SwellPro Fisherman FD1S Water-Resistant Fishing Drone
SwellPro Fisherman FD1S: Your First Drone Should Just Drop The Bait
Most people who buy a fishing drone don't want a flying camera platform with three flight modes and a firmware update waiting for them at the beach. They want the bait 500 metres out, past the break, sitting in the gutter where the good ones are. That's the whole brief for the SwellPro Fisherman FD1S. No camera, no live feed, no menus — just 2.2 kg of bait capacity, 1.3 km of range and a dual payload release, in a marine-grade ABS body that floats if you put it down on the water. It's calibration-free off the S6 flight controller, the battery slides in through a sealed hatch, and it comes in a hard case with everything you need. If you've been talking yourself into drone fishing for two seasons, this is the one that gets you started without the tax.
Add one to your cart and start dropping baits where you used to just cast and hope.
Free shipping Australia-wide. Genuine SwellPro stock supplied through the Australian importer, with local warranty support.
SwellPro Fisherman FD1S: What You Get
- You get the bait out past the break, every time — 1.3 km of range with a dual payload release means the gutter behind the second bar and the hole off the point are both in reach, and you can run multiple hooks on one flight instead of casting one rig at a time.
- Heavy baits stop being a problem — 2.2 kg capacity off the 6S LiHV battery and sine-wave ESCs, which is 20% more than the model it replaces, so live baits for sharks and tuna go out as easily as a pilchard.
- You're not learning to fly before you can fish — the S6 flight controller self-calibrates, cruise mode holds a constant heading and speed for the run out, and one button brings it home, so there's no compass dance on the sand and no piloting skill required.
- It survives the environment it works in — marine-grade ABS fuselage, corrosion-resistant coating on the motors, bait release and internals, a watertight battery hatch and a buoyant airframe that floats and can be flipped upright with the sticks if it goes over.
- A sea breeze doesn't cancel the session — GPS 9.0 across GPS, Galileo and BeiDou with ±0.5 m hover accuracy and wind resistance to 18 m/s, so it holds position and heading while you line up the drop.
Built To Float, Not To Sink
The airframe carries enough buoyancy to sit on the surface if you set it down on the water or put it down harder than you meant to. If it tips over in calm water the joysticks will right it, and you can lift off the surface and fly it back to the sand. It's rated IP65 seawater-resistant, so treat that as a safety net rather than an invitation — and give it a fresh-water rinse after every session, because salt crust is what kills these things, not the occasional splash.
SwellPro Fisherman FD1S Specifications
| Model | SwellPro Fisherman FD1S |
| Water Resistance Rating | IP65, seawater-resistant, self-floating |
| Max Payload Capacity | 2.2 kg (4.8 lb) |
| Max Flight Distance | 1,300 m |
| Max Image Transmission Distance | 1,300 m |
| Max Flight Time (Hovering) | 27 min (no wind, no load) |
| Flight Controller | S6, calibration-free |
| Camera | None — payload-focused model, no onboard camera or live view |
| Positioning | GPS 9.0 — GPS, Galileo and BeiDou |
| Hovering Precision | ±0.5 m |
| Max Wind Resistance | 18 m/s (Level 7, approx. 65 km/h) |
| Max Flight Speed | GPS 10 m/s; ATTI 18 m/s unloaded, 14 m/s at max payload |
| Max Ascent / Descent Speed | 3 m/s / 2 m/s |
| Max Tilt Angle | 30° |
| Max Altitude From Takeoff | 120 m (default limit) |
| Weight | 1,578 g without battery; 2,291 g with battery |
| Max Take-Off Weight | 4,491 g |
| Size | 628 x 628 x 218 mm with propellers; 372 x 372 x 202 mm without |
| Battery | 6S LiHV, slide-in through sealed hatch |
| Payload Release | Dual payload release, remote-controlled |
| Propellers | Screw-on, carbon fibre |
| Working Temperature | -10°C to 40°C |
SwellPro Fisherman FD1S Package Contents
- 1 x Aircraft
- 1 x Remote Controller
- 1 x Dual Payload Release
- 2 x Propellers (pair)
- 1 x Flight Battery
- 1 x Battery Charger & Cable
- 1 x Power Adapter
- 1 x Carry Case
SwellPro Fisherman FD1S FAQs
Do I need a licence to fly it?
Not for recreational fishing, but there is paperwork. CASA's licence-free allowance stops at 2 kg and the FD1S is 2.29 kg with the battery in, so you'll need to register the drone and hold an operator accreditation — both free, both done online through myCASA in about twenty minutes. Then the usual rules: daylight only, below 120 m, one drone at a time, 30 m clear of people, and not over a beach full of swimmers.
How is this different from the FD3?
The FD1S has no camera and no live video feed. Everything else — 2.2 kg payload, 1.3 km range, self-floating body, calibration-free setup — is broadly comparable. If you just want bait delivered to a spot you can see from the sand, the FD1S does that for around a thousand dollars less. If you want to read structure and spot bait schools from above before you drop, you want the camera on the FD3.
Can it land on the water?
It's designed to float, and if it flips in calm water you can right it with the joysticks and take off again. That said, it's rated IP65 water-resistant rather than fully submersible, so treat water landings as a safety net rather than a feature — don't go dunking it deliberately. Rinse it with fresh water after every saltwater session; salt crust, not the odd splash, is what kills these things over time.
How many drops will I get from one battery?
27 minutes is the hovering figure with no bait aboard, and carrying payload pulls that down sharply. In real use most anglers get several drops from a charge depending on how far out they're going and how heavy the rig is. A spare battery is the first accessory worth buying — it roughly doubles your session.
