What do you get when you cross Iron Man with a jet-ski? The JETOVATOR: £4,300 toy thrusts you 30ft into the air - or 10ft underwater

Home »What do you get when you cross Iron Man with a jet-ski? The JETOVATOR: £4,300 toy thrusts you 30ft into the air - or 10ft underwater

What do you get when you cross Iron Man with a jet-ski? The JETOVATOR: £4,300 toy thrusts you 30ft into the air - or 10ft underwater

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Monday, September 15, 2014 Label:

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Iron Man-style jet packs are becoming the must-have accessory for celebrities looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush.

Dubbed the Jetovator, these extreme water toys can throw a passenger 30ft (9 metres) into the sky using powerful thrusters that let you 'fly' across lakes.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicola Sherzinger and Liam Payne are fans – and now you can own one for $6,975 (£4,288).

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Iron Man-style jet packs have become a firm favourite with celebrities looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush

The device is powered by a 50ft-long (15.2 metre) hose which shoots water jets to propel the rider into the air.

The idea for the product came to Northern Californian entrepreneur Rob Innes 20 years ago, but the prototype for the current Jetovator model was only built in 2011.

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Mr Innes says the experience of riding a Jetovator is a bit like riding a bike, but gives you the 'aerial capabilities of a fighter aircraft'.

According to the company, also named Jetovator, a lot of the movement is intuitive with the rider leaning left to right in order to steer the product.

Dubbed the Jetovator, the device is powered by a 50ft-long (15.2 metre) hose which shoots jets into water

The idea for the product came to Northern Californian entrepreneur Rob Innes 20 years ago, but the prototype for the current Jetovator model was not built until 2011

It allows stunts like barrel rolls and backflips, and if you know a few people with the devices, there's always the option of doing some formation Jetovatoring

Riders can reach heights of up to 30ft (9 metres) and the Jetovator has also been designed to submerge up to 10ft (3 metres) underwater.

'It's very easy to operate and quick to master,' said Mr Innes.

'People don't need to be very athletic or skilled to do it so it's very popular.

'It is much much easier to learn and safer than water skiing, wakeboarding, wind surfing or kitesurfing.'

'IRON MAN' WATER JETPACKS ARE DESTROYING WILDLIFE, SAY SCIENTISTS

Fisherman, scientists and state officials in Hawaii are questioning the safety of the 'Iron Man'-style jetpacks, and are concerned about how they may affect fish and coral in the state's heavily trafficked tropical waters.

The devices are starting to show up for recreational rental in California, Florida and Mexico, showing that their prevalence is a growing problem.

University of Hawaii coral scientist Bob Richmond last year officials he was concerned about the noise the devices make, as fish avoid areas that are too loud.

He's also worried fish and coral larvae could get pumped through some of the equipment the watercraft use and die.

Fisherman Carl Jellings said watercraft already scare fish away from Oahu's bays, and he worries these new machines will just add to the problem.

'More and more and more these bays are being run over, taken over by other activities. The marine life that depend on these places - they're being displaced,' he said in an interview.

Take flight on your very own water-propelled stunt bike: The...

Mr Innes says it is as easy as riding a bike, but the gadget gives you the 'aerial capabilities of a fighter aircraft'

'It's very easy to operate and quick to master,' said Mr Innes.'People don't need to be very athletic or skilled'

Mr Innes said iIt is much much easier to learn and safer than water skiing, wakeboarding and wind surfing

Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted testing out a similar device last year while on holiday in Ibiza

It allows stunts like barrel rolls and backflips, and if you know a few people with the devices, there's always the option of doing some formation Jetovatoring.

Other similar products on the market include the Jetlev, which can lift a person 30ft (9 metres) high by pumping water from a backpack through a hose connected to a small, unmanned boat.

Another contraption called the Flyboard, which looks like a small snowboard attached to a hose, can propel riders 45ft (13.7 metres) in the air.

Toys such as the Jetovator are starting to show up for recreational rental in California, Florida and Mexico

Riders can reach heights of up to 30ft (9 metres) and the Jetovator has also been designed to submerge up to 10ft (3 metres) underwater

According to the company, also named Jetovator, a lot of the movement is intuitive with the rider leaning left to right in order to steer the product

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