The humble snorkel and fins may have just been made obsolete by CudaJet, also known as “the world’s first underwater jetpack.” Comprised of a dual-jet-drive pack attached to a padded neoprene harness that’s worn like a life jacket and a hardwired controller, the CudaJet is “engineered for superyachts, private islands and elite divers” and capable of propelling its wearer for 90 minutes at depths of up to 131 feet at up to 10 feet per second, or about 7 mph.
While that may sound underwhelming, it’s faster than practically any human can swim, short of elite Olympic athletes. As CudaJet points out, “When you’re underwater everything changes. At just three meters per second, the drag force acting on your body is equivalent to flying through air at 193 miles per hour.” The total weight of the unit, including one of four harness sizes, tips the scales at just over 30 pounds.
Inventor Archie O’Brien has seen the CudaJet through its entire lifecycle, beginning with its conception eight years ago. “I was free-diving in Koh Tao in Thailand in 2017,” he told CNN. “I was learning about free-diving and thought this could be an area where I could design something to move through the water faster.” One of his earliest versions worked, although it was “duct-taped to my back.” But the potential was there, as this apparatus was superior to anything that’d come before it in O’Brien’s estimation. “Then there have been smaller hand-held things but they’re so slow it’s pointless,” he told the news outlet.
After 30,000 hours of development, O’Brien finally landed on the product seen in the video below. “The underwater jetpack gives you one of the closest sensations to human flight,” he said. “The weightless experience feels superhuman as you fly around a three-dimensional world.”
Each CudaJet is made to order in limited numbers annually. The standard version is priced at just under $31,000. There’s also a Founder’s Edition that trades a metallic finish for a jet black livery with gold highlights and comes with a lifetime “first access” to future products as well as an in-water training session from O’Brien. The Founder’s Edition is limited to 20 units—14 of which are currently still available.
