A Seabob is a hand-held, electrically powered underwater scooter — a personal propulsion craft you grip with both hands and steer with your body. It pulls you along the surface like a sea scooter, then carries you down below it like an underwater jet.
It is made by CAYAGO AG in Germany. There is no motor you sit on and no controls to wrestle: the power is in a thumb-operated trigger, the direction comes from shifting your weight, and the craft stops the moment you let go of the trigger.
Below we explain what it is, how it actually works, who builds it, who is allowed to ride it, and what it is for. If you would rather feel it than read about it, we rent Seabobs in Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Göcek and Marmaris — see Seabob rental or message us on WhatsApp.
- What it is
- Hand-held electric sea scooter
- Made by
- CAYAGO AG, Germany (founded 2007)
- Minimum age
- 16, and a proficient swimmer
- Depth (F9)
- 3 m default, settable up to 25 m
What a Seabob is
A Seabob is a compact, hand-held craft built around a brushless electric motor and a jet drive. You hold the two handle grips, point it where you want to go, and squeeze the thumb trigger. The motor drives an impeller that pushes water through a jet channel, which pushes you forward — no propeller spinning in open water, no fuel, no exhaust.
It is buoyant enough to float on its own, which is part of why it is so forgiving: if you let go, it stays at the surface and stops, instead of sinking or running away from you.
- Electric and brushless — a brushless electric motor with a magnetic drive, so there are no gears to grind and no oil to leak into the water.
- Hand-held — you carry and steer it with your body, not with a handlebar or a seat.
- Built for salt water — sealed electronics and materials chosen to live in the sea, not just to survive a weekend.
How a Seabob works
Everything you control is on the two hand grips: a digital thumb trigger gives you stepless power, and three drive modes change how that power is delivered.
The throttle
- A thumb-operated digital trigger controls the motor, with stepless power — press a little for a gentle glide, press fully for maximum thrust.
- Drive modes on the F9 set the character of the ride: Normal (the default), Dive (gentler acceleration for controlled descents), and Sport (instant full power — it needs at least 40% charge to engage).
- Releasing the trigger stops the craft within a very short distance, because water resistance does the braking. The moment your hand opens, the thrust is gone.
Steering
You steer by shifting your body weight — lean to turn, tilt to dive or climb. There is no rudder wheel or joystick. This is the part most first-timers pick up within a few minutes, which is why every rental starts with a briefing and, for beginners, a guide who stays with you.
Depth control
Depth is limited electronically rather than by strength. The F9 cuts off at 3 metres by default and can be set as deep as 25 metres; the F5 series defaults to 2.5 metres and can be set to 40 metres. Going deeper than 3 metres is only for licensed divers or riders with a qualified instructor, and the motor cuts out if you pass the set limit, then restarts only above it.
Who makes the Seabob
The Seabob is made by CAYAGO AG, a German company founded in 2007, with its head office in Stuttgart and its sales and production facility in Bad Salzuflen. Every Seabob carries that German engineering lineage, from the sealed battery pack to the magnetic drive.
The current F9 series was designed by Studio F. A. Porsche together with Cayago's engineers, and the materials show it: titanium, magnesium and special ceramic coatings chosen to shed salt water and take the knocks of a boat deck. The result is a craft that is light enough to carry from a tender and tough enough to live on a yacht.
Who can ride a Seabob
A Seabob is simple to operate, but it is not a toy. Cayago's rules are clear, and they exist because the craft moves quickly through water where you cannot stand up:
- Minimum age 16 — and riders aged 16–17 only under adult supervision.
- You must be a proficient swimmer. Non-swimmers are not permitted, full stop.
- "Not a toy for children" is the manufacturer's own wording, and we apply it.
- Protected waters only — up to wind force 4 and waves up to 0.3 metres.
What it feels like, and what it is for
On the surface a Seabob is a fast, quiet glide — you hold on, squeeze the trigger, and the water takes your weight. Under it, the same craft becomes a dive scooter that carries you down to a reef or a wreck without kicking, leaving your hands free to look around and your air to last longer.
That versatility is the point. A Seabob is used three ways: as a surface toy off the back of a boat, as a snorkelling aid that gets you to the good water without the swim, and as a dive scooter for qualified divers heading deeper. It is the same machine each time — only the depth and the rider's licence change.
You do not need to buy one to find out. We rent the full Cayago range — F9, F9 S, F5 and F5 S — with delivery to your yacht, villa or beach, a fully charged battery, and a guide for first-timers. See Seabob rental.
The models, and where to try one
The current range runs from the F9 (the everyday unit) through the F9 S (more power, longer battery, and the Driving Stability System as standard) to the F5 / F5 S family. Each suits a different rider, and the differences matter more than the shared badge.
Compare them properly in our Seabob models guide, which lays the official specs side by side and helps you pick the right unit before you commit.