New Techs and Gadgets: The Seabreacher

Dolphin-inspired Submersibles Available for Purchase from Innespace Productions

Innespace Productions, a watercraft design and fabrication company in Northern California, is offering custom-built Seabreachers for sale. These unique dolphin-inspired submersible watercraft can jump, dive and roll like real dolphins, with cruising speeds of 40 mph and underwater speeds of 20mph—all within the safety and security of a dry, sealed cockpit. Innespace says that these new recreational two seaters are designed to be easy to drive and maintain for their customers worldwide. Seabreachers are made after more than ten years of prototyping, “we have really developed a design that is very intuitive to drive, safe, and easy to service” said company co-owner and designer Rob Innes.

These unusual watercraft have been featured on countless television programs, with upcoming features on the Travel and Discovery Channel. You might have also seen them in Austin Powers Goldmember, Monster Garage, The Today Show, or as one of Time magazine's “Best Inventions of 2006”. In addition to individual sales, Innespace also offers demonstrations and sponsorship opportunities for companies looking for that extra attention.

Recently, Innespace Productions has launched their latest and most advanced submersible watercraft: The Seabreacher X. This exciting new version is based on the dolphin inspired Seabreacher J that the company has been selling for the last two years. The X model sports a more aggressive Shark style body as well as upgraded interior treatments. The X model also steps up the performance envelope with a 260hp supercharged engine, propelling the vessel to a top speed of 50mph on the surface and 25mph below water.

The new shark design grew out of necessity; the higher output engine required more air intake than the main snorkel (mounted in the vessel's dorsal fin) could provide, so they added an additional snorkel in the shark style tail. The new drag-boat style wrap-around canopy was primarily designed to reduce heat buildup in the cockpit. This, combined with the gaping jaws, give the whole vessel a far more menacing presence.
The new boat can sustain high speed dives and then breach the surface, launching the entire vessel clear out of the water. The new fully vectored thrust system mimic the tail articulation of real aquatic animals like sharks and dolphins.

Some other high tech features that are incorporated into the two-seat vessel: A snorkel mounted video camera transmits live video to LCD screens for the pilot and passenger during dives, GPS navigation, and on board stereo with iPod docking. Although Innespace vessels start at about $60,000 USD, the limited edition X model goes for a little over $80,000. The company plans to build just 10 of this particular model; three have already been sold.