Air Apparent

By The Editors
August 5, 2014 9:00 am

Man has always gone to great lengths for airtime.

The Wright Brothers went to Kitty Hawk. Jordan went to the free throw line.

All you need to do is trek down to the warm waters of San Diego Bay.

That’s where the Hoverboard by Zapata Racing is now available for rent (and soon, for purchase) at Aquatic Aviation.

Yes, this is the hoverboard you’ve heard about. We got a chance to test it out last week (see the video here). It rides like a jet-powered snowboard.

Like snowboarding, it’s also a bit counterintuitive — you lean on the board to turn, despite feeling like you’ll be dragged down.

Thrust comes via a 60-foot firehose connected to a jetski.

Just strap into the board (let them know ahead of time whether you’re goofy or regular) and push on the nose with both hands. Once out of the water, you stand up, et voila — airborne.

Aquatic Aviation also rents Zapata’s Flyboard, which is easier to learn.

They offer lessons in the harbor, but for a bit more, they’ll ferry you into the spacious bay, where the skyline and the USS Midway play backdrop.

It’s not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Photo/video credit: Dustin Downing

Music credit: Mophonics

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