The Quadski may soon be jumping both hills and waves in and around Destin.
An amphibious vehicle made by GIBBS Sports, the Quadski is capable of speeds up to 45 mph on both land and water. It's an all-terrain vehicle and a personal water craft in one.
Representatives from GIBBS Sports were at Legendary Marine in Destin Dec. 12 to show off the Quadski, which sells for about $40,000. Shawn Talpey, director of sales at Legendary Marine, said no deal has been made, but that the Destin boat dealer is discussing adding the Quadski to its inventory.
"It was incredible watching a four-wheeler transition right into the water and take off as a Jet Ski is mind-blowing," Talpey told The Log.
When the Quadski enters the water, the wheels tilt and rise up at the push of a button. The water jet propulsion system is always engaged when the vehicle is on, so the transition from four-wheeler to personal watercraft takes only seconds.
A BMW 4-cylinder, 1300cc engine propels the vehicle on land and couples with the GIBBS-patented jet propulsion system on the water. Serious ATV riders could be turned off, though, by the fact that GIBBS does not currently offer a four-wheel-drive version of the Quadski.
Talpey said he expects Legendary Marine will decide this week whether or not to add the Quadski to its boat line.
The Quadski hit the market in October 2012. GIBBS Sports, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., spent about $200 million developing the vehicle. The company has stated that it wishes to increase production, which could drastically decrease the selling price in the future.