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Water-racing pod on steroids goes 50 mph, leaps 18 feet into air

By | June 29, 2011, 7:52 PM PDT

The Seabreacher is a jumping, diving, speeding water sub/Jet Ski, making it more similar to a dolphin than any other man-made machine.

The new model, the Seabreacher Y, is a killer-whale-inspired version that can dive below the water at 25 mph, jump 18 feet into the air, speed on top of the water at 50 mph and do multiple consecutive barrel rolls. All starting at a cool $81,000.

The standard model comes with a 255-horsepower engine, though the custom-built model shown above features a 300-horsepower engine that can go 55 mph on the surface.

Designed by Innespace, the Seabreacher features six dolphin-like fins, which you can maneuver to dive down, launch into the air, and roll to the side.

The pneumatically sealed cockpit seats two and is hooked up like a bachelor pad: iPod dock, speakers and LCD screens that display live footage from a camera located on the dorsal fin.

The Seabreacher Y was specifically designed for aquatic show performances, so it also features riding pegs and handles for a stunt person to use while riding on the back.

The Seabreacher X, however, is for lay people like you and me — if we deem the Seabreacher worthy of that extra $81,000 we have lying around.

Before you buy, see for yourself how you might use it in these two videos, the first of Seabreacher Y, the second of Seabreacher X.

Warning: this second video of Seabreacher X is full of cheesy marketing speak — “Speed is what the future demands,” “If it looks like a dolphin and acts like a dolphin, then it’s a Seabreacher,” “What if you could explore the heights and depths of the ocean in ways never before seen?” and so on — but the action shots are worth it:

via Popular Science

photos courtesy of Innespace Seabreacher

Editor’s Note: Updated with new video of Seabreacher Y

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Laura Shin

About Laura Shin

Laura Shin is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

Laura Shin

Laura Shin

Contributing Editor

Laura Shin has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times, and is currently a contributor at Forbes. Previously, she worked at Newsweek, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and LearnVest. She holds degrees from Stanford University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Follow her on Twitter.

Laura Shin

Laura Shin

In the unlikely event that Laura has a professional or financial relationship with a company she writes about, it will be prominently disclosed.

She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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"The sky will be the limit"?
That was a funny statement at the end of the second video.

Looks like it might be fun but way out of my price range.
Posted by NoSacredCow
30th Jun 2011
+1 Vote
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I figure if I sell my house
Of course, would be hard to live in a Seabreacher with spouse and two kids.
Posted by TwoHerbs
30th Jun 2011
0 Votes
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Safety
What, no seatbelt at 50mph?
Posted by eSpectator
30th Jun 2011
0 Votes
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Seabreacher "Jump"
It looked pretty cool, but the "tail" never left the water, and there was no "jump" more than about 6 feet out of the water. -- Neat thing though.
Posted by rtot
Updated - 30th Jun 2011
0 Votes
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18 Feet?
And even landing on water, I imagine an 18 foot jump would be pretty hard on the occupants. But if the Seabreacher is really capable of this, they ought to post the video.
Posted by GMC262
Updated - 13th Aug
0 Votes
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thanks for sharing
Great!!! thanks for sharing this information to us!
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Posted by yarinsiz
Updated - 25th Aug 2011
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