Made using the two-stroke engine from his motorcycle, sealed inside a fibreglass case with a petrol tank on top.
Did it work?
...No. He was caught on the beach and, despite claiming he was was only testing it, was sentenced to three months in prison.
However, Bernd's second attempt in 1968 was successful, pulling him 24 nautical miles for five hours across the Baltic sea.
His story was reported in the news and caught the interest of an American manufacturer. Together, they went onto to develop the first commercial aqua scooter with Bernd, which was launched around 1978.
As a kid I remember seeing these early versions knocking around. They were bulky, heavy, awkward, really noisy, slow, and did I mention you had to fill it up with petrol?
It had a snorkel for the air intake, which meant if you went deeper than a metre you would flood the engine. Also, don't forget the regular maintenance on that two stroke engine.
Fast forward to 2025 and I recently got the chance to try the latest tech - the top of the range sea scooter, Vapor, from Sublue.
Boy, did it make me realise how far we have come. Vapor is so small, light, quiet...yet so fast and powerful in the water. My arms were being pull off, and my cheeks pushed back by the water. I think you will love this video I made for you...
