In 2018, we marveled over the Spyra One, an attempt to crowdfund a modern Super Soaker that could blast veritable bolts of water; refill itself from a pool; and maintain a digital ammo gauge of your shots, thanks to a heap of electronics, a self-pressurizing tank, and a battery you recharge via a standard USB-C port. The big catch: you had to be willing to risk north of $133 on an unproven Kickstarter that wound up shipping a year behind schedule.
But not only did Spyra eventually manage to ship those blasters (11,000 of them, according to the company) it’s now got a new version coming next month that sounds like a huge improvement in practically every way. The new Spyra Two fires faster, further, has twice the battery life, the company claims the pump is less noisy now — and this time, the company says it’s already manufactured and ready to ship in early June with no crowdfunding whatsoever. The initial units seem to be sold out, but Spyra’s website says it’ll have more in July.
The only downside, on paper anyhow, is a lower capacity of 20 shots compared to the 25 of the original… and a $159 pricetag. You can still charge up three distinct shots at a time, each ready to dispense a shot-glass worth of water at your friends, or charge up for a bigger blast that can travel up to 46 feet if you’re aiming at a 45-degree angle.
Here’s a quick spec comparison I whipped up:
Spyra Spec Shootout
| Spec | Spyra One | Spyra Two |
|---|---|---|
| Spec | Spyra One | Spyra Two |
| Capacity | 25 blasts | 20 blasts |
| Priming speed | 1.5 seconds | 1.1 seconds |
| Effective range | 25 feet | 30 feet |
| Maximum range | 40 feet | 46 feet |
| Refill time | 14 seconds | 12 seconds |
| Blast size | 30ml | 30ml |
| Tank size | 750ml | 600ml (approx) |
| Battery life | 45 refills / 1125 blasts | 90 refills / 2000 blasts |
| Charge time | 6 hours | TBD |
| Price | ~$133 | $159 |
[embedded content]
While the company doesn’t seem to have an official video of the new Spyra Two in action yet, just the brief intro above, you can check out this video from YouTuber LordDraconical for an idea of what the blaster’s capable of.
[embedded content]
Drac points out that it’s also got a rubber flap over the USB-C port now, letting you more fully submerge it in a swimming pool. The company’s documentation isn’t quite clear on whether that’s a good idea, though: while one FAQ page states that “All components of the SpyraTwo are individually protected agains[t] water damage” and that the primary risk is simply that it won’t float, another FAQ reads:
The SpyraTwo is like a yoghurt cup, which means your SpyraTwo will fill up with water and join the Titanic. This can also increase the dripping on the barrel. Among other things, this can affect the lifespan of the SpyraTwo!
Cool.
