The Gibbs Quadski is a cross between an ATV and a jet ski.
Many outdoor enthusiasts want to own all the toys for land and water fun. Of course, there is always that person who simply cannot decide between the two. Do you go for a brand new personal watercraft like something from Sea-Doo? Or an all-terrain vehicle like the Polaris Sportsman?
Well, a company called Gibbs Sports Amphibians decided people should not have to compromise between an ATV and PWC. They combined both into one and the result is an amphibious ATV that is probably unlike anything you have ever seen before.
This fascinating vehicle goes from off-road quad to jet boat in only seconds, truly giving the user the best both worlds have to offer.
We were curious, so we dove more into the specs of this machine. There are two models, the Gibbs Quadski XL and the standard Quadski. The standard version has a BMW 1300cc, four-cylinder, 16 valve DOHC engine. They are much larger than a standard ATV. This vehicle has a massive 70-inch wheelbase with 8.9 inches of ground clearance. The overall height is about 53 inches and the overall length is about 128 inches. The weight is 1,333 pounds, so it is a hefty machine.
Meanwhile, the XL version has a four-stroke, in-line four cylinder engine. The overall width is about the same at 55 inches, but the wheel base is wider. The XL version is also about a hundred pounds heavier. These machines do have independent coil springs and hydraulic dampers for a suspension. In water, they use a water jet drive propulsion system to speed across the water. The top speed on land is about 45 miles per hour. It is the same for its water speed. Not exactly a high speed machine, but it should work fine for those uses.
It is a fascinating amphibious vehicle, and as you might expect, the Quadski price reflects that. These machines are alleged to cost around $40,000, which is about double what a UTV costs. Expensive, but it seems that is the price you must pay to go from land to water in a pinch. We cannot afford one but they are cool to look at!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: THE AXIS DEER AND HOW THEY'RE IMPACTING PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES
WATCH
