AquaSkipper
What do you get if you cross a jet ski, a bicycle and a pogo stick? Quite a lot of attention from the shore if it turned out to be an AquaSkipper. It's a self-propelling, human-powered hydrofoil, which lets you skate across water by hopping. Seriously.
Thanks to its patented, award-winning design featuring hydrofoil blades attached to a fibreglass spring, every hop propels the AquaSkipper forward. The whole thing is held together with a super-lightweight aircraft aluminium frame, which all folds up into a duffle about the size of a golf bag to throw in the back of the car.
The hopping action does look unusual as the rider bounces up and down getting a pretty decent workout, but it actually jets along at an average speed of about 15km/h (10mph) for most, with a top speed of about 24km/h possibly if you really give it socks, Skippy-style.
Cost$495 (€345 ), from gadgetsandgear.com.
Texas Hold’em Inflatable Poker Set
Lilos, old school. Dolphins, kids’ play. Blow-up crocs, so last season. If you want to position yourself as the real party guest on a poolside break, perhaps this is what you need to pack.
It’s a complete inflatable poker set, with a floating table and four seats, waterproof cards and chips, and even dice if you’re going to go hardcore casino in the deep end.
There are always some pool-proud types who like to keep their patch plastic inflatable-free, but what’s the fun in that? Of course, it does make strip poker a much shorter game than might be usual, but at least you can’t keep any Aces up your sleeve.
One also suspects the table is just the perfect target for the surprise running bomb off the poolside. (Not that we’re endorsing anyone who should try such a patently dangerous action, needless to say, but just to mark your card, so to speak.)
Cost$50 (€35), from amazon.com.
Vango Velocity Airbeam Tent
Scottish outdoor specialists Vango (an anagram of Govan where it started) has a healthy track record of innovation and its new range of Airbeam tents is no exception.
As the name suggests, it uses air to support the tent. It’s not the first company to have used that idea, but Vango’s camping credentials give its models a particular weight.
Airbeams take the slapstick out of tent-pitching. You simply lay out your tent, attach the pump hose, a few quick blasts, seal it and move on.
The Velocity range has three airbeams and can literally be pitched in less than five minutes. So no danger of you running out of puff before the job’s done. The speed of pitching is a real bonus.
And there’s no compromise on robustness: these have been tested to withstand winds up to 125km/h (75mph) and temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees.
Moreover, the rest of the tent is fully specced, including a Protex 6,000mm embossed polyester flysheet for waterproof nights, and PVC windows.
Comes with its own stirrup pump and repair kit just to be sure, to be sure.
CostFrom €250 for two-person version at 53 Degrees North.