Love Water Sports? Here's something new and extremely fun!
Tired of kayaking or boating? Windsurfing is fun but today's no wind? Do you love water sports and want to try something new? If so, then this article is just for you!
I will not hide that water is my thing. I love to swim, steer a boat, paddle a kayak and do a million other things. However, as it happens in life, everything can get boring sooner or later. And with this idea in my mind, just after getting off the ferry at Mikkeli Harbor in Finland, while strolling around Kirkkopuisto Park, I saw an advertisement for WaveShark, in which a cheerful man swims on what looked a bit like a surfboard, but with an electric engine. Which, in addition, almost entirely floated above the water. Anyway, see for yourself in the photo on the right side (or above, if you use your mobile 🧐).
After a short research on the subject in the mobile phone, it turned out that in Mikkeli you can treat yourself to test swimming not only on such equipment (I already know now that they are called "Foil 1", "Foil 2 Explorer" and "Foil 2 Sport" , but more on that later), but also on the Jetboard, a board that accelerates to 60km/h in 3 seconds. Wow!
And, even if this kind of swimming looks a bit harder, it's not. The board is easy to learn and you can stand up in 20 minutes. Additionaly, according to the WaveShark:
- 1st session: 70% of people can stand up
- 2nd session: 50% of people hold on the board for 20mins
- 3rd lesson: 70% of people can fly on the board smoothly
What equipment do we have available?
Overall, we have 6 different WaveShark surfboards to choose from, split into two categories: Foil and Jetboard, including the world's fastest motorized surfboard, the Jetboard 2 Sport.
WaveShark Foil
Boards in this category can definitely be recommended to less experienced users like me. They can be used in any type of water: whether in a lake, river or sea. Both in windy and windless weather.
In addition, it is worth emphasizing that the gear is emission-free, which is important for people who want to care for the environment.
Not to mention that we can enjoy the fun on the water for up to 3 hours, which is an absolute record when it comes to this type of equipment. Let's throw in really quiet operation (approx. 50db) and a wireless, water-resistant remote control, and we have a device that the whole family will enjoy for many years. See for yourself:
WaveShark Jetboard
For lovers of water sports in a more extreme form, you will find 3 versions of Jetboards: "Jetboard 1", "Jetboard 2 Explorer" and "Jetboard 2 Sport". The first and third versions can accelerate to 60 km/h in 3 seconds with a maximum battery life of 45 minutes, while the Explorer will last 65 minutes on the water, but we can sail it at a maximum speed of 55 km/h. Sounds like extreme fun? Definitely!
It is worth mentioning that the Sport version is dedicated to more advanced users, so if you are just starting out, you should definitely take an interest in the Explorer model, which also looks awesome and has better battery:
Where can I try and buy WaveShark surfboards?
I was lucky enough to be in the city where you could easily try water equipment from WaveShark. If you'd like to do the same, there are some places in Europe, the US, Australia, the Middle East, East Asia and more:
- Sandöverken in Sweden
- Mikkeli in Finland
- Viersen and Großbottwar in Germany
- Redondo Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Stuart in the United States
- Bocas del Toro in Panama
- Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
- Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane in Australia
- Kanagawa in Japan
- Sanya, Weihai, Suzhou and Dongguan in China
There is plenty to choose from. In addition, if you would like to buy such a surfboard, there are many, many more stores scattered around the world:
Not to mention online shopping, which, of course, is also available.
Is it worth it?
It is difficult to unequivocally answer this question. If you live near or are going to places where you can try WaveShark surfboards, go there and test them, you will know without a doubt if such equipment is for you. Especially that they are not the cheapest ones (8000 - 13000 euros without tax and shipping, and testing costs, depending on the location, costs from 85 to 200 euros). However, if you do not have such an opportunity, it all depends on whether you like unusual and slightly more extreme water sports, or if you are more of a couch potato or a fisherman who values peace and quiet on a boat.
Anyway, WaveShark is undoubtedly a class of its own in its category and something worth recommending to every water maniac. Stay tuned until the next article! Bye!