Services
Water and corrosion repair
On the Gulf Coast, water is the number one killer of drones — and it doesn't need a splashdown to do it. Salt air alone corrodes connectors, motor windings and board traces over months of coastal flying. Whether your drone went into the water or has just lived near it, the treatment is the same discipline: stop the corrosion, clean to bare metal, recover what's recoverable.
Speed matters more here than in any other repair. A saltwater landing left untreated for two weeks is often unrecoverable; the same drone treated within days usually isn't. If your drone got wet: do not power it on, remove the battery, and contact us today.
Get a repair quoteWhat water and salt damage looks like
Water damage announces itself in stages. Early treatment is the difference between a cleaning and a rebuild:
- Drone went into salt, brackish or fresh water — even briefly
- White, green or rust-colored residue on connectors, screws or boards
- Motors that grind, stick or sound rough after coastal flying
- Intermittent power, random reboots or sensors dropping out
- Corroded battery contacts or batteries that no longer seat cleanly
- Video link or GPS degrading over weeks of flying near the coast
How we treat water and corrosion damage
Stabilize
Full disassembly, battery isolation, and immediate treatment to halt active corrosion before it spreads further into boards and windings.
Ultrasonic cleaning
Boards and metal components are cleaned ultrasonically with the correct solutions for salt versus fresh water contamination, then dried under controlled conditions.
Component-level assessment
We test each board and motor individually, identify what's recovered and what's beyond saving, and quote you the honest picture — including when a total loss is the right call.
Rebuild and verify
Approved repairs are rebuilt with new hardware where corrosion compromised fasteners or connectors, then run through full-system testing before return.
Turnaround
Stabilization and cleaning begin when your drone arrives — with water damage, that speed matters more than anything else. Full recovery time depends on drying, testing and parts; your quote lays out the realistic picture.
Free diagnosis. Quote before any work.
Diagnosis is free. We inspect and test your drone, then send a detailed written quote — including a realistic timeline. Work starts only after you approve it; if you decline, we return your drone and you owe nothing for the diagnosis.
Water & Corrosion Repair — common questions
My drone fell in the water. What should I do right now?
Do not power it on — that's what turns a wet drone into a dead one. Remove the battery, shake out standing water, and get it shipped to us as soon as possible. Don't use rice; it doesn't reach the boards and wastes the hours that matter.
Is saltwater damage worse than freshwater?
Much worse. Salt is conductive and aggressively corrosive, so it both short-circuits powered electronics and keeps eating the boards after drying. Saltwater incidents are urgent; freshwater ones are merely serious.
What are the odds a water-damaged drone can be saved?
It depends almost entirely on speed and whether it was powered while wet. Treated within days and not powered on, recovery odds are good. Powered on after a saltwater dunk, or left for weeks — much lower. The free diagnosis gives you a straight answer either way.
I fly near the beach but never crashed. Do I need this?
Salt-air corrosion is cumulative and silent — it's the most common thing we find inside coastal drones that 'fly fine.' If your drone lives within a few miles of salt water, a periodic inspection and cleaning is cheap insurance.
Will insurance cover a water landing?
Many hull policies do. We provide written diagnostic reports with photos that adjusters can work from directly — see our insurance claims page.