Bizarre but fast looking pedal-powered paddle drive

[FloridaWindSUP]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/188849561244166/permalink/1989354274527010/

I don't know if any of y'all have seen this, but it looks like somebody has built a really unique quad-paddle powered thing for an ultra long distance river paddle race.

Is there any consensus on what the most efficient and / or most powerful "drive" system is for a human powered watercraft? Is there any kind of pedal / paddle / propeller drive system that's better than rowing or kayaking? Now that hydrofoils are getting better I wonder if pairing the right human-powered drive system to a good foil setup could make flatwater foiling practical for more than just a frantic sprint. In my mind I can imagine some kind of "dolphin drive" system with a bicycle chain inside the mast of a foil and an asymmetrical gear inside the fuselage that would flap a dolphin-like rear fin for propulsion.

[NorthJerzSurfer]

I wish i had near that much time on my hands!

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

I just saw that in my feed this morning. It reminded me of those bizarre Victorian contraptions for some complicated machine to do a very simple task.

[yugi]

I was expecting something really stupid, but hey, that's a pretty clean stroke! Impressive and pretty simple [given how complex it is].

He could have the blades dig in a little deeper. Just a guess. The blades certainly rise up high enough on their recovery phase to be set a bit deeper. The board, rudder, outrigger are also pretty damn sleek.

It's just a lot of hassle. Only thing missing is the simplicity of SUP. 

[RideTheGlide]

Yeah, I don't think "the simplicity of SUP" got much consideration.

I have been fishing with a lot of Hobie Mirages the last couple of weeks and pedaling does have a lot of advantages while out. A lot more trouble in and out through surf and a lot more expensive equipment that is a bit fragile/touchy.

[suprbowl]

The recumbent bicycle of the water   

[PonoBill]

The guy has some serious skillz--my kind of nut. It wouldn't be too hard to add feathering into the system which would make it a bit more efficient. Windage with four paddles has got to be hefty.