'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

newatlas.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.smeargle.fans/post/159545

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'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

newatlas.com /marine/seabike-swimming-propeller/

57 comments

At this point, you start gliding through the water with the splendid, gracious ease of a cruising dugong with an outboard up its bum.
Pulitzer candidate right there.
- So Swiss-Army-Man fast.
I can't tell how fast it is, is there a comparison of someone using this vs. a regular swimmer?
- The real comparison will be this thing vs a set of basic swim flippers.
  
  I'd still go with the flippers. The sacrifice to articulation seems like a deal breaker.
  
  I don't really have a good gauge of how fast you can typically go with swim slippers though. Comparing to a person swimming without any aides would be much more useful for getting an idea of what "superhuman speed" means.
- Some videos in the article show a guy cruising while barely using his arms, and then SCUBA divers only pedaling with their feet but they were pedaling slower
- They don't discuss specific speeds, but this is from the last paragraph:
  This jigger, according to the manufacturers, makes you handily quicker than an equivalent swimmer with fins on.
  
  What's "handily quicker"? A lot quicker? A good phrase for selling a novelty product?
  I have to wonder how the Seabike, as shown exclusively in a swimming pool rather than any of the many seas on the planet, actually performs.
  
  I'm very skeptical about that. It's an expensive augmented swimming device that says it's faster than fins but doesn't prove it with stats or even just a side-by-side video...?
- Why would I want this as opposed to an electric one that I hold in my hands, that can zoop me across the ocean without consuming extra oxygen from physical exertion?
  
  Price and depth
This is a really cool idea and I'd try it. But also the video was kind of underwhelming and they look like huge nerds.
- Yep, that doesn't look faster than a pair of fins or even a monofin.
  
  It might not be faster, it might not look cooler, but it is relatively inconvenient.
- I don't think they really understand that there isn't much market for swimming fast, but there is a good market for swimming/snorkeling lazy, which is where this may actually exist as a product.
So ... with that central rod up your butt (for stability) ... the land bike counterpart is this:
- it beats dealing with the airline companies.
  
  Way better seating too.
Seabike says the prop turns slowly enough that you can safely use it at the local pool – although you'll certainly cop some dirty looks from the Speedo brigade in the fast lane.
You're going to get dirty looks because you can't do a flip turn and block the rest of us. This is cool in the open water but not for lap swimming in a pool.
I feel like this is how you get chased by sharks and killer whales
This needs to be cross posted to "Fuck Cars".
- No
- How many cars have you put in the water?
  
  https://lemmy.ml/c/fuck_cars is about cycling and walking, so a under water cycle is relevant for Venice maybe?
  I can't see where amphibious cars would fit in?
It actually does look relatively faster. This might have given me an idea..
- Are you a script writer for James Bond?
  
  No, but I am a script writer for a video game.
Well I haven't swam in over a decade but I want one.
Car enjoyers in shambles... Again
seems a little bit scary being clipped into the contraption. maybe not as bad if scuba is involved. but what if the mechanism fails or gets snagged while you’re clipped to it?
- You unclip, same as with a bicycle.
  
  What bicycles require you to be strapped into them?
  
  hard to imagine it’s truly the same. would be interested to see the process
- There's a clip of a swimmer doing it without shoes/clips so maybe they're optional.