From surfing on a motorbike to extreme water sports like kitefoil, adrenaline junkies are always looking for new ways to push the boundaries when out at sea. With this in mind it was only a matter of time before someone replaced their kite with a drone and, thanks to videos like the below from drone brand Freefly Systems, it won’t be long before drone surfing becomes a fully fledged sport.
So how does it work? Drone surfing is very similar to kite surfing but, instead of holding on to a rope attached to a kite, a top-of-the-range drone is used for power. The obvious benefit of this is that you can go drone surfing on calm days meaning the sport can be done quite literally whenever and wherever.
Of course, you can’t just use any old drone – even some of the best drones for your superyacht won’t provide enough power to pull the weight of a fully grown human. For its video Freefly Systems used its Alta 8 model which was originally developed for professional use on film sets and can deadlift up to 9kg – yours for just $17,495.
As the video shows, riders can build up plenty of speed and can start right from the shoreline without needing to paddle out to deeper water. Although the glassy surface of the water in the video makes tricks difficult they would still be possible on slightly rougher seas (although strong winds could interfere with the drone) and crashes and spills are still a very real possibility. With a top drone becoming one of the best toys for superyachts, we predict it won’t be long before drone surfing becomes ubiquitous in yachting hotspots the world over.