Riding a speed boat is fun. Sitting on a jet boat in shallow water while it snakes rapidly through large rocks, however, is an experience. And that’s exactly what the Shotover Jet Boat Ride gets you.
Offered at the Shotover River Canyons in New Zealand, the white water ride has been a major tourist attraction for the area since 1970. Going beyond casual boat trips for sight-seeing, the jet boat “whips past rocky outcrops, skims around crags and boulders, and speeds through… narrow canyons” to give visitors an adrenaline rush they won’t soon forget.
Billed as the “ultimate jet boat experience,” the ride puts passengers on a watercraft that hits the river at speeds of up to 85 kph, driving over water that’s as shallow as a mere 10 cm. Aside from making swerves and sharp turns, the “Big Red” Shotover Jet Boat can also do 360-degree spins at high speeds, making for what sounds like an insanely fun time.
The actual boat they use is specially commissioned for taking on the Shotover River Canyons. Powering it are a pair of Buick 3.8 litre V6 supercharged engines producing a total of 520 hp and two Hamilton 212 Jet units thrusting water at a rate of 760 liters per second.
Of course, you’ll have to get over to New Zealand to enjoy the Shotover Jet Boat Ride. While you still languish in your slice of the world, you can watch a filmed session of the adventure ride in the video below.
[ShotoverJet via SayOMG]