The sport of paddleboarding is booming, and as a result we're seeing people take to the water in craft of all shapes and sizes. The latest to wade onto the scene features a huge stick running right through its center, which users can push and pull to propel themselves across the water.
The Finpo Waterglider is a 3.6-meter long (11.8 ft) and 94-centimeter-wide (3 ft) paddleboard with a kayak-shaped hull that the makers claim offers extremely high stability ... so much so that an on-water picnic is apparently possible.
But what is really different about the Finpo is the propulsion mechanism. We have seen paddleboards designed to be moved along through rowing, sailing and even skiing motions, but propelling this puppy across the water might involve the simplest action of all.
What looks like an oversized gearstick runs right through the center of the board, and moves a set of fins underneath as the user pulls it backwards and forwards. The result, according to the company, is a board that glides effortlessly over the water with easy movements, though we guess that will depend on how big a picnic you're packing.
The board itself is plastic with a polyethylene foam core, and the other components are made from stainless steel, which can be installed in a few minutes. It can carry a load of 170 kg (374 lb) and the handlebar is adjustable, so people of different heights can jump on and have a go.
The Finpo Waterglider is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, where the team is looking to raise a €40,000 goal (US$44,000) to get the board into production. Early pledges of €1,999 ($2,250) are available and will have a Finpo headed your way in August if all goes to plan (though they are only shopping to certain countries, so it's worth enquiring before buying).
You can check out the promo video below to see the board in action.
Source: Finpo
Also, no indication is given as to steering the craft. A poor presentation.