Adam Contoret has developed an handheld electric jet engine that allows a standup paddleboarder to travel at up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour).
Do you work on the other side of the river? Tired of bridges and traffic jams? No worries. A 40-year-old engineer has created a portable electric thruster that will make you glide over rivers and lakes at full throttle.
Contoret spent two years fine-tuning the invention - DreamScience Propulsion - in his garage. The result is quite impressive, even though the device only lasts for ten minutes, in the early version. The good news is that you can easily recharge batteries.
"When I was about 14, a friend of the family bought us a model aircraft engine - and when my brother and I were testing it, we put it on a wooden board. That planted in my mind the idea of having some sort of stand propulsion for a board sport," Contoret tells the Daily Mail.
"After doing some paragliding and land boarding I realised that I needed something extra to propel me along, so I went about building a thruster system to add to my kit."
This handheld electric jet engine is light, but the inventor believes it will be half the weight and double the power, in the next five years. The air coming out of the thruster is cold, so that you don't harm yourself if something goes wrong.
Windsurfer Doug Foden tested it a lake, in Staffordshire, England. "Initially it's pretty awkward to balance until you come up to speed. It's very experimental, and we're really excited about what other things to do with it."
Adam Contoret says that the handheld electric jet engine may be used in snowboarding, skateboarding and paragliding. If you own an inflatable SUP, you can give at go, too. Also, take a look at the jet-powered surfboard.