Enhancing Our Love of Water: The Seabreacher
I get it, not everyone loves the water, but many people do. For as long as I can remember, I was drawn to the water, whether fishing, boating, tubing, water slides, water parks, or just a plain old pool. I loved it when we upped our game, and the Jet Ski and Waverunners were introduced. Who doesn’t like ripping around doing 40 to 70mph? The next question is, what is next on the horizon? How about a vehicle as elegant as those creatures which populate the ocean.
A few water toys have piqued my interest, but the one I want to focus on here is the Seabreacher. I saw this one a few years ago, and it looks like they have come further in their innovations. Originally designed to look like a dolphin, whale, or shark, this water vehicle packs a punch. Each one is made to order and customizable with pin-striping should you feel inclined. They are equipped with a two-seat cockpit, as seen below. Expect someone up to 6'4" in height to be able to pilot and the passenger to be comfortable up to 6'2", although this is up for debate.
What does this “toy” cost? Expect to pay well north of $100,000 as this is just the base asking price. My guess is if you have $100,000 to spend on this delight, you most likely have an additional $20,000 to enhance the experience with the available options like:
An engine upgrade from a supercharged 230hp to 300hp Performance
Custom Aluminum Trailer
Depth Finder
LED Speaker Upgrade
Waterproof headsets
VHF Radio
Custom Boat Cover
Lifting Cradle / Yacht Mount
Custom Airbrushing
Portable Cooling Unit (A must on a hot day to keep the cabin cool)
The Model Z is the company’s latest addition and is the first with a retractable snorkel (located in the dorsal fin). This will allow the water toy to perform 360-degree barrel rolls like this:
With up to 300hp of power brought to the party, you can expect that the cockpit gets pretty loud (especially for the passenger). Don’t worry; you can drown out some engine noise with your favorite tunes.
The panoramic cockpit is fully watertight, allowing breaches and water re-entry without the hint of wetness. The glass is manufactured by the same company that provides the military cockpits for the F-16 fighter jet. This submersible vehicle can hit depths of 6 feet for 30 seconds. I can see where they might improve this in the years ahead, but safety will have to be the utmost concern. Traveling at this speed will be essential to know what lies in the water ahead. Make Note: You can travel with the cockpit open as you would when treating it as a typical boat.
Can you imagine seeing this coming towards you out in open water? These vehicles can work in fresh or salt water at maximum speeds of 60mph above water. Expect significantly less speed when submerged.
Keeping with the theme of an airplane cockpit, there are two handles to control speed and foot pedals to control left and right along with the plunge. The actual controls are not unlike that of a helicopter. I expect you would become quite proficient if you spent a few hours a day with this vehicle. If you own one of these, the experience will come. If you are like me, you will have to stick to renting this device until you hit the lottery!