Scosche’s new boomBOTTLE H2O won’t help you stay hydrated but it will provide the tunes while you get wet and wild. The durable, IP67 waterproof and dustproof rated device features an up-firing 50mm speaker and passive subwoofer, 33 foot Bluetooth range, and up to 11 hours of continuous playback with its rechargeable battery. It even offers a unique bottle shape so that it fits perfectly in water bottle cages and cup holders. It is rated to be submerged for up to 30 minutes, but hat shouldn’t be a problem because it has been designed to float if it falls overboard.
Category: Water Activities
Lure It In
Fish finders will let you locate the fish but you still need to lure ‘em in. The Nano Lure could help you catch the big ones. This does away with casting and reeling and replaces live bait with a robotic fish. It features an integrated sensor that activates once it is in the water, and it automatically cycles between slow, medium and fast swimming to mimic actual fish.
The Nano Lure was developed by Raul Chacon, a Dallas-based designer, and he has cast a line on Kickstarter and is looking to lure in investors for his unique fishing concept. Video after the jump
Naut Quite
The Nautboard isn’t the first product to let you “fly” underwater but for those who want to feel like Super Man or more aptly like the underrated Aquaman this one does the trick. It does require a watercraft to tow the user at speeds of two to five knots, but underwater that can seriously feel like flying!
Weekend Reading List (05.10.2014): Paying It Forward, Pro Set Up, High Water Bike
Paying It Forward
From Stuff: Champ sold surfboard to cover costs
Silvana Lima sold her surfboard to fund her trip to Taranaki. Yesterday it paid off for the Brazilian surfer, who defeated Australian Laura Enever in the final of the ASP 6 Star Port Taranaki Pro women’s qualifying series event at Fitzroy Beach. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (05.10.2014): Paying It Forward, Pro Set Up, High Water Bike
Up a Creek With a Stand-Up Paddle
If you’re heading to the water you should do so with Aqua-Bound line of stand-up paddles from Branches. The new stand-up paddles include “The Spark,” for beginners, “The Freedom,” for intermediate paddleboarders, and “The Challenge,” for more seasoned paddlers.
This offshoot of the 1960s surfing culture in Hawaii has a true Polynesian ancestry, but only arrived in California in 2004. The sport has since migrated throughout the United States, including to inland lakes and rivers, and Branches is finding that it is increasingly be paddled by women of all ages.
With this in mind Aqua-Bound has created StandUp Sisters to inspire and support women who don’t want to be up a creek (river, or on any body of water) without a (Standup) paddle! Continue reading Up a Creek With a Stand-Up Paddle
Rip and Curl
Whether you hit the waves a few times a year or chase the endless summer looking for the big one, the Rip Curl Search GPS Surf Watch will let you track how many waves you rode, your top speed and even your location. This waterproof watch features built-in GPS and motion sensors that will allow you to get real time data, and back on the beach you can sync it with your mobile phone.
Walk on Water?
Walking on water isn’t that hard – provided it is frozen. Walking on water when it is actually in liquid form requires some divine power or the right technology. Uriel Arad of Los Angeles has launched a Kickstarter campaign to find backers for his Aqua Elliptica, a device that makes walking on water not only possible but also makes it part of a workout routine. The primary construction of his design is a catamaran arrangement with two feet supporting a platform on the surface of the water.
If the campaign is successful Arad hopes to go into production this summer, with the final version utilizing carbon fiber and Kevlar. So it would be water ready and rugged. Video after the jump
Pack it Out
Don’t pack it in, pack it out with the Arc’teryx LEAF DryPack 70, a specialized bag that will function as a pack and keep all of its contents dry for maritime operations. This pack was manufactured utilizing Composite Construction (AC2), while the DryPack is built from 725D ACT MultiCam Cordura coated on both sides with urethane.
This makes the DryPack 70 completely waterproof piece of load-carriage equipment for over-the-beach maritime special operations, search and seizure, and small boat operations. It includes a full backpack carrying system that is completely removable, which can greatly aid the user’s land mobility. Moreover, the DryPack 70 is fully taped and seam-sealed, and incorporates a roll-down top with full-width RF-welded TIZIP Master Seal waterproof zipper.
Print and Row
3D printing is poised to change the world. We’ve seen that it is being used to print custom running shoes and even parts for bicycles. Now Jim Smith of Grass Roots Engineering is showing that 3D printing can be used to float away. He used a large-scaled 3D printer to produce 28 colorful ABS plastic sections that were then bolted together to create a 16.7 foot long kayak. Each section has brass threaded thermoplastic inserts, which allows the 2D and 3D sections to be screwed together. Silicon caulk was used to ensure that the kayak was watertight and ready to head out.
It took more than a thousand hours – or just over 42 days to produce this kayak, so it isn’t exactly a quick print and go – but it is still a sign of the times to come. Video after the jump
Taking a Dive
Victorinox, the makers of the Swiss Army Knives, has long made watches and this spring the company launched a limited titanium edition of its Dive Master 500, which is limited to just 500 pieces. It features a 43mm case in Grade II titanium and is water resistant to up to 500 meters. It also features protected screw down crown and push buttons.
Weekend Reading List (04.05.2014): Bike Decline, RIP Hobie, Total 360, Old Timers
Bike Decline
From Bicycle Retailer: The single biggest issue facing the bike industry (A blog by Jay Townley)
As we finish the first quarter of 2014 the U.S. bicycle business is preparing for its April gathering of industry leaders at the Bicycle Leadership Conference and the IBD Summit. We have noticed that the U.S. bicycle business continues to separate the meetings of the specialty bicycle retail, or bike shop channel of trade suppliers from the retailers and the separate agendas for these two important annual gatherings still do not mention or pay attention to the most important single issue facing the U.S. bicycle business today!
The following chart (above) is a graphic presentation of the 18-year history of U.S. bicycle riding participation from 1995 through 2012. The data is from the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA). The overall trend is a slow decline, from the peak of 56 million in 1995 to flat overall bicycle riding participation at 39 million for the last three years. 2013 bicycle riding participation will be available in early April, but we don’t anticipate any significant change from the history you see here. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (04.05.2014): Bike Decline, RIP Hobie, Total 360, Old Timers
Get Pumped Up
BlueAnt is looking to pump it up with its new wireless multi-sport headphones that promise to deliver unrivaled HD audio in what is billed as an “Aussie design.” The PUMP HD Sportbuds are IP67 waterproof certified and can be immersed in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. The Bluetooth earbuds further features a military-grade, rugged design to protect the premium audio components – which include 12.5 mm diameter drivers, Mylar composite diaphragms, Neodymium magnets and overhung voice coils – from rain, dust, debris, sweat and can be rinsed off post-workout without fear of damage.
These were developed in Australia over a three year period in coloration with extreme athletes and performance fitness enthusiasts. The result is the PUMP, which promises deep, thumping sound that is designed to let the beat set the pace.
Sail or Fly?
The Flying Phantom is a sailboat that apparently lives up to its name. Launched earlier this year at the Paris Boat Show, this $40,000 catamaran will likely be used in a number of sailboat races in 2014. The Flying Phantom can get up on its foils in wind as low as seven knots sailing downwind, and upwind if the speed is above 10 knots. According to the makers its maximum speed has hit 33 knots, but it could easily reach 45-50 knots in the right conditions. Video after the jump