Nick Oakden with a flyboard (left) and a flyboarder in action (right) Main picture: Louise White d413597
Camera IconNick Oakden with a flyboard (left) and a flyboarder in action (right) Main picture: Louise White d413597 Credit: Supplied/Louise White

Thrilling enterprise begins on the fly

Staff ReporterWeekend Kwinana Courier

Flyboarding has taken off in the eastern states and after seeing it for himself on YouTube and not being able to find anywhere in the Perth metro area to try it, Safety Bay resident Nick Oakden decided to change that.

‘I actually bought the board before I’d even tried it out,’ the owner/operator of Flyboard Rockingham said.

‘I knew that was a risk, but I also knew I’d be able to pick it up and I’m so glad I did because it’s an awesome experience.’

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

The flyboard was invented in 2011 by French jet ski racer and inventor Franky Zapata and involves the rider standing on a board that is connected via a long hose to a watercraft.

The water is then routed to a pair of boots with jet nozzles underneath which provide thrust and allow the rider to fly up to 15m into the air or dive headfirst through the water.

Mr Oakden said it looked as spectacular as it sounded.

‘People see us from the foreshore, they’ll be walking along and then stop in amazement because they’ve never seen anything like it before,’ he said. ‘Everyone who sees it wants to ask questions and we’ve had a good response already.’

Flyboard Rockingham offers bookings for half an hour, an hour, half a day or a full day of flyboarding, and operates from Rockingham foreshore.