The wonders below the surface of the sea are incredible sights, a glimpse to a world that is as unknown and alien as the galaxies that surround the planet. With so much to discover underneath the waves, the last thing anyone wants to do is spend time lugging around heavy scuba tanks and other equipment. Ultimately, more time is spent preparing for a dive than actually diving in most cases.
The team behind AirBuddy wants to make the entire diving experience more lightweight. To do this, its portable diving system ditches bulky tanks in favor of a surface-supplied diving approach (SSBA) reminiscent of old diving suit that used tubes to connect to boats that supplied oxygen. The AirBuddy concept is the same, but rather than deliver oxygen from a boat, it does so from an small air compressor that floats on the water’s surface.
In total, the AirBuddy system weighs just 21 pounds, 50-75% lighter than traditional scuba gear, and allows divers to explore for up to 45 minutes at a maximum depth of 40 feet. Interested water loves can grab their own AirBuddy for about $1,250, slated to ship April 2017. The campaign is looking for a little under $510,000 by June 8th, 2016 to see success.
Take the excitement by the now debunked fraud that was the Triton, add a heap of actual, honest-to-goodness effort, and AirBuddy is the result. Instead of stretching the truth, the AirBuddy is a sharp implementation of the technologies available to create a compelling product. Its rechargeable battery and airplane-friendly design only make it standout even more. Anyone who is even remotely a diving enthusiast will absolutely love something like this.