The Human Bobber is a personal flotation device. It’s safe and fun to use. The patented product has been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and by people who like to have fun in the water. The Human Bobber can be used as a floating saddle too, eliminating the need for inflatable tubes and awkward noodles. The two young inventors of Human Bobber, landscape architects Justin Rietema and Doug Schultz of Coconut Creek, Florida, pitched their business on Shark Tank in October 2017. They dove into the Tank seeking an investment of $120,000 in exchange for 15 percent. They accepted an investment of $120,000 from Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban for 33.3 percent.
After Shark Tank, the company reported that Human Bobbers were making their way into West Marine and Camping World stores. There are 3 Human Bobber patented models available: Bottoms Up ($90) — all-in-one life jacket and floating saddle; Scuttlebutt Kayak ($80) — kayak seat, floating saddle, aquatic chair; and Scuttlebutt ($65) — floating saddle, aquatic chair, cushion.
According to LinkedIn while the Human Bobber owners continue to move product online and in retail stores, they haven’t given up their day jobs. Rietema became Senior Supervising Landscape Architect at Craven Thompson & Associations in October 2018. New episodes of Shark Tank air Sundays at 9pm on ABC. [Related: 27 Favorite ‘Shark Tank’ Products at Amazon — New List]
