Boats are boring, right? Except for a motor and some advanced GPS, the basic appearance has remained unchanged for what seems like forever. This couldn’t be more wrong. Here are 29 reasons why.

(Images via thehulltruth, ballerride, thethrottle, bornrich, mongorocks)

Some modern watercraft look like they came straight out of a strange fever dream. Put together out of a discarded jetliner, or carefully crafted out of fine wood (but in the shape of a car), these craft do more than break the mold… they shatter it!

(Images via boatdesign, mongorocks, sweetlovegifts, treehugger, travelgadgets, geekologie)

Boats on stilts look more like giant water striders than marine equipment. This design is surprisingly efficient at a certain scale. It is not nearly as efficient when it’s brought down to the size of a personal watercraft, however…

(Images via diseno-art, texaskayakfisherman)

Seeing under the water no longer requires a scuba suit and diving lessons. A see-through kayak can do the trick, or if money isn’t an object, why not try out one of the most unique watercraft around – a semi submersible that remains partly underwater for the duration of the journey.

(Images via mongorocks, thestarphoenix, automotto, thesun, visboo)

These sailors have got to be joking, right? These boats take pre-conceived notions of good boat design and spit on them. Who can honestly say they wouldn’t want to ride around a lake in a giant hotdog, or literally zip through the waves on a giant zipper?

(Images via spotcoolstuff, sclick, boatdesign)

Ever wanted to swim like a dolphin? Believe it or not, this is now possible. The Innespace watercraft can leap out of the waves with surprising agility and cuts through the water with unmatched ease.

(Images via yachpals, seair, gearfuse)

Boats can fly. Really, they can. Whoever decided to hook up a glider with a lightweight inflatable raft was a fun genius. There can be few things less surreal and enjoyable than cruising at low altitudes over a gorgeous lake.

(Images via yawoot, trekaero, wet-and-wild, wakeworld)

Personal watercraft don’t have to break the bank! They can be made on the cheap. If a rental sounds more reasonable, try out one of the wacky watercraft available. Low weight, high speed, and a lot of fun!

(Images via public-domain-photos, finesttech, cars-show, imagegossips, businessweek)

Cruising for chicks takes on a new meaning when one literally drives into the water to do it. What could be more cool than riding a car in (or under) the water?

Car modifications are sometimes awesome, often horrible, and always expensive. The best of the best are horribly expensive, and awesome enough to take your breath away. Adding a spoiler or special rims is easy, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. These cars turn heads.

(Images via walyou, unigamesity, gizmodo)

Fans of recreational games will get a kick out of these mobile basements; vehicles that have been converted into play palaces. Grab some World of Warcraft at a stoplight, shoot some pool in the parking lot, or play some friends on the Xbox 360 on a long car ride.

(Images via nw32, techeblog)

Wheels are too old school for some intrepid military types. If one really wants to off-road military style, it’s important to slap on some heavy duty treads to get through the muckiest mud, or the must rugged terrain.

(Images via walyou, coolpicturegallery, windows7forums, globaltimes, rgbpicture)

Fanboys and girls are always looking to spice up their ride as an homage to their favorite film or character, but it’s not often that one has the funds to make this dream come true. Thank goodness for the most dedicated fans out there, who have the time and money to bring us such wonderful tributes to our favorite films, including Batman, Ghostbusters, Hellboy, and of course, Star Wars.

(Images via curiousread, epicr)

Some drivers are convinced their car has the soul of a monstrous lion. Who’s to argue when that vehicle is turned into a ground eating mini monster truck that could literally ride over half the cars in a parking lot.

(Images via casartcoverings, uniquecarproductions, polkaudio, reencoded, trendhunter)

Don’t ever forget the interior of a car. While the outside is eye-catching and impressive, the interior is the car’s soul. This is where the driver becomes the captain of their own beautiful ride. Whether one favors over the top statements like a shag rug interior, or the sleek futuristic lighting of a concept car, it’s important to save room in one’s budget to complete a modded car correctly.

(Images via bigbucksauto, fanboy)

1950’s era car fins have been given an incredible, anime style hyperbolic facelift that is as over the top as it is impressive. It’s undeniable that the owners of these ramped up vans are true characters in an overwhelmingly conformist culture.

(Images via insurancesearch, visboo, insurancesearch, popplenoose, rgbpicture, hacknmod)

The spectrum of car mods are limitless, whether one wants to pursue the look of a favorite animal, turn the car into a moving joke, or terrify other drivers looking back in their mirrors, any modded car will impress other drivers, if only because they are so rare.

(Images via lol, dcemu, ok4u)

Some cars are so manipulated that they’ve lost most signs of their former shape. In these cases, the car has become an entirely new creature, similar to its former self in only one way: its function.

(Images via jalopnik, shiotsu, neatorama)

Bosozoku is a Japanese subculture linked to gangs. These gangs will heavily mod their vehicles in specific ways to show their allegiance to other gang members, and to showcase their wealth. These designs may seem comical to outsiders, but they have a very real function in gang politics.

(Images via pinoyurban, gajitz)

It’s easy to overlook the importance of a paint job in adding character to a car. The bland single shades of most cars on the road seem fine until one takes a look at the small niche of truly beautifully painted vehicles. Airbrushed vans and carefully detailed carsare refreshing in their uniqueness.

Have you ever thought about what your mailbox says about you? A standard box can say that you like to play by the rules, or that you just don’t pay much attention to things like that and Locking Mailboxes could suggest you are a person of security. But an offbeat custom mailbox can reflect your personality and let people – or at least your mail carrier – know a little about you. These mailbox designs are weird, unique, and a little bit crazy.

These mailboxes were all photographed by the community at Waymarking. Members search out the most interesting mailboxes and, as long as they’re homemade or heavily modified (not hardware-shop standard), post them to share with everyone. They’ve captured some of the most amusing and amazing mail boxes from all around the world.

Some mailboxes clearly show that the owners are interested in a particular hobby or pastime. Whether it’s snorkeling, fishing, photography or tinkering with cars, you can bet that some creative mail receiver has made a clever mailbox to display their passion in a particular activity.

People love their vehicles – whether they drive a Harley, a hot rod, or a John Deere tractor. These clever mailboxes display a decidedly motor-driven slant to the homeowners’ tastes.

For many of us, animals are an important part of life. They provide companionship and stress relief, and often they entertain us like nothing else can. These mailbox modders have taken their love of animals to a weird new place by creating mailboxes that look like their favorite animals.

While some are hilarious, others are simply works of art. Animal-themed mailboxes – and any custom mailboxes – can run the range from extremely simple to very complicated. The best ones seem to be those that the owner has put many hours of thought and work into.

Businesses wouldn’t let homeowners have all the fun, though – these mailboxes are all in front of businesses, and they all reflect the type of business that’s carried on inside. Clockwise from top left, the owners of these fine mailboxes are: a chiropractor’s office, a plumber, a BBQ restaurant, and a waste management company.

Businesses who pay attention to little things about their customers’ experience would do well to include little touches like these. The whimsical mailbox in front of the company’s building may just help that business to stick out in customers’ minds. The businesses associated with these mailboxes, clockwise from top left: a dog groomer, an auto repair shop, a dentist, and a beverage outlet.

If you find yourself with a nearly-useless piece of junk in your house, think twice about throwing it away. These enterprising homeowners used the most unlikely of materials to create their own distinctive, personalized mailboxes.

It’s amazing what can be used to receive mail. These homeowners used everything from old lawnmowers to a drill press to an old gas pump and even more unusual recycled materials. This type of upcycling lets homeowners reduce waste while creating an unforgettable feature for their home.

Some people choose to show off their artistic skills by making an artsy mailbox. There’s virtually no limit to what one can do with a mailbox, a pole, and some imagination. A Ned Kelly effigy would seem like an unlikely mailbox, as would a scary tiki, but their unexpectedness is what makes them so delightful.

(all images via: Waymarking)

Of course, weird mailboxes don’t always have to have a reason. They can be as silly and as offbeat as you want them to be. Unless, of course, you’re dealing with a homeowners’ association – then you’ll have to convince them that having a spaceship mailbox is somehow in the best interest of the entire neighborhood.

A new video and set of photographs is circulating from St. Petersburg, Russia, where the Parkour movement is gaining a strong foothold among the city’s youth. The video shows a young man jumping from one rooftop to another, with 35 feet of height difference and about 20 feet of space between the buildings.

It’s inspiring mixed feelings from the public and from Parkour enthusiasts. While the stunt was impressive and the stuntman seemed to know what  he was doing, it was incredibly dangerous. But the group featured in the video say that they were trying to raise awareness of the sport and point out the problem of a lack of safe, sanctioned places to practice it.

This Russian news story shows another side of the stunt. The man doing the first jump pulled it off perfectly without any problems, but when a friend tried the same jump he injured his leg. We don’t speak Russian so we’re not sure what the newscaster is saying, but judging from his tone it’s not entirely positive.

Parkour is generally seen as a physically challenging sport that’s somewhat dangerous, but not overly so. This video of Austrian traceur Sacha Hauser shows that Parkour isn’t just about taking the biggest risks and evoking the biggest reactions – it’s also a beautiful, artistic use of the human body’s strength.

It’s been said there’s a fine line between creativity and insanity, and the more creative designers get, the more insane their creations become. These 10 insane interiors and radical room designs show what happens when one moves beyond the fundamental to, well, just mental.

Propeller Island City Lodge

(images via: Home Designing and WebUrbanist)

Travelers to Berlin rave about the formerly divided city’s wild & crazy nightlife. While nightclubbers can easily get their fill of the former, a stay at the Propeller Island City Lodge will provide a hefty dose of the latter.

(image via: BusinessWeek)

Each of the hotel’s 45 rooms is designed by Lars Stroschen and decorated in a different theme, ranging from peaceful and dreamy to bizarre and nightmarish. Take the Symbol Room, for instance. The walls, floor, ceiling, even the bedroom furniture have been decorated with 300 symbols taken from Stroschen’s decidedly odd imagination.

Nautilus House

(image via: DrollThings)

In designing the Nautilus House, Mexican architect Javier Senosiain appears to have channeled Lewis Carroll after ingesting some particularly bad acid.

(images via: DrollThings and WebUrbanist)

On the other hand, and unlike most drug-induced schemes, the Nautilus House is fully functional inside and out, though it might take a very dysfunctional family to actually live in it. Senosiain’s genius shifts into high gear when visitors enter the house. There’s a reason the chambered nautilus never leaves its chambers – if it looks this good, who would?

The Cave Room

(image via: Ouno Design)

If Barbara D’Arcy’s 1973 book The Bloomingdale’s Book of Home Decorating is to be believed, we should all be living in stylishly decorated caves by now. Turns out, only Bin Laden is… though he seems to be having a grand old time of it.

Japanese Love Hotels

(image via: WebUrbanist)

Love Hotels are a very special Japanese phenomenon that, in a nutshell, are hotels designed for love… and not the platonic kind. As such, the rooms are often decorated as elaborately as possible to match the fantasies of the clientele. With 30,000 to 40,000 Love Hotels scattered across the country, that’s a lot of rooms – and a lot of fantasies. Photojournalist Misty Keasler has made it her mission to chronicle the many variations on the Love Hotel theme and present them in a non-judgmental, artistic way to show off their distinct flavor.

(image via: Urielo 0.5)

If consenting adults want to get busy in what seems to be a classroom, a subway car or the International Space Station, fine & dandy- better there than in the real thing.

Hotel Snow Man’s

(images via: Oliver Selwyn and Plaza Angelo Group)

Among Love Hotels, the Snow Man’s in Kobe stands out – and that’s saying a lot. At least one of the rooms features a variety of icy imagery tempered with surrealism: like an oversized tissue box for a coffee table. As for the guy in the bathroom who could be Frosty’s freaky cousin, we don’t know and we don’t WANT to know.

(images via: Plaza Angelo Group and Plaza Angelo Group)

Plaza Angelo Group, the company that owns the Snow Man’s, has other hotels that appear to offer the same chilly experience. They go by the names Snow Ranger, Red Snow Man’s, Planet Snow Man’s and Milky Snow Man’s. Have fun, kids… and play safe.

Designer Jet Interiors

(image via: Gizmag)

“Designer Jet interiors for the rich and famous…” Seriously, who else besides the rich and famous can afford a designer jet interior, let alone the actual jet to wrap around it? Certainly not Joe Sixpack – unless he bills it to the RNC. But I digress. These over the top and over the troposphere jet interiors make flying the friendly skies that much cozier. Best yet, the bar never closes.

Car Of Many Colors

(image via: The Toy Zone)

Car interiors can get as crazy as they come and really deserve their own dedicated article but we can sum up the entire genre succinctly with the image above. This wild car interior has been done up in 4 brilliant hues not found in nature – at least, not on THIS planet. It’s not known if the driver is color-blind or not but one must assume that’s the case. How else could they drive more than a block without passing out.?

Jekyll & Hyde Bedroom

This frightening bedroom – people are expected to sleep here? – seems more Hyde than Jekyll. Notwithstanding the bizarre bed itself, which looks like a prop from The Pit and The Pendulum, the rest of the so-called decor appears designed to disturb. It’s not stated what the microphone and the rock suspended from a rope noose are for, but you can be sure it’s for no good purpose.

Hang Nga Guesthouse

(images via: Vietnam Travel Tour, Monty McMont and Caindomundo)

Vietnam has loosened up a lot since communism was officially consigned to history’s ash heap but even so, the Hang Nga Guesthouse really takes a great leap forward. As for its name… be assured it sounds a lot better with the native pronounciation.

(image via: Vietnam Travel Tour)

The Hang Nga Guesthouse (also known as the “Crazy House”) was designed by – wait for it – Hang Nga, the daughter of a 1980’s president of Vietnam. Located in the town of Dalat, the guest house’s rooms can be booked by tourists and they even offer a non-smoking room… who needs to smoke when you’re inside an architectural hallucination?

Room 1408

(images via: BS Alert, Scene Stealers and IGN)

Room decor driving you crazy? You must be in room 1408, the haunted hotel room in the Stephen King story based movie of the same name. The digits 1,4,0 and 8 add up to 13, you see, and… well, anyway, if we learn anything from the film it’s that having killer decor isn’t always a good thing.