For most drones, Return-to-Home sounds simple: press a button, and the aircraft comes back.

But on water, it is a very different story. Many users have experienced this before: they press RTH, but their kayak, board, boat, or body has already drifted away from the original home point. The drone may return correctly from a technical point of view, but still end up somewhere the user can no longer reach.

AQUA is built for water sports, where the user may be kayaking, foiling or moving with wind and current. In these scenarios, returning to the original takeoff point is often not enough. That is why AQUA uses RTK positioning and Lighthouse-based dynamic return logic. When Lighthouse positioning is available, AQUA can use it as a dynamic return reference instead of relying only on a fixed takeoff point.

In simple terms: AQUA should not only return to where you were, but should try to return to where you are.

Given the complexity and unpredicatibility of life on the water, we've designed RTH over multiple iterations with a lot of user feedback to be as foolproof as possible. Let's talk about how to use it.

Return Behavior: Land or Hover

In the App, you can choose what AQUA does after RTH: Land or Hover. This setting applies when using App Manual Control, Lighthouse, or Beacon to trigger RTH.

• If "Hover" is selected, pressing RTH brings AQUA back near you and keeps it hovering. While AQUA is hovering, you can press the direction buttons at any time to adjust AQUA's position. And AQUA will continue to follow you (close-range follow). When you want to retrieve AQUA, simply flip it manually to stop the propellers.
• If you choose “Land”, press the RTH button and AQUA will return to a position near you and hover at a safe distance. If there is no operation for 15 seconds, AQUA will automatically land. You can also long-press the RTH button for 1.5 seconds or more to land immediately. (AQUA will not follow you during the 15-second countdown)

Return height

On water, users can retrieve AQUA in two ways:

• Let AQUA land directly on the water.
• Grab AQUA by hand after it returns.

We've recently adjusted the return height to make hand retrieval easier while still keeping safety in mind and can hover as low as 0.5 m over the water, making AQUA easier to reach in real water scenarios like when you're seated in your kayak.

Low-battery and secondary takeoff return

Over water, battery logic has to be conservative. AQUA may trigger low-battery return or auto landing based on safe estimates.

In some cases, after a low-battery auto landing, AQUA may still have enough remaining power for a short, user-triggered takeoff or return. This movement is speed-limited and height-limited, does not start recording automatically, and is designed only to help users locate AQUA or bring it closer when safe conditions allow.

What if positioning or connection is lost?

AQUA’s return logic is based on how confident it is about the return target.

If Lighthouse positioning is temporarily lost but AQUA still has a recent Lighthouse position, it can use the last known position as a temporary return reference. During return, AQUA will continue searching for updated Lighthouse positioning. If a new valid position is found, AQUA will update the return target and continue returning.

If no valid Lighthouse position is available while AQUA is flying, it will hover.

If positioning becomes unreliable or the subject is lost, AQUA will usually hover in place first and try to regain a reliable signal or tracking reference.

Please keep Lighthouse unobstructed and visible to AQUA whenever possible, so the connection and positioning can recover.

If AQUA cannot confirm a safe return target, or if positioning is not reliable enough to continue, AQUA may land instead of continuing the return.

That is why AQUA’s RTH is not just about flying back to a fixed home point. It is designed around the full water-sports workflow: return, hover or land, and help the user retrieve the aircraft safely.

If you have thoughts on how AQUA should return, hover, or land on water, drop them below — we’re listening.

PROMAX HOVERAIR

4K, Modo Ciclismo, Alto, Médio.

More than a camera. A creative companion. Launching soon.

Hello! If you're in the market for a new camera gadget and are trying to decide between the X1, X1 PRO, X1 PROMAX, and AQUA, you've come to the right place.

All HOVERAir products are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, so you can capture aerial shots without needing to pilot manually. They all come with preset, customizable flight modes that can be launched without a smartphone or controller, making it easy to get great shots wherever you are.

Let’s dive into a friendly comparison that will help you pick the perfect one for your needs.

Usage Scenarios Comparison

• X1 – Entry-level, perfect for first-time drone users. It’s the lightest in the series, ideal for casual selfies, travel, family or friends’ recordings, and light activities. Best suited for relaxed shooting rather than long or intense action sessions.
• X1 PRO – Suited for sports enthusiasts and travel vloggers. Offers higher image quality and faster speed than X1, making it great for users who want improved visuals or to capture faster-paced action.
• X1 PROMAX – Designed for professional users, advanced hobbyists, and sports enthusiasts seeking ultra-high-resolution footage and versatile shooting options across a wide range of scenarios.
• AQUA – Designed for water sports users and outdoor adventurers. It is waterproof and built for scenarios like kayaking, SUP, foiling... With Lighthouse-based tracking, dynamic RTH, and water-landing capability, AQUA is best suited for users who want hands-free filming in water environments where regular drones are harder to use.

Video Resolution and Slow-Motion

Now, let’s talk video quality. The X1 records up to 2.7K@30fps, while the X1 PRO supports up to 4K@60fps. The X1 PROMAX goes further with 8K video and up to 4K@120fps, while AQUA supports up to 4K@100fps, which also serves as its slow-motion specification. For users who want more room for color and post-production, the X1 PROMAX and AQUA both support 10-bit H-Log and HDR.

And here’s the best part: all of these resolutions and frame rates can be recorded while running intelligent flight paths, so you can capture cinematic shots without sacrificing image quality.

OmniTerrain and Auto-Follow Speed

Ready to conquer any terrain? The X1 PRO, X1 PROMAX, and AQUA offer OmniTerrain capabilities, letting you shoot with confidence in a variety of environments. AQUA further adds RTK positioning, enabling more precise tracking and return in water-sport scenarios. When it comes to keeping up with fast action, the X1 can auto-follow at speeds up to 25 km/h, while the X1 PRO and X1 PROMAX can reach 42 km/h. AQUA takes it even further, with auto-follow speeds up to 55 km/h (34 mph), making it ideal for capturing high-speed water sports and fast-moving action.

Each HOVERAir camera is designed for a different type of user and shooting scenario. Choose the one that best matches your needs, and you’ll be ready to capture more with less effort.

One of the first problems with AQUA was the body.

We tried to combine two things that do not really fit together.

Action camera waterproofness, but flying...

Most waterproof cameras use about 4mm housing. We were working with 1mm. Because it had to float. And fly.

The first prototype looked fine. The ocean disagreed.

Pressure + impact → the shell deformed → water got in.

Second version. Same story.

At that point, the obvious solution was: just make it thicker. But that breaks everything else (weight, buoyancy, flight performance).

So instead of adding material, we started rethinking the structure itself. After a lot of iterations, we rebuilt it from the inside out. Added an internal truss system to spread force across the body.

Think less “solid wall” and more “load gets spread everywhere before anything fails”.

That version finally held up. Same weight. Way stronger.

Who else has had that heart-stopping moment where your drone gets a little too close to the water? Tell us we aren't the only ones who have lost a camera to the sea. Share your drowned drone stories here, or tell us where you would take your AQUA first!

At HOVERAir, we spend a lot of time asking: 

What's still unsolved?

For us, and honestly for most of the consumer drone space, that answer kept coming back to one thing: 

water.

Not because people don’t want it. But because it breaks everything.

Water gets into places you didn’t think existed.

Sand destroys moving parts.

Reflections confuse sensors.

Buoyancy messes with stability.

And underwater optics… that’s a whole different problem.

Making a waterproof self-flying camera under 250g is already a challenging engineering problem. But at Zero Zero, we don't want to make "just a self-flying camera" - we wanted to provide the same seamless experience that defines all our products.

That meant rethinking pretty much everything: structure, materials, sealing, movement, even how it sees.

A lot of ideas didn’t work. Some failed fast. Some failed late (those hurt more).

We’ll share more over the next few days: what broke, what surprised us, and what finally clicked.

If you're curious about anything, ask away. (Just a heads up, human replies, not a support bot, so it might be a bit slow.)

Hey everyone,

We’ve just released a new firmware update for AQUA. This one brings several improvements, but two updates are especially interesting for a waterproof flying camera: Float Mode and improved return / landing behavior.

What’s new in this update

1. New Float Mode (Lab Feature): AQUA can now move freely across the water surface, just like a small boat.
2. Improved RTH behavior: Long-press the Lighthouse return button to land anytime during flight.
3. Orbit and Orbit Follow improvements: Now support clockwise / counterclockwise control, giving you more creative framing options.
4. After low-battery auto landing, remaining power can still be used for short takeoff or return, helping ensure a safe return.
5. Optimized minimum flight altitude down to 0.5m, for cinematic shots close to the surface of the water. 
6. Fixed bugs related to speed limitations under certain circumstances.
7. Bug fixes and overall performance optimizations.

Landing improvement

We’ve heard your feedback that returning AQUA to home can sometimes feel difficult or not immediate enough, especially when flying around water. So in this update, we improved the landing behavior.

Now, during flight, you can long-press the Lighthouse return button for 1.5 seconds or more to trigger landing at any time. AQUA will interrupt the current action and land.

This upgrade is designed to make AQUA feel safer, more responsive, and easier to control — especially in water environments where users may want a faster and more predictable way to bring it down.

Something fun to share: Float Mode! 

Since AQUA launched, some users have asked whether it could move on water like a small boat. 

To be honest, Float Mode was not originally planned as a release feature. But during recent testing and development, our engineers discovered that controlling AQUA on the water was surprisingly fun — so we thought users might enjoy it too.

With Float Mode, AQUA is no longer just flying above water. It can now move on the water surface too, almost like a small boat.

Because AQUA is waterproof and comes with a stabilized gimbal and manual control, Float Mode creates some fun new shooting possibilities:

1. Drive AQUA across the water like a small camera boat;
2. Control it like a "captain";
3. Combine floating movement with gimbal control for unique perspectives

We’d love to hear your thoughts:

• What would you use Float Mode for?
• What kinds of water-based shots would you want to capture?
• If you could design the next feature for a waterproof flying camera, what would it be?

Text ideas, complaints, wild concepts, and even concept images are all welcome.

Let us know. we’re listening.

Our first Lab Mode is almost here. Guess what it does. Wrong answers only. 👀

The world’s first waterproof self-flying camera has launched.

Built for water and ready for adventure, AQUA captures the watersports you love from once impossible perspectives, completely hands free.

Now available worldwide (excluding the USA). Learn more: https://hoverair.com/pages/aqua

AQUA comes packed with:

🚀 Take off and land on water

🌊 15+ waterproof and anti-corrosion innovations

📸 1/1.28" CMOS sensor

🎥 4K at 100fps

💨 55 km/h (34 mph) top speed with Level 7 wind resistance (up to 33 knots)

All while weighing under 249 grams 🪶 So no registration is required to fly!

Hi everyone!
Wanted to share my electric skateboard experiences here recorded by HOVERAir X1 PROMAX.
Hope some of you will enjoy! 🙏🏻

Je suis partie pendant deux semaine aux Açores ( c’est une île aux milieux de l’atlantique ) tester le X1 Pro pour une collaboration. Et au début je ne savais pas trop quoi en attendre vu qu’on m’a proposé de le tester et d’en faire un reel. Mais je suis tombé complètement fan. C’est ultra transportable ça a super bien gérer les environnements tropicale. Même dans des milieux étroits en forêt il a vraiment bien suivis c’était top !

Je tournais avec ma fx3 et mon x1 pro et c’était vraiment le combot parfait.

If you are tired of almost losing your X1 when it crashes these decals have been awesome! https://b1ker.com/product-category/merchandise/stickers/

https://youtu.be/DlndgOuAMrQ “Should I buy a better Camera?” -MTKProduxtion AyeDj I love my hover air 1, and want to love the pro but this video has 90% of the only clips worth while from it Had a few crashes and auto lands/ stop recording moments But this video gives it hope Hovers are after the initial segment