PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Marek Swoboda is a biomedical engineer and a maker of artificial hearts.
But when the stresses of that job got too much, the Tarpon Springs turned to his love of swimming in the sea.
And that's how the Amphi bionic fin was born.
"I wanted to be a sea creature," he said. "I wanted to be one of them. So I invented something called bionic swimming."
Leaning on his scientific and medical skills, and with his wife Ginger by his side, Swoboda created a jet-propulsive super fin that gently propels a swimmer through the water.
You can steer and dive; if you want to stop, you pull your knees up, and sensors slow you down.
The technology is intuitive and smooth.
"You just put it on your feet and go," he said. "Enjoy the view."
Right now, the Amphi is selling for about $2,600 for a single-propeller model; there's also a double-propeller model too. Once the Amphis is mass-produced, he expects the price to drop by $1,000.
He also sees a future where the Amphi is used for practical purposes (commercial divers, reef restoration) and therapeutic uses (wounded veterans with prosthetics).
For more on the Amphi bionic fin, click here.
