The holidays are upon us, so it’s time for our 2015 Jetpack America Channel Holiday Gift Guide.
Back in the old days Santa just jumped in his good old trusty sleigh. Not any more. Now he’s flying high with his own water jetpack!
Water Jet Pack
No holiday season would be complete without the revolutionary water jetpack. In 2011, the Jetlev-Jetpack became the first commercially available water
jetpack. The invention allowed a pilot wear a backpack-style jetpack, which utilized water pressure from a small trailing boat unit to propel them
up to 30 feet in the air. Since then water jetpacks have evolved as well. Now makers like X-Jets and Zapata Racing make similar models. Back In 2012,
the Flyboard was introduced, which used similar technology but at a fraction of the initial $100k Jetlev price tag. This gave people the ability to
attach the flying unit to any standard jet ski to get airborne. Now there are literally dozens of companies offering a variety of hydroflight devices,
some at prices as low as $4000, making them much more realistic for those who want them on their holiday Santa wish list.
Jetpack America is proud to announce that we are now offering the top products from the top manufacturers, X-Jets, Zapata Racing and Jetovator.
For more information, visit our Jetpack Sales page. Or you may want to consider a Jetpack
Flight Experience, which can be had for as little as $65 with XMAS2015 Discount Code.
If your Santa is looking for a different kind of ride or present this year he might want to try one of these:
Hoverboard
While the “Hoverboard” term was popularized in 1989’s Back to the Future II, when Marty McFly buzzed around on a hovering skateboard, the concept burst
back into the headlines in 2015, with Zapata’s water-propelled snowboard, known as, you guessed it, Hoverboard,
and then with the Segway-esque two-wheeled version for zipping around town, which has become the hot holiday gift of 2015, albeit surrounded by some
controversy due to injuries (exploding Hoverboard, anyone?) and uncertain rules and regulation surrounding them.
Generically known as “self-balancing scooters”, these new hoverboards are being produced by manufacturers all around the world, with prices ranging from
as little as $300 up into the thousands, with the quality to match the price. We recommend the Leray Balance Motion 6.5,
which can be had for a little over $400.
For even more detailed information, check out Wired.com’s article Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Hoverboard.
Drone Helicopter (with Camera Mount)
Similar to the Hoverboard, radio-controlled drone helicopters have become a hot-ticket item this holiday season, topping many holiday gift guides and Christmas
gift lists, but they’ve also been surrounded by some controversy, with local governments and even the FAA getting involved in the discussion to determine
appropriate rules and regulations for operating these mini helicopters.
The best thing about multi-rotor drone helicopters is how easy they are to fly, thanks in part to internal stabilizers, “return to base” GPS functionality
when batteries run low, and a simple remote control system, which can be mounted with a screen for wifi viewing of camera angles. This new product
has turned amateur videographers and pilots into professional aerial production companies, putting out eye-catching footage from amazing perspectives.
To see the kind of footage these drone-mounted cameras can produce, look no further than our Jetpack America Promo Video,
which was shot by two employees using a Phantom Drone for their Elite Aerials videography business.
For more information, visit the Phantom Drone website.
Electric Skateboard
Continuing the demand for remote control toys and devices, the electric skateboard offers riders the “feeling of snowboarding, surfing or wakeboarding
right outside your door”, according to Boosted Boards website. With simple wireless control (are you seeing
a theme here?), the electric skateboard utilizes a powerful motor and disc brakes to take the hassle and (fortunately/unfortunately) the exercise out
of the sport of skateboarding.
With top speeds of 25 mph and a range of about 7 miles, they’re perfect for cruising around town on a Sunday afternoon. Just be careful, these things have
a lot more acceleration than you’d expect, so start slow to avoid flying off the back as the board shoots out from underneath you.
Prices aren’t cheap, with most quality boards in the $1000 range, they’ll definitely get you noticed as you passed the bikers on your hang-ten commute
to the office.
For more information, visit Boosted Boards.
GoPro HD Camera
GoPro cameras have been around for a few years now, but they continue to evolve and, as a result, they continue to be at the top of many action sports
enthusiasts’ holiday wish lists. The simple reality is that they’re incredibly easy to use and they shoot absolutely stunning HD video and hi-res photos.
We use these GoPro cameras for all of our 5000+ jetpack customer videos, but we also use
them for our promo videos and they’re used by every major TV and film company because of their compact size and durability.
For only a few hundred dollars, anyone can shoot compelling video, which could turn you into the next YouTube viral video sensation. If you don’t already
have a GoPro camera in your collection, 2015 is the year to add it to your holiday wish list. We’ve tried most of the GoPro cameras and we’ve found
that the entry level Hero+LCD ($299), with LCD touch screen and 1080p HD 60
frames per second capability is plenty for even avid filmmakers.
For more information, visit GoPro.
Apple Watch
Years ago, people proclaimed the “death of the wristwatch”, stating “who needs it, when you have a more accurate time piece right in your pocket” (i.e.
the cell phone). Now the shift is going back in the other direction. Instead of your smart phone telling you the time, your watch can alert you when
you receive a text message, give you directions around town or let you ask questions to Siri (does anyone out there think of Michael talking to Kit
from Knight Rider or am I showing my age?).
The Apple Watch proves, if Apple builds it, the public will buy it. And many will spend quite a bit too, with high-end versions costing tens of thousands
or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. $114,995 for this diamond-encrusted Apple Watch,
anyone??
We’re not sure if this trend will become the norm in everyday life, like FaceTime, or fade away, like the iPod Shuffle.
For more information, visit Apple.
Whatever you put on your holiday wish list this year, we hope that you get all that your heart desires! Happy holidays, everyone!
