Jetpacks were always supposed to belong in the sky. CudaJet, a British company founded by Archie O’Brien, had a different idea: strap the jets to your back, point them at the ocean, and fly underwater. The result is the CudaJet Underwater Jetpack, billed as the world’s first wearable underwater jetpack — a dual-jet propulsion pack that carries a swimmer at up to 3 metres per second, down to 40 metres deep, for as long as 90 minutes on a single charge. It is part scuba gear, part superhero fantasy, and entirely real.
What Is the CudaJet Underwater Jetpack?
The CudaJet is a wearable propulsion system built around a patented dual-jet drive. Instead of holding a scooter in front of you — the way traditional diver propulsion vehicles work — you wear the CudaJet on your torso, secured by a padded neoprene harness with a carbon fibre skeleton. Your hands stay free, your body stays streamlined, and you steer the way a bird flies: by moving your body. Lean, twist and roll, and the jetpack follows, which is how riders pull off underwater barrel rolls that no handheld device can match.
Because the thrust sits behind you rather than in your hands, the experience feels like flight instead of being towed. CudaJet likes to point out that at its top speed of 3 m/s (about 10 feet per second), the drag acting on your body is equivalent to flying through air at roughly 193 mph. Underwater, that is seriously fast.
How the Patented Jet Propulsion Works
Nearly every component of the CudaJet was engineered from scratch in England, and the company reports a power-to-weight ratio of 3:1 — comfortably ahead of well-known handheld underwater scooters. The pack delivers 40 kg (88 lb) of thrust from its twin jets, yet the complete system weighs just 14 kg (about 31 lb) on land, harness included. The 2025 redesign trimmed weight from the original model while stretching runtime from 40 minutes to a claimed 90 minutes, with a fast charger refilling the lithium battery in about 75 minutes.
The whole unit is made to order, injection-moulded, then painted and finished by hand at CudaJet’s facility in England, working with more than 60 British suppliers. Founder Archie O’Brien has put over 30,000 hours of development into the machine, and it shows in the details.
CudaJet Specs at a Glance
- Top speed: 3 m/s (approx. 6.7 mph / 10 ft per second)
- Thrust: 40 kg (88 lb)
- Maximum depth: 40 metres (131 ft)
- Runtime: up to 90 minutes per charge
- Charge time: approx. 75 minutes (fast charger included)
- Weight: 14 kg (approx. 31 lb) including harness
- Pack dimensions: 495mm × 306mm × 200mm
- Harness: 4 sizes, chest 32″ to 60″ (81cm to 152cm)
- Buoyancy: 65N to 85N total
The Controller and Harness: Built Like Aerospace Gear
Thrust is managed through a handheld controller that is permanently wired to the pack — no wireless signal to drop, no separate unit to lose. Its trigger offers 1,000 micro steps of throttle for smooth, intuitive control, and a full-colour hardened display shows your speed, depth and remaining battery at a glance.
The harness deserves its own mention. It is made entirely in-house using techniques borrowed from aerospace — CudaJet talks about tolerances traditionally reserved for space suits. A carbon fibre back panel keeps the pack rigid under thrust while staying light and flexible, the neoprene is high-grade limestone-based material, and the quick-attach system means you can get in and out of the harness in seconds. When the dive is over, everything packs into a single protective hard case.
Safety: A Depth Limit That Brings You Back
Speed underwater is only fun if the machine looks after you. Every CudaJet leaves the factory with a safety depth limit set to just 3 metres. Experienced divers can raise that limit in the settings, all the way to the full 40-metre maximum. Stray past your chosen limit and the motors cut out automatically, letting the pack’s positive buoyancy float you back to the surface. It is a simple, fail-safe idea executed well.
From Superyacht Decks to Rocky Shores
CudaJet’s target customer is easy to picture: the superyacht owner looking for the ultimate toy for the aft deck. The pack is compact and light enough to climb a yacht ladder with it still on your back, hands free, no crew member hauling gear out of the water for you. But the company is just as proud of what happens away from marinas. Because you wear it, you can hike, scramble over rocks and walk through surf to launch from remote spots no boat or scooter can reach. It is freedom beyond the shore, as CudaJet puts it.
You can see the machine in action on the official CudaJet YouTube channel, where the team posts dive footage and product films.
CudaJet Price: What the Package Includes
Luxury engineering comes at a luxury price. The current CudaJet package starts at £22,500 (roughly US$30,600), and every unit is made to order. For that money you get the Underwater Jetpack itself, the wired controller, one harness in your size, the luxury hard carrying case, a fast charger and a two-year warranty. That is a significant step up from the original 2023 launch price, but the longer runtime, lighter build and included extras explain most of the jump.
The Founder’s Edition: Only 20 Exist
For collectors, CudaJet offers a Founder’s Edition limited to just 20 units. It adds lifetime product access, in-water training with founder Archie O’Brien himself, and a lifetime warranty. If the standard jetpack is a superyacht toy, the Founder’s Edition is a piece of the company’s history.
Who Is the CudaJet For?
Honestly? Not for casual snorkellers. At this price, the CudaJet is aimed at superyacht owners, luxury resorts and serious freediving and adventure enthusiasts who want something genuinely unlike anything else on the water. What it offers in return is unique: hands-free, three-dimensional underwater flight with the agility of a dolphin and the engineering polish of a British aerospace workshop. Nothing else you can buy today does quite what it does.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast is the CudaJet underwater jetpack?
The CudaJet reaches a top speed of 3 metres per second — about 6.7 mph — driven by 40 kg (88 lb) of thrust from its patented dual-jet system.
How deep can the CudaJet go?
It is rated to a maximum depth of 40 metres (131 ft). A factory-set safety limit of 3 metres can be adjusted in the settings, and exceeding your limit cuts the motors and floats you back up.
How long does the CudaJet battery last?
Up to 90 minutes of runtime per charge, with a fast-charge time of roughly 75 minutes.
How much does a CudaJet cost?
The complete package starts at £22,500 (about US$30,600), including the jetpack, controller, harness, hard case, fast charger and a two-year warranty. Each unit is made to order in England.
Do I need scuba certification to use a CudaJet?
The CudaJet is a propulsion device, not breathing equipment — it is used for freediving-style underwater flight at or near the surface unless paired with your own dive gear and training. Always follow local diving safety rules.
The Verdict
The CudaJet is one of those rare products that creates its own category. It is expensive, unapologetically luxurious, and engineered with an obsession that justifies the attention it gets. If flying underwater sounds like your kind of adventure, you can explore the full range and order details on the official CudaJet website.
