http://www.slate.com/id/2171935/

And apparently a vid too, although I can't verify that, due to firewalls;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PST5jHCJqQ

If this has anything to do with the recent demise of the Yangtze Dolphin?

Were any black helicopters spotted in the area, during the hunt for the dolphins?

Thanks for the youtube video, it's most interesting.

..in that video they even look like ACTUAL seals, those DARPA boys know what they're doing :-P

Thanks for the pic but the video is or 'real' Seals and not SEALS....

So close but yet so far.

Oh dear... normal seals and no military sort... :(

The video is of the marine mammal, not the US Navy special forces...

lol!

great vid barrrbb...

next time wait ill you get home and check it...^^

...if you wan't to be pedantic! - Or pinnipeds ;-)

The photo makes it look like a bitch to do a giant stride. Maybe a back flop. And they don't look easy to don.

As long as they don't kick up too much turbulence (silt out), cave divers might like them, but they'll never catch on with the general diving public. But cavers like scooters at present.

Man, the debate on these would make Force Fins sound like a friendly discussion.

http://media.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/av/blogtechswim.avi

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file."

MediaPlayerClassic has no problems.

I've not been able to find a direct citation but:

http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~j_montie/Hydrofoil-CS&P.html

has a clipping of a Popular Science article from 1974. The clipping is about half way down the page. Doesn't look like much progress in 33 years to me :-)

Here it is again. Pity the video won't work.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1106609.htm

It looks very similar to something that Calvin Gongwer of Innerspace (we use their thrusters at work) invented years ago: http://www.innerspacethrusters.com/Aqueon.htm

I wonder if that's a ripoff of if there's a licensing agreement in place?