Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

Flyride Is the Insane Flying Watercraft You Never Knew You Needed

Mike Richard
By

Man wasn’t built to fly, but that little wrinkle in evolution hasn’t stopped many of us from trying. If bungee-jumping, skydiving, and wingsuits are … nice, but not quite disco enough for you, the one-of-a-kind Flyride may be the antidote.

Zapata Flyride
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In short, Flyride is the world’s first flying personal watercraft. It looks a bit like a Jet Ski, rides like a Jet Ski, and is even powered by the jetwash from a Jet Ski. Except, it has added controls for going up and down — for flying. A thick, high-pressure hose connects from a running Jet Ski to the rear of the Flyride. Water is forced up the middle of the bike, below the seat, and out two steerable jets near the front. Take-off is possible from the water or the shoreline, and it’s allegedly easier than riding a bike. Allegedly.

FLYRIDE® , Zapata's new invention !

The four ride modes ensure things only get out of control if you want them to. Most users are wise to begin their training in “Beginner Mode” or even “Child Mode.” When you’re ready to take the training wheels off and unleash the craft’s full 300 horsepower, switching to “Advanced Mode” turns things up to 11 (complete with “Kickstart My Heart” soundtrack).

Recommended Videos

Lest you think this whole thing is an express train to a broken neck, the Flyride features automatic self-balancing sensors to ensure it remains upright at all times. A series of gyroscopes provide balance assistance, and there’s even computer-assisted throttle, elevation, and take-off control. However, a dedicated “barrel roll” button deactivates many of these fun-stopping safety features. Provided you have enough altitude, depressing the button will spin you up to two times before automatically righting the Flyride.

Zapata Flyride
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Flyride comes courtesy of Zapata, the same folks responsible for Flyboard, the Silver Surfer-inspired HoverBoard, and this insane hydro jetpack. The French brand was founded by world champion Jet Ski racer Frank Zapata. Since its beginnings in 1998, the Zapata team has continued to pioneer the most insane ways for humans to travel over water at breakneck speeds. Given their already lengthy catalog of extreme products, we’re stoked to see what they’re planning next.

Flyride is available for pre-order for a cool USD $6,000. Check the official Zapata website to locate your nearest dealer.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
In Yellowstone National Park, one woman was sent running after yet another too-close encounter with a bison
Here's why you should NEVER get in front of a wild bison, kids
Closeup of large black bison starting at camera from a grassy field.

In the past few years, tourists have started visiting the best U.S. National Parks in record numbers. More people means more animal encounters — specifically wild animal encounters. It should go without saying that wild animals are, well, wild. That means they can be unpredictable, aggressive, and even dangerous when they feel threatened. Can you blame them? But that hasn't stopped some people from putting their safety, even their lives, at risk just to snag "the perfect selfie." Case in point: Yet another tourist who couldn't resist getting an all-too-close "ussie" with a wild bison, and nearly found herself the victim of another Yellowstone National Park bison attack.

Instagram user yesitisjen captured this brief video snippet of the encounter:

Read more
Samsung’s incredible outdoor TV is $4,000 off right now
Samsung The Terrace outdoor-ready QLED smart TV lifestyle image on patio.

While there are a lot of TVs catering to the average living room, for those who have outside patios and spaces, there aren't a lot of options. Having to contend with dust, rain, and other parts of the weather that electronics don't fare well in, it's no surprise that a lot of TV manufacturers don't really bother with making TVs focused on the outside. Luckily, Samsung has your back, which is good because it's a company that excels in making great TVs, and in this case, we're talking about The Terrace TV. Not only is it IP55 rated, which means it can handle both dust and rain relatively well, but it's also a QLED TV, which gives you an excellent picture and a high peak brightness, so the sun won't interrupt your viewing too much. If you're interested in grabbing one of The Terrace TVs, you better act quickly, because Samsung's Discover sales event is going to end soon, and you'll miss out on a great couple of deals, including

and a whopping

Read more
You may want an electric mountain bike, but you probably shouldn’t buy one – here’s why
Spoiler alert: You can blame the government for this, too
A large sign on a tree on the side of a mountain bike trail telling riders that e-bikes are not allowed

There is really one more type of mountain bike that should be added to the list of mountain bike categories that make up the sport. Electric mountain bikes have broken onto the scene and have rapidly grown in popularity.

One look at these electric mountain bikes, especially if you look at the suspension travel numbers, would have you thinking that they fall into the “trail” or “enduro” mountain bike category. And while these bikes do look similar, the pedal assist of an electric mountain bike means that long cross-country rides aren’t out of the question.

Read more