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For a list of all Super Soakers, see Category:Super Soakers.

A Super Soaker is a water-firing toy blaster. The name itself is sometimes used as a generic trademark for all water blasters, similar to how "Nerf blaster" is colloquially used for non-Nerf dart or foam firing blasters.

Previously owned by Larami, it now exists under the Nerf brand and all products are produced by Hasbro.

Details[]

Super Soakers are intended to fire only water; a few soakers, like the Oozinator or that of the Revenge series, feature safe ammunition alternatives to water as a feature.

Similar to different firing modes of a dart blaster, Super Soakers can have different nozzles that provide alternate ways water shoots out. Common examples include a fan-fire nozzle or a spinning nozzle, as well as nozzles that concentrate the water stream and increase firepower.

Like nozzles, the method of filling water into a Super Soaker can also differ. Alongside more traditional screw-on caps are "Quick" or "Fast Fill" caps, which allow water to be poured through them, rather than them requiring to be taken off. Other soakers may opt for the use of accessories to speed up reloading, such using various backpacks for external storage or clips and drums for swapping out spent water.

Many soakers see the use of an over-pressure or relief valve, which helps protect the tank from being filled with air to a dangerous level.[1] Attempting to pump a soaker past this predetermined level is what produces a squeaking or squelching sound, as the valve actuates and allows water to escape back into the main tank.

History[]

The Super Soaker was created by US Air Force and NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson. The toy was conceptualized by Johnson in 1982, after experimenting with a heat pump and a series of nozzles attached to his bathroom sink,[2] and filed for patent in 1984. The first iteration of the Super Soaker, the Power Drencher, was sold to Larami in 1989[2], who produced the toy and put it on shelves in 1990. It and the brand itself was renamed to Super Soaker in 1991, to avoid legal problems with another toy of a similar name. It was after this rebranding that the Super Soaker brand became highly popular and sought out as the hot, new toy of the summer.[3]

Notably, the CPS series released in 1996, which featured new elastic-based "Constant Pressure System" internals. This created an extremely strong stream of water, to the point that the original CPS 2000 soaker was given a soft re-design a year later[4], to match the toned-down performance of later CPS soakers.

In 1995, Hasbro purchased Larami out, to produce toys under their name. Larami would continue to make toys and products under the Super Soaker brand, up until 2002, when Larami would be closed permanently. In its place, Hasbro would produce Super Soakers in house. The brand would continue to exist as its own separate entity until 2010, when it was merged with the Nerf brand.

Following the absorption of Super Soaker by Nerf, Super Soaker releases shifted away from classic air pressure or elastic pressure. Many soakers released past 2011 are either piston-pressurized or are double-action squirt blasters. The first motorized Super Soaker was released during this time, the 2011 Thunderstorm. The H20ps series, as well as the 2020 and 2021 lineup of Nerf-brand Super Soakers are exceptions to this, purposefully using air power to harken back to classic soakers.

In 2015, the Super Soaker was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.[5]

Super Soaker internal types[]

Air-pressurized[]

Super soaker 50

The Super Soaker 50, an example of an air-pressurized Super Soaker.

Unlike air-powered dart blasters, which feature a dedicated air tank or bladder, air-pressurized Super Soakers store air within the water tank itself.[6] Pumping air into this tank pressurizes the contents, which are forced out once they are given an opening to do so. This comes in the form of pulling the firing trigger, which actuates a valve that opens the path for water to fire out of the nozzle.

Elastic-pressurized[]

CPS2000

The CPS 2000, an example of an elastic-pressurized Super Soaker.

Elastic-pressurized Super Soakers feature two different water bladders, notably one that is made of rubber or elastic that water is ultimately fired from.[6] Rather than using air-powered to pressurize the soaker for firing, pumping an elastic-pressurized soaker transfers water from the storage bladder to the elastic one. As more water is loaded into this second bladder, it begins to expand and put high, constant pressure on its contents. Pulling the firing trigger releases this energy, firing water out at very high speeds.

This is also known as the Constant Pressure System, of which the CPS series was named for.

Motorized[]

Supersoakertstorm

The Thunderstorm, an example of a motorized Super Soaker.

Motorized Super Soakers use battery-powered motors in order to automate the process, which is often more similar to that of a squirt blaster than a more standard Super Soaker.[6] With no physical pumping required, pulling back the firing trigger activates the internal motors and fires water.

Though a water blaster, which are often used in or around pools, motorized and battery-operated Super Soakers are not intended to be fully submerged in water, as they are not completely waterproof.

Piston-pressurized[]

Scatterblast

The Scatter Blast, an example of a piston-pressurized Super Soaker.

Piston-pressurized Super Soakers fire water by the physical force of pumping them. Often HAMP-action in nature, their internals rely entirely on the priming piston within them. Drawing out the pump pulls water from the tank into a chamber, prepping it to be fired.[6] Pulling the pump back in propels water out of this chamber and through the nozzle.

Some piston-pressurized soakers don't feature a water tank, and instead fill by dipping the muzzle into a pool of water and pulling back on the priming pump, similar to that of a syringe.

Squirt blasters[]

Alphafire

The Alphafire, an example of a squirt blaster.

Squirt blasters do not feature any pumping apparatus and instead fire through a "dual-action" firing trigger. Pulling the trigger draws water through the blaster and fires it out of the nozzle.[6] These soakers are often pocket-size in nature and have a very small water capacity.

Trivia[]

  • Some Nerf blasters, such as that of the Switch Shots series, are able to fire water as well as darts.
    • Nerf has also produced a Super Soaker, the DartFire, which fires darts as well as water.
  • The Adventure Force brand releases water blasters alongside their dart blasters.
  • Various other companies have their own water blaster brands or series of products. This includes:
    • Tidal Storm and Max Liquidator, by Prime Time Toys
    • Total X-Stream, by Lanard
    • Storm, by Trendmasters
    • Water Warriors, by Buzz Bee
      • A series under Water Warriors, Hydro-Power, used CPS technology in their blasters. Hasbro would successfully sue Buzz Bee in 2010 for infringing on their patent on CPS technology. Interestingly, Buzz Bee was founded by ex-members of Larami.
    • X-Shot Water Warfare, by Zuru

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Silence (2010-05-29). How water guns work (Article). Super Soaker Central. Archived from the original on 2021-07-31. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.
  2. 2.0 2.1
    Timeline. LonnieJohnson.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.
  3. The Super Soaker Craze of the Summer of 1991-92 (Article). The Aqua-Zone. Archived from the original on 2022-08-07. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.
  4. Schur, M. (2017-07-26). The Accidental, Slightly Controversial, but Mostly Fun History of the Super Soaker (Article). Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.
  5. Super Soaker. The Strong (2015). Archived from the original on 2021-11-06. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4
    ISoaker logo Soaker Technology: Basics. iSoaker. Archived from the original on 2022-07-04. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.

External links[]

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