How cool is this: shotover jet boating

[dinkel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PtawVV4Kk4&fea...

[FisiP1]

Have you guys seen the 2 seater race versions? they are comically fast, always looks like the video has been speeded up! And they corner on rails pretty much.

[Zwolf]

Jet boats are ace fun. We make our biennial pilgrimage to Huka Falls just for that reason alone.

[GravelBen]

My old flatmate used to build the engines for the Shotover boats (among other things) - they run a pair of supercharged GM 3.8 V6's with Motec ECU's, full datalogging etc. Need a bit of grunt with a boat that size though.


Sprintboats are a whole lot quicker, 1000+ bhp big-blocks in much smaller boats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YYvzOlMFsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN2Q9badQQc


The river marathon guys are the ones that get really serious about power though - the fastest nutters are using helicopter turbines now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpA3lD_NIz0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ1jAFfQyoo

Edited by GravelBen on Friday 20th January 21:58

[FisiP1]

Hah watching an onboard of the marathon ones, they look like they understeer a bit!

[Otispunkmeyer]

Been on the jet boats at niagara falls. Well down river... Where it flows into the lake. They take you up to the whirlpool.

Went on twice and both times got the diesel boat. It was a beast. The petrol boats had 3 big block V8's but the derv burner had 2 big 6 cylinder cummins engines... It looked to have (and the crew thought so too) much more puff when it came to powering out of the rapids against the flow.

It was an expensive ride to do twice but worth every penny!

[windy1]

I've been on that!!!
Try the Luge at Queenstown while you are at it - that's fun too

[Gwagon111]

I was on one that went wrong a few years ago. TBH it was as much fun getting fired out of the boat, as it was being on it . There were no broken bones, and no one drowned, so fk it.

[Prince Rupert]

I've done that there. It rocks (as does alot of NZ).

[FunBusMk2]

My Mum did that when in NZ 2 years ago.

She's 63.

[ApexJimi]

Looks great, would love a shot at it!

Even so, I can't help think that if it all went wrong when he's buzzing the rocks, it would be one hell of a big mess

[Hard-Drive]

As someone who has grown up with boats, that looks absolutely bloody terrifying!

I'm guessing the drivers are roughly at the equivalent level as a pro rally driver, however the margins for error look tiny. Still like to give it a go though!

[Streetrod]

I have also been on that, great fun. My other half who is from New Zealand has also been in one of the two man jet boats. They are stupid fast and run in a about 6 inchs of water

[dvs_dave]

Been on the Huka falls jet a few times. Great fun! Not made it down to the shotover yet, but hopefully next summer.

[uncinqsix]

ApexJimi said:

Looks great, would love a shot at it!

Even so, I can't help think that if it all went wrong when he's buzzing the rocks, it would be one hell of a big mess

Apparently, when the boats get close to the rocks, there is a fair "cushion" of high-pressure water between the hull and the rocks that stops the boat actually making contact (unless things go really pear-shaped). Means the that drivers can go pretty fast and get pretty close without risk!