The Changing Face of Superyacht Toys

Yacht ownership is all about family, fun and relaxation. No other element of the yacht experience meets these criteria better than being able to mess around on toys and interact with friends on the water in the local environment. As technology has advanced, owners, guests and charterers have been screaming out for more and more exciting ways to do this. So manufacturers have been developing and offering new, highly advanced products capable of flying, diving or surfing. Long gone are the days when guests were happy to sit on a kayak or get towed on a ringo by a tender. Latest buzzwords in the industry are all centered on technical innovation and premium quality providing users with unique new experiences.

Flying: One of the most extreme yacht toys is the Jetlev-Flyer, made almost exclusively out of carbon and coming from German engineers after 9 years of development and 6 years of testing. Costing €99,500, this ground-breaking new toy is designed to be used above water, giving riders a truly unique flying experience. Able to carry a person to a maximum speed of about 35km per hour (22 miles per hour), the jetpack is tethered to a pod with a 33-foot hose. The pod's four-stroke engine takes in water and sends it through the hose to the jetpack in a similar way to a jet-ski. The water is expelled from the pack's two adjustable nozzles, propelling the pilot while towing the pod. 

Diving: The one toy no yacht is to be without these days is the Seabob. Manufacturer CAYAGO AG is a boutique company based in Stuttgart, Germany. The Seabob electric jetstream system consists of a special electro-motor and a protected running impeller in a jet channel. The jetstream system is completely environmentally friendly, totally silent and offers incredibly low running costs. The top of the range production Seabob Cayago F7 retails at €12,680 per unit and is capable of 16km per hour (10 miles per hour) underwater and 22km per hour (13 miles per hour) on the surface. Seabobs can be used with or without dive gear. Using two in tandem is the most fun.

Uncompromising use of quality components and special high-grade coatings have made the Seabob extremely robust and nearly completely maintenance-free. During an endurance test over 10,000 hours of operation at full load, the Seabob drive mechanism demonstrated absolutely no breakdowns or reduction in performance.

Surfing: There are a number of powered surfboards on the market but none as advanced or high-tech as the Jetsurf. Weighing just 13kg (28 pounds) and capable of 57km per hour (35 miles per hour) the Jetsurf has a running time of up to four hours. Made of carbon, aluminum alloy and nikasil with stainless bearings, this is the epitome of a high-tech product being offered to the yachting market, all available to the yachting industry with training for €12,000.

Inflatables: With space being at a premium on board, toys need to fit in smaller and smaller spaces in garages. In recent years there has been a large increase in the amount of inflatable toys being offered, and some yachts now even have full water parks, as seen below. Alongside the space-saving inflatable toys there are also a number of multipurpose inflatable craft being offered. An example of this is shown below – the all-in-one Aquaglide Multisport which can be used as a sailboat, windsurfer, towable toy and kayak, depending upon the needs of the guest, saving room because you don’t need to have one of each on board.

Yacht owners, guests and charterers have ever more options for exciting new toys on board their yachts, offering unique and memorable experiences.  With the advances in technology and innovation, we are able to experience what was never before possible, making yachting ever more progressive. However, the need for pure, easy fun is still there and in response we have seen a trend towards novel inflatable toys. Indeed, inflatables have probably impacted yacht toys the greatest over the last couple of years, alleviating the problems of storage on board and also offering more and more simple and fun ways to spend time with family and friends just messing about on the water.

All of these toys and others are available through Superyacht Tenders and Toys.

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Josh Richardson is the managing director of Superyacht Tenders and Toys, a one stop shop for all your yacht tender and yacht toy needs. Areas of expertise include new build production and custom tenders, chase boats, RIBs, plus popular yacht toys such as the Jetsurf, Seabob, Inflatables, Yacht Slides, Jetlev-Flyer, Submarines and all Watersports gear. Give us your requirements, size, type, budget and location and we will provide you with all options available, all at the best price. Superyacht Tenders and Toys is able to assist with the consultancy, purchase, rental and support of all aspects of tender and toy ownership servicing the worlds finest yachts and backing this up with excellent after-sales support.

The U.K.-based company also has offices in Cannes and Fort Lauderdale. Find out more at www.superyachttendersandtoys.com.