Screw Jetpacks, I Want These Flyboard Rocket Boots

Remember that Jetlev water jetpack thingie that hoisted you up over the water like a human kite?  While that looked cool, it suffered from one fundamental problem: you can only have so much fun hovering like a kite around the same spot for so long.   Maybe you can try getting on a Flyboard after that.

Developed by watersports enthusiast Franky Zapata, it uses the same general concept as the Jetlev, pumping water up a tube that’s then shot out of nozzles attached to your body at high speed.  Instead of having the nozzles by your back, though, they’re worn around your feet just like rocket boots.

While you can use the Flyboard to hover at up to 30 feet in the air, the foot-mounted design allows you to use it for less kite-like functions.   Angle your feet the right way and you can dive back into the water then pop back out again, shooting in and out like a dolphin performing tricks.  You also get a hand-controlled steering mechanism clamped around your arms, so you can maneuver better.

Water can be fed into the system using a jetski’s output, provided it has a minimum 100 hp motor onboard.  You can also get the kit with an included motor, so you don’t have to go borrowing your neighbor’s Waverunner every time you want to swim around like a dolphin or something.

Surely, something like this must mirror the same exorbitant price as the near six-figure Jetlev, right?  Surprisingly not.  The Flyboard basic kit (without a motor) can be had for just £4,200 (around $6,600).

[via DailyMail]