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The more adventurous might try bodyboarding – beyond that, maybe surfing or wakeboarding. Very few people – maybe just one – would consider strapping a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) chassis to two super-powered jet-skis and tearing off at speeds of more than 90mph (145km/h).
That person is Ryan Goldberg, creator of the Shadow Six Typhoon. Promising “more badass per cubic inch than anything else on the water,” he bills his mutant creation as the first “aquatic utility vehicle” (AUV), although it might not be immediately clear exactly what utility the vehicle has.
From vision to reality
Like the Typhoon’s custom-built frame and suspension system perched on top of the two hulls, Goldberg’s brainwave was based on two realisations.
The first came after a ride in a Polaris Rzr UTV, also known as a side-by-side, with his three-year-old son in Las Vegas. “The capabilities of the Rzr suspension were mind blowing,” he says. “Not only could the side-by-side’s suspension handle boulder impacts with grace, but the vehicle’s balanced design seemed to create the ultimate design for any terrain.”
Faced with the cost and geographical constraints of owning one in Florida, however, Goldberg gave up on that dream.
The second realisation came a few months later during a trip to the Bahamas with his wife, who was uncomfortable during a jet-ski trip as saltwater sprayed into her face. “That’s when it hit me that I could create the best of all motorsports vehicles into one that was capable of riding freely on 71% of the Earth’s surface,” says Goldberg. “This led to patenting various aspects of the vehicle, as well as drawing up the design for the initial concept vehicle.”
It took a few attempts to convince engineers that the project was worth exploring – and that it would not simply lead to “catastrophic failures” – but the vehicle came together after eight years and three prototypes.
Not simply a UTV strapped to two jet-skis, the Typhoon’s custom-built frame sits atop two racing hulls, also custom-built and each housing a four-cylinder supercharged Yamaha GP1800 SCHO R engine, providing more than 650hp.
With room for one to three people and weighing just over a tonne, the AUV is made of carbon fibre and aerospace-grade titanium, picked for its low weight, high strength and resistance to rust. “Our frames can sit at the bottom of the ocean for 10 years without rusting or compromising structural integrity,” claims Goldberg.
The dual-rate suspension is completely adjustable, he adds, and it even has different settings depending on wave conditions and if it is on fresh or saltwater, which have different buoyancy.
Rescue capability
“Everyone was shocked when they witnessed the vehicle operating for the first time,” says Goldberg. “I don’t think anyone besides myself expected exactly how well the Typhoon would ultimately perform.”
One of the utilities, it turns out, is a rescue capability in high surf conditions. It will also be available for just over $250,000 to motorsports enthusiasts, and Goldberg has aspirations of a “whole new class” of water racing. His company aims to build eight production vehicles by mid-2023.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.