If you’re looking for something new and want to ramp up your fun factor, take a look at the Jet Shark, a 20-foot prototype that can hit 45 mph on the surface and dive 5 feet under the water.
The Jet Shark is the brainchild of Rob Innes, who’s been working with semi-submersibles for the past decade, or more. He previously designed the Seabreacher, which was smaller and slower. Jet Sharks are being built in Redding, California.
The Jet Shark prototype holds four passengers; the production version will have six. It’s powered by a 420-hp Kodiak Marine engine, which is a marinized version of a Corvette 6.21 V8. Innes says that future versions can have as much as a 600-hp supercharged engine.
The watertight cockpit has panoramic windows; it’s air conditioned and the two front seats have touchscreen controls that are meant to look like those on a jet plane. You climb on board via two large gull wings that can stay open when the boat’s on the surface.
The hull has two fins amidships and two more aft so it doesn’t tip over. When it’s underwater, a snorkel and camera pod remain above the surface. If, for any reason, the Jet Shark loses power, it instantly returns to the surface.
Jet Shark is still in the prototype stage, but the company is taking orders for an expected delivery later this year. A Jet Shark will cost from $200,000 to $300,000. Read more at http://thejetshark.com and see the video below:
