Shark Tank

I grew up near lakes in Canada but dreamed of oceans. This was likely due to winter trips to Florida in my childhood. I have an inborn preference for still water - likely due to swimming on silky black lakes and some very Zen canoe trips. Decades later, I live on the Southern U.S. coast by the Pacific Ocean.

I love to look at the ocean but rarely go in it. Love the smell and sound, its proximity to warmth, palm trees, sunshine, and miles of beach. The ecology of the water - the primordial life that is connected to us all - is something that always brings me content. I have watched many surfers and paddlers - studied their techniques and wave patterns; listened to all the surfer-speak on swells (with scientific aptitude). I just don’t trust the sheer force of it.

One day I witnessed an actual baby riding on a board with her momma. And, I thought, this is almost cerebral. Such fearlessness and utter joy. How could others achieve this - enjoy the ebb of those waves - no panic, even with an approaching swell that could launch you under in an instant?

Enter The Cyber Aqua Suit. Futuristic, not cheap, yet so very effective. All my friends being either artists or scientists, I had the perfect team to conceptualize and build my vision that I will present today to the Shark Tank crew. By the way, the suit is shark-proof (they love that), uber buoyant and doubles as a meditation device. It has the effect of a weighted blanket meets astronaut suit! It is both soothing and safe.

“Perfect for people like me who have always wanted to experience the Earth’s oceans, but their anxiety stops them...until now - the Cyber Aqua Suit is space-age - tested by Nasa and top surfers in California and Hawaii. And, you can try it out right here!! Are you ready to make a splash?”

There were gasps when the tank rolled out. Then one of the most skeptical “sharks” volunteered. This didn’t phase me. Instead, “the shark” was amazed that the suit was feather-light and quick to put on like a t-shirt - marveling how Cyber Aqua could replace the wetsuit. The potential product lines alone got his brain calculating in a frenzy.

Now, this massive tank is a state-of-the-art ocean simulator. Once “the shark” was in - he momentarily flailed and twitched but then was somehow transformed as if by an invisible tranquilizer. The suit changed colors too - to indicate the user’s mood - now emitting a soft magenta. On the connected monitor, you could witness his brain waves - the ultimate testament to the suit’s effectiveness - his frontal lobe actually glowing.

Emerging, he sighed deeply and said, “AMAZING! WOW - I’m SO in!” The Sharks were ALL in. Mesmerized not only by what they had just seen but by the outcomes of their entrepreneurial computations and visions - their endless applications reaching economic platitudes beyond their wildest imaginations!!!

I took a breath and smiled, closing my eyes with gratitude. It was no surprise. The legacy of Cyber Aquatics Inc. was going to change the world. At this moment, I realized that my vision was for mankind and our ultimate survival on this planet. Humans would now sense the ocean - identifying with it much like a dolphin - or a shark - and never bring it harm.