his epic, high energy flights, top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Red - FPV was at it again in this film; watch as he chases some of the world's fastest kite surfers in the world as they train for the annual PWA (Professional Windsurfers Association) Grand Slam, off the coast of Fuerteventura, one of Spain's Canary Islands. This talented drone pilot gives us a birds eye view on the speed, and agility and raw strength required by the surfer to harness the wind power and charge through the waves.  

The man-made Flagler Memorial Island outside of Miami Beach, Florida (USA) was the perfect setting for FPV pilot Banner_drones to have a little fun with his friends from Vice Boat Club.  Watch as he flies both his cinewhoop and racing quad, chasing the water sports entertainment like the hot new electric Radinn jet/surf boards, Jet Skis, watertubing, and the revelers on the beach.  This January 2020 FPV Video of the Month winner always picks creative settings and that's why we returned him to the FPV Pilots to Watch list in April 2020.

This excellent video by first-person view (FPV) pilot elbuhofpv will give you a new perspective of the great city of New York, which went into near-lockdown in the second half of March 2020 as it became the US epicenter of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.  Showing the city in the happier times before the storm hit, he was able to film a pair of jetskiers plying the waters that surround Lower Manhattan.  Check it out for some epic views of the city's skyline from the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and more.

With their strong, steady winds, the Canary Islands are considered one of the world's top spots for the emerging extreme sport of kitesurfing.  It's no surprise then that as "ordinary" kitesurfing heads for the next level of intensity - in which the kiteboard sits on a hydrofoil - it's going to happen here.  And who better to film this than Red-FPV, one of the world's top FPV pilots.  Filmed off Corralejo Beach on the isand of Fuerteventura, this made the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.

If flying a first person view (FPV) racing quad over water was one of the first frontier in FPV, over-water flight while filming a wakeboarding must be the sixth or seventh.  And if there is anyone who can unlock the power of FPV drones to film an epic wakeboarding session, it's the legendary pilot JohnnyFPV.  The two-time Drone Video Award winner and Instagram phenom was able to shoot this amazing FPV video was shot on the waters of Lake Minnetonka, a large recreational lake just west of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  

Top contributor and first person view (FPV) drone pilot Red—fpv is the master of Dynamic FPV - the art of using racing drones to track and film moving subjects.  His skills are put to good use in this video, in which he tracks all manner of surfers, including those riding essentially motorized surfboards called foilboards.  He also uses his quad to fly around more traditional surfers most catching waves with just boards, others using a standup paddles.  All good reasons to be picked for the AirVuz Pilots to Watch list in December, 2019. 

Winner for the 2nd Annual AirVuz Drone Video Awards in the Freestyle Technical category, AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Tomz FPV knows a thing or two about hitting gaps and flying tight. He’s doing just that in this wakeboard-tracking video he shot in conjunction with Red Bull. Tracking 19-year-old professional wakeborader Jules Charraud, he’ll give us sixty seconds of awesome footage, keeping Jules in frame throughout.  Very well done, this video was picked for the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch List in November, 2019.

We’ve seen a lot of crazy, extreme sports by drone, but this one may take the cake for being the most inventive. Shot by talented AirVuz content creator and first person view (FPV) pilot sandfpv, see a group of adventure seekers as they slingshot off of a sailboat behind a jet ski. It’s an interesting concept, where the folks involved don’t just slide down the “sling shot” line, they flip and jump off of it. We can’t think of a better way to capture these crazy antics than by mini quad. 

Taking us to the blue waters surrounding Spain is talented AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot carrerasdedrones. He’ll capture the surf and surfers as they tackle the Atlantic Ocean’s swell off the coast of Galicia. Galicia is an autonomous community in Spain’s northwest, famous amongst Christians since its cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, is the reputed burial places of the apostle Saint James the Great. This video was a selection for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in December, 2020. 

Taking us out to the waters surrounding Miami, Florida via his mini quad is first person view (FPV) pilot and AirVuz contributor Banner_Drones.  He’ll take us roaring behind motorized surfboards, behind jet skis, and even out to a remote helicopter landing in the middle of the ocean. The waters around Miami are known for their epic parties, luxury yachts and exotic toys, all of which can be seen in this video, which was selected as a pick for the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in November of 2019.

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is located in Hengqin, Zhuhau, China. The park is one of the largest ocean-themed amusement parks in the world complete with amusement park rides, rare animal exhibits, grand performances, and diverse dining and shopping experiences. It’s 31,000 cubic meter aquarium holds about 20,000 rare fish. Pilot Red—fpv flew at the park during a fly boading show, giving us a glimpse at the fascinating park by mini quad. This flight earned our very talented content creator an FPV Pilots to Watch nod in June, 2019.

If you’ve never seen a dragon boat race (much less heard of one) then you need to check out this video by pilot InspireFPV. He’s taking us out to the 24th Annual Kaiser Permanente Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival on Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. The two-day event brings together world-class dragon boat racing, a style of human-powered, wooden boat racing that originated in the Pearl River Delta region in Ancient China.  This video was tapped for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.

Kitesurfing is certainly not as easy as good surfers make it look. Kitesurfing, also known as kiteboarding, is the art of combining surfing with wake boarding and paragliding. The athlete stands on a board while traveling behind the power of the wind-propelled kite. You can see what it looks like in this drone video by Drone Video Award nominated pilot Red — fpv, one of the world's most talented FPV filmers of moving people and things.  For his efforts, this video was placed on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in August, 2019. 

You have to see this aerial windsurfing video. Shot by pilot FPVision, he’s taken his mini quad out to the surf to follow this incredibly talented wind surfer. He’ll get right up tight next to the surfer as he flies 15-plus-feet in the air, grab his surf board with one hand, then lands back on the water. It’s an impressive flight that gives you an all new appreciation for the people who tackle the air and waves via windsurfing; good reasons for our contributor to earn a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.

Banner_Drones clearly had a banner year in 2019, and they now have this 'fun-in-the-sun' gem from Miami as a sweet FPV souvenir.  Since nothing beats the view of that skyline, we're treated to plenty of dope cinematic shots of hangin' out on yachts, plunging into the ocean on water slides, and friends carrying friends while flyboarding.  But the real star is Banner_Drones flying around it all, and for that, he's been added to our Pilots to Watch list for January 2020. Check out all of his content on his AirVuz profile!

Name a better way to view water sports than from a mini quad. We don’t think you can, especially when you see videos like this one by AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Enes_Fpv. He’ll track  water boarder as he rises out of the depths of the sea like the mythical Poseidon. He’ll also take us cruising around the beautiful cliffs and eddies that surround the team of water sport participants. This flight was certainly enough to land him on our FPV Pilots to Watch list in August of 2019.

Opening with some tight, mountain surfing shots and dives then roaring out onto the water, check out this amazing FPV video by pilot Upsidedown FPV. The Drone Racing League pilot is capturing incredible shots of wind surfers as they compete in the Engadinwind. His compilation of highlights from the event include shots of rows of wind surfers racing and performing incredible tricks, flipping with their surfboards over the waves.  This video earned him a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.  

Like almost all drone videos, first person view (FPV) drone videos involve multiple "takes" and editing of various clips.  What makes this piece by top AirVuz content creator and FPV pilot George FPV so incredible is that he did it in one take.  The flight over some racing sailboats is highly entertaining to watch, all the more so knowing what kind of flying skill it required to do this without multiple cuts.  It's why we chose to place this on the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in June, 2019.

Tomz FPV is making a name for himself in the extreme-sports-by-FPV world. The AirVuz Drone Video Awards winner in the FPV Freestyle Technical category has done some incredible work filming athletes for Red Bull. This video, shot with the production team SUPERSIZE Films, features Nouria Newman, the French slalom canoeist who competed professionally from 2007 to 2015. She’s won gold at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championship and you can see why in this risky trip down the rapids; this video made the FPV Pilots to Watch list in June, 2019.

Top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot RussellFPV has taken us on many adventures with his FPV mini quad; this one is arguably one of the most exciting adventures to date. He’s taking us behind a few talented Jet Surf riders on a sunny day. Jet Surfing is surfing with a motor strapped on the back of a short surf board. His quad is getting drenched by the surfers, but that doesn’t slow him down. Take a look at the new sport in this video, which was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.

Top contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Fincky made the FPV Pilots to Watch list in November, 2020 with this epic video, in which he used his mini-drone to chase a professional wakeboarder in one of France's storied wine regions.  Using a Dex HydroX FPV drone, he followed pro wakeboarder Ben Heriet performing some mind-blowing stunts on the water in the Burgundy region of Northern France.  As you watch this, you will appreciate both the skills of the wakeboarder and the talented pilot who is filming him.  

There aren’t many lakes with views quite like the one offered by Lake Michigan near the downtown Chicago skyline. First person view (FPV) pilot ilya_fpv was out on a speed boat with friends when he decided to take out his mini quad to capture one of the crew on a wakeboard. The mix of water sport and stunning skyline make this short FPV video stand out against others that offer just one or the other of these perspectives.  For his efforts, our contributor earned a spot on the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2019.

Top AirVuz contributor Red-fpv is one of the world's top first person view (FPV) drone pilots.  Hailing from France, he has carved out a specialty filming aquatic action sports.  Take a look at this mix, where he’ll take you literally through the water (several times, in fact), and up close and personal with jet skiers and waterpark enthusiasts alike. If you’re not impressed enough, he’ll even slow things down for you so you can really take in the wicked ride that is every flight in this FPV medley. 

While gimbal-stabilized camera drones such as the DJI Phantom and Mavic lines have revolutionized the world of sailing, these quadcopters aren't suited to high speed sailing.  Even if they are fast enough to keep up with fast-moving sailboats, they aren't able to get shots like what you will see in this remarkable video by top contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot SFPV.  He used a GoPro mounted to a racing quadcopter to film some seriously insane catamaran sailing action on San Francisco Bay.  

Watching first person view (FPV) pilots navigate behind extreme sports athletes is one of our favorite things to do. Take this video by pilot carrerasdedrones, he’s bobbing, weaving and zipping after wakeboarders on the water in Spain. They’re connected to a zip line at a wake park, adding one more piece of equipment to avoid while he’s flying. Avoiding the line and water while trying to highlight the athletes is much harder than it looks in this video which was a pick for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in September, 2019. 

Name a better way to watch the sun go down than by first person view (FPV) quad cruising around a jet ski. We’ll wait. Check out this sunset/jet ski cruise by AirVuz Pilot and former Drone Racing League Champion nurkfpv. The guys he follows on their racing jetskis look like they’re having a blast tearing up the lake, but probably not as much fun as the Drone Racing League Champion is having flying around them. This flight earned nurkfpv a spot on the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in June of 2019. 

Using a TBS 7" Source One first person view (FPV) racing drone, AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot Matt Dahlberg created this spectacular action video of some kiteboarders off the coast of Florida.  Given the speed of this emerging extreme sport, FPV drones allow skilled pilots to film kiteboarders from an "up close and personal" perspective.  The speed and maneuverability of these quads make a perfect match for the kiteboarders; this video was an easy selection for the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in May, 2020.

Powered by enclosed "impellers", jet-skis can attain speeds of well over 100 km/hour (about 60 mph).  That makes them to fast to be filmed by stabilized aerial cinematography platforms, at least when they are cruising at or near their top-end speeds.  That's where first person view (FPV) drones come into play; when controlled by skilled pilots, these racing quads have no trouble keeping up with even the fastest jet-skis.  To see what we mean, check out this fantastic FPV video by AirVuz contributor and pilot ShaggyFPV.   

This outstanding first person view (FPV) video by AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot MrFpv combines aspects of classic coastal cinematic FPV with the difficult art of chasing moving subjects.  Filmed in the coastal town of Chekka in northern Lebanon, the video does a great job of capturing the beautiful cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  The real focus of the video though is chasing - in this case, an obviously very skilled surfer on a powered surfboard.  This video was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in June, 2020.

Miami, Florida is generally considered the aquatic recreation capital of the USA, if not the world.  The semi-protected waters of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to its east have turned SoFlo into a magnet for enthusiasts of yachts, jetskis, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, parasailing, and other sundry activities.  In this epic first person view (FPV) piece by Banner_Drones, you'll get a one-of-a-kind view of this legendary watersports scene, including some unbelievable shots of some flyboarders.  

Have you ever heard of foil sailing? Also known as Sailing hydrofoil, hydrofoil sailboat, or hydrosail, it is the art of maneuvering a sailboat with wing-like foils mounted under the hull. As the boat speeds up, the hydrofoils lift the hull up and out of the water, resulting in decreased drag and increased speed. See the technique at work in this cinematic FPV video by pilot motionpilot. He used Vector in this shoot, which he says is the world’s first hand motion controller for FPV drones. 

In this outstanding piece by contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Banner_Drones, you'll get to vicariously experience an epic yacht party in Miami, Florida at Christmastime in 2020.  Openeing with an amazing dive down one of the city's ubiquitous skyscrapers, the video will take you over Biscayne Bay to a party boat on Biscayne Bay.  You'll check out the dance scene with "cinewhoop" style FPV footage, then circle a nighttime flyboarder.  This video earned our contributor a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in January, 2021.  

This is windsurfing like we’ve never seen before. Naturally, it is brought to us by first person view (FPV) drone pilot and AirVuz Drone Video Awards nominee Red—fpv, who created it while flying during a training session for the 2019 PWA Fuerteventura. He gets closer with his mini quad to these athletes than we’ve ever seen before. Watch as he comes from behind, overtaking the powerful windsurfers then coming back behind to follow them again. It looks like an amazing event that Red—fpv was fortunate to capture. 

Nothing like an epic, slow-motion shot to get you hooked on a piece. That’s the case in this short video by top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Lougedo who has taken his mini quad out to the ocean to capture four surfers as the waves roll in. The video is under one minute and is comprised of only one shot, but the line is perfect and the slow, powerful, rolling waves look absolutely amazing.  While it's extremely difficult flying work, FPV drones are increasingly being used to bring a new perspective to surfing.

While gimbal-stabilized drones such as DJI's Mavic series have revolutionized the world of aerial videography, they still have a fundamental limitation in that they can't generally exceed a speed of 70-80 km/hr (around 50 mph).  That's where first person view (FPV) drones can have an advantage, as they are capable of flying at least twice as fast.  This allows the capture of faster-moving targets, such as high-powered speedboats.  In this video by LiftedMedia, you'll see footage of top FPV pilot nurkfpv chasing a racing boat in Texas.  

All drone pilots know that a strong wind can be your worst enemy. At the end of the day, drones are pretty small, lightweight objects that can’t take a ton of wind without knocking them off course. However, sometimes the subject you want to capture needs wind; for example, kitesurfers perform their best when the winds are moving the sails and rolling the waves just right. Daviz Fpv found the struggle was real while out chasing down these kitesurfer. Check out this video to see if he was able to get the shots through the striking winds. 

F One Foils are basically kiteboarding rigs on steroids - the board (and rider) are suspended above the water by a hydrofoil while being pulled along by a kite.  It's an extreme sport by any measure, and extremely difficult to film due to the speeds involved.  That's where first person view (FPV) drones come in.  In this amazing piece, you'll be treated to some epic F One racing action on a very windy San Francisco Bay.  It's a great way to see this exciting new sport, and earned SFPV a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2020.

We’ll get up close and personal with the waves in Chile as drone pilot presvanrees tails some surfers as they, in turn, take on the South Pacific Ocean's waves. The northern region of the country is known for attracting surfers from all over the world. Although the waves in central Chile are bigger, those northern waves are stronger and better suited for surfing. However, due to the wetsuit, we think this FPV session was flown along the coast of central or southern Chile where the waters are much colder.

In this amazing piece, top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot EngineerFpv answers the question posed in the video title.  How did he spend the longest day of the year?  Answer: with his mini-quad, filming some people very obviously enjoying the great outdoors on a beautiful stretch of coastline.  The video features some especially epic jetski chasing, as well as some great shots of some brave cliff-divers.  For his efforts, our talented content creator was awarded a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in July, 2020.  

Hold on to your proverbial hats for an epic first person view (FPV) ride chasing a formation of jetskiers, compliments of AirVuz contributor teammistral.  Flying off a yacht, the talented FPV pilot mixes it up with these fast-moving personal watercraft, running their paces near St. Tropez in the legendary French Riviera.  There's even some nice "cinewhoop" style footage flying through the yacht.  This video earned our talented content creator a spot on the coveted FPV Pilots to Watch list in February, 2021.  

Here's an amazing first personn view (FPV) video of a boat race on the Don River in southern Russia, compliments of content creator and FPV pilot D3nzlFPV.  It's a great example of the power of racing drones to film subjects which are simply moving too fast for gimbal-stabilized camera drones.  The filming scene is near the city of Rostov-on-Don, a port city near the mouth of the mighty Don River in Russia's Southern Federated District.  The Don is one of the most important waterways in southern Russia.  

VanDutch is one of the newest names in the exclusive world of power yachts.  The Dutch company manufactures yacht lines in the 40, 48, 56, and 75 foot classes.  Naturally enough, one of its largest markets is the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area of southern Florida.  In this first person view (FPV) drone video by AirVuz contributor Nonexistent Jay, you'll be treated to some FPV footage of a VanDutch craft plying the waters of the Gold Coast.  This video was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in November, 2020.   

Uitgeest is a town in the Netherlands’ province of North Holland. The birthplace of the man who invented the wind-powered sawmill, many of those iconic looking structures can be seen in the area.  Talented AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot anotonvs fpv was in the town to take in some midsummer sailing. Using his FPV racing quad mounted with an HD camera, he’ll capture the captains as they coast along the still water, gliding through the setting sun which casts purple and pink reflections on the water.

Top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Clark Lupton compiled his best footage from 2020 in this spectacular annual reel.  The footage was shot at Smith Mountain Lake, a large reservoir in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Roanoake area of central Virginia.  It's home to one of the USA's most epic aquatic recreation scenes, and you'll see it all from an FPV perspective.  With some of the best waterskiiing and wakeboarding FPV footage we've seen, this was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in January, 2021.  

Talented first person view (FPV) drone pilot Nonexistent Jay earned himself another spot on the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list with this impressive piece from the Florida Keys.  Selected for the list in early October, 2020, the video will give you a unique perspective on the epic aquatic recreation scene which can be found in this chain of islands which extends off the southern coast of the Sunshine State into the South Atlantic Ocean.  It features some epic footage of powered surfboat riders cruising near Seven Mile Bridge.  

Stand-up jetskis are capable of pulling off amazing aerial feats; skilled riders are able to use their high-horsepower propulsion systems to put their personal watercraft into almost any orientation.  The difficulty of filming this action has created an opportunity for first-person view (FPV) drones, which are cable to getting up-close and personal with these talented athletes.  Alex Pulvidente was able to capture some jetski action on Long Island, New York, earning himself a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in October, 2020.  

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot PiwilFPV brings us this fantastic wakeboarding FPV shoot.  Wakeboarding is really a cross between waterskiing and surfing where the extra weight of the special-purpose towing boat causes it to sit low in the water and create a wake which is not unlike the surf of an ocean.  It's a very difficult sport to master, and perhaps equally difficult to film.  This video was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in December, 2020.  

With more than 6,000 kilometers (3728 miles) of Pacific Ocean shoreline, Chile is a popular destination for surfers around the world. Due to the cold in certain parts of the country, wetsuits, like the ones you’ll see in this drone video by prisvanrees, are needed for surfers to stay warm. In this killer FPV edit, the pilot takes us dangerously close to the waves, seemingly getting very close to losing his quad to the ocean. It’s a fun, exciting edit with some of the tightest shots a pilot can get while tracking surfers.

NurkFPV has shown that he is not afraid of putting his first person view (FPV) quads in harm's way.  It's no surprise then that he and his wakeboarder bud, Randy Kizer, took some freestyle risks in the filming of this crazy good drone video.  Flying a racing quad over water and allowing your buddy to chase you with a set of (sharp enough!) blades can be tricky biz.  Nonetheless, these guys manage to pull through the good fun with an action-packed FPV vid you just have to watch for yourself!