The next craze for water-loving thrillseekers

By ROBIN BAILEY

The conventional side of the recreational marine world is represented by well-known names like Rayglass, McLay and Quintrex at the Big Boys' Toys show running this weekend at the Auckland Showgrounds.

For those with a yen for something completely different, there are a couple of aquatic exhibits that have found the right environment in a show aimed directly at the seeker of serious on-the-water action.

The American-built jetboard is a cross between a jet-ski and a surfboard that handles like a water-ski.

The Christchurch-built slider is a two-seater hovercraft that can scoot over dry land as easily as over water.

The Tauranga company Kiwi in Motion is importing the jetboard. It is a hybrid craft that has a 320cc power plant that can propel it to speeds up to 80 km/h.

Importer Kim Henderson says the Powerski Jetboard is easy to learn to ride, safe and stable. Because the non-directional jet-drive engine is mounted underneath the board, the rider changes direction by leaning into or out of the corner in the same way as a water-skier.

"The ski is easy to mount and dismount even in deep water," Henderson says.

"The rider simply sinks the low-profile tail and slides aboard. The wide base provides a stable platform, allowing the rider to stand easily."

The ski complies with the tough American emission and noise standards and will be available here early in 2001.

An entirely different machine is the slider, developed by long-time hovercraft enthusiasts Nigel Golding and Stephen Preest in Christchurch.

Their company, Pacific Hovercraft, developed an enclosed 10-seater commercial version before switching to the little two-seater fun machine.

"We are well into the production phase now," Stephen Preest says, "with the first buyers being mainly guys in their 50s looking for a bit of fun in a craft that can also let them do some fishing, cruise the shallows and land-hop where necessary.

"By March this year we were producing one a week and since then we have been flat out. We have even started exporting, with a shipment of 16 to the United Kingdom and a test run of three heading for China early next year."

The slider is less than 4m long, weighs 250kg and can carry two people and a payload of 200kg. The controls are handlebars connected to twin rudders with a twist-grip throttle.

The power plant is a 650cc German Hirth motor that develops 45hp and 4500 rpm. Peak power and torque at low revs means the propeller speed is low, making for quiet operation. At cruise speed it uses 13 litres of fuel an hour.

Big Boys' Toys runs through until 6 pm on Sunday.