A device called the Jetlev can lift a person about three storeys high by pumping water from a backpack through a hose connected to a small, unmanned boat. (Audrey McAvoy/Associated Press) Want to fly like Iron Man?
Thrill-seekers eager to try the next new watersport are rushing to strap on jetpacks that propel people into the air with the help of pumped water. But the devices are causing requests for regulation in Hawaii, where fishermen, scientists and state officials are questioning their safety and their effects on tropical fish and coral.
A device called the Jetlev can lift a person 9 metres (about three storeys) by pumping water from a backpack through a hose connected to a small, unmanned boat. Another device called the Flyboard, which looks like a small snowboard attached to a hose, can propel riders 14 metres (more than four storeys) in the air.
Promotional videos with millions of YouTube views show riders shooting out of the ocean into the sky, then diving back in the water like dolphins.
Victor Verlage, a 51-year-old corporate executive who used a Jetlev jetpack while visiting from Mexico, compared it to kite surfing but said it's "10 times better."
"You feel the adrenaline rush," he said.
The devices are starting to show up for recreational rental in San Diego, Key West, Florida, and Cancun, Mexico.
But some in Hawaii are far less enthusiastic. Complaints from fishermen and other ocean enthusiasts prompted the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to call a public meeting about the devices last month. The department's top enforcement officer, Randy Awo, expressed alarm about unsafe manoeuvres, such as riders diving into the water next to moving boats.
Noise may affect fish
University of Hawaii coral scientist Bob Richmond told officials he was concerned about the noise the devices make, as fish avoid areas that are too loud. He's also worried that fish and coral larvae could get pumped through some of the equipment and die.
The state may find a way to accommodate the devices, perhaps in selected places, said William Aila, chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. But Aila said studies are needed to examine how such watersports may affect fish and coral.
"When you look at it, it looks fairly exciting," he said. "But you got to look beyond the excitement."
Thom Hall, whose company Rocky Mountain Flyboards has the rights to distribute the boards in Hawaii, said he wouldn't object to regulations, so long as he has input.
"There's room for this device to be used and be used in a responsible way," Hall said.
Jeffrey Krantz, owner of the company that operates the sole Jetlev in commercial use on Oahu, suggested the state set aside areas for jetpack use. His company takes about 10 people on Jetlev rides daily, at a rate of $179 for 15 minutes.
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