If you’re looking for a real sense of speed on the water, a personal watercraft — or jet ski as they’re more commonly known — is definitely the way to go. However, their lightweight fibreglass hulls that let them zip across the water aren’t exactly designed to survive run-ins with rocks or other underwater debris. But the AlumaSki should do just fine, thanks to a hull made from strong but light aluminium.
The 4m AlumaSki uses 6mm aluminium for its hull, so it can easily tackle shallow streams and careen off of hidden obstacles without tearing a giant hole under the craft. It has a dry weight of 430kg, which is only about 45kg heavier than a similarly sized fibreglass PWC, but thanks to a four-cylinder 100 horsepower engine it can still reach speeds of up to 100km/h, so you’re not sacrificing fun.
Where you will have to make sacrifices for durability, though, is with your bank account. Because the AlumaSki will sell for just shy of $US25,000, which is almost $US10,000 more expensive than the largest, fastest, fibreglass models on the market. So for consumers it’s certainly an expensive option, but for rescue personnel who need to be able to quickly reach someone no matter where they may be, this could be the new standard. [AlumaSki via Gizmag]