Marine

A Hawaiian twist on the glass-bottomed boat

A Hawaiian twist on the glass-bottomed boat
The Aeon Explorer hits the water on the Big Island of Hawaii
The Aeon Explorer hits the water on the Big Island of Hawaii
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The Aeon Explorer hits the water on the Big Island of Hawaii
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The Aeon Explorer hits the water on the Big Island of Hawaii
Users lie prone on the Aeon Explorer, looking down through an acrylic window in the underside of its nose
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Users lie prone on the Aeon Explorer, looking down through an acrylic window in the underside of its nose
LED spotlights on the underside of the Aeon Explorer help illuminate the depths at night, and can also attract wildlife
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LED spotlights on the underside of the Aeon Explorer help illuminate the depths at night, and can also attract wildlife
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Snorkelling may be a great way of seeing marine life close to shore, but things get a little trickier if you want to explore the less-crowded waters that lie farther out. That's why a group of entrepreneurs in Kona, Hawaii created the Aeon Explorer. It's an electric personal watercraft that lets its riders see beneath the surface.

Users lie prone on the fiberglass-bodied vessel, looking down through an acrylic window in the underside of its nose – they can also look forward, of course, to see where they're going.

Users lie prone on the Aeon Explorer, looking down through an acrylic window in the underside of its nose
Users lie prone on the Aeon Explorer, looking down through an acrylic window in the underside of its nose

Propulsion is provided by a single propeller in the rear, while a dual joystick system is used for steering and throttle control. A solar panel on top boosts the battery range.

Additionally, LED spotlights on the underside of the craft help illuminate the depths at night, and can also attract wildlife.

LED spotlights on the underside of the Aeon Explorer help illuminate the depths at night, and can also attract wildlife
LED spotlights on the underside of the Aeon Explorer help illuminate the depths at night, and can also attract wildlife

The Aeon Explorer team is currently running an Indiegogo campaign to ramp up production of the vehicle. Ultimately, the hope is to lease the watercraft to eco-tourism businesses, and use them within the community for educating children or getting physically challenged users out on the water.

Different perks are available for different pledge levels, although there's no option for getting an Explorer of your own. Should you like the general idea, however, you might also be interested in the Zayak Sea Sled – it's another surface vessel with an underwater window in the bottom, although it doesn't have a motor.

The Aeon Explorer can be seen in action, in the video below.

Source: Indiegogo

Aeon Explorer Highlights - 2016

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5 comments
5 comments
Milton
cool concept. It's much larger than I was expecting it to be.
toyhouse
I agree - very cool and I want one! Don't blame me though for thinking the price of this thing will be over the moon. Anyway, it'd be nice to see these sold alongside kayaks and paddle boards in the sporting goods section. And maybe offer an inflatable or hybrid version that's easier to transport.
Imran Sheikh
That half roof thing is dangerous for standing person(or in big wave for normal user too) in case of sudden impact of stoppage.
ljaques
Interesting vehicle, and great concept for Wounded Warriors. But it will never get off the ground if they don't sell them to other people, too. They've only gathered $600 with 2 months of Indegogo left. They're entirely missing the boat, so to speak. I sure hope they read these replies before it's too late. Toyhouse, you can donate to this project but apparently can't buy one. They say they'll put one vehicle on the water for each $10k they receive, and hope to get the cost down to $5k, so you're right, over the moon. IF you could buy one.
nick101
It wouldn't be that hard to make your own and save $$.