The powerboat and performance marine community has always been driven by innovation — faster hulls, more efficient engines, smarter electronics. Now, Powerboat World is covering a different kind of breakthrough: a vessel that solves one of boating’s most persistent challenges not through speed or power, but through water.

The SXR 68 XL, a 68-foot hybrid superyacht developed in partnership between Altitude Water and RM Design Pro, is set to become the first yacht ever built in the United States to generate its own drinking water from the air. The coverage in Powerboat World signals that this isn’t just a niche sustainability story — it’s a development with real implications for the entire recreational marine sector.

The Problem With Water on the Water

Anyone who has spent time aboard a vessel knows the challenge. Fresh water is heavy, finite, and logistically complicated to resupply offshore. Desalination systems solve the volume problem but create new ones: high energy draw, membrane maintenance, mineral-stripped flat-tasting water, and sensitivity to saltwater quality variations. Bottled water is convenient but environmentally indefensible at scale — and it takes up valuable storage space.

The AWG approach bypasses all of these compromises. Altitude Water’s technology draws humidity from the surrounding air and converts it into clean, purified, remineralized, alkaline drinking water through a continuous, automated process. On a vessel operating over the ocean, ambient humidity is essentially unlimited, meaning the water supply is functionally inexhaustible as long as the system is running.

Military-Grade Technology, Now at Sea

What makes Altitude Water’s system uniquely credible is its proven track record in the world’s most demanding environments. The U.S. Military has purchased 40 Trident-12 units, 4 Trident-200 units, and 2 Trident-100 units for use in both domestic operations and overseas deployments. Altitude Water has supplied clean water to communities in Cameroon, Colombia, Maui, Costa Rica, and across more than 70 countries. Its Disaster Relief Trailer provided life-saving hydration and connectivity to Hurricane Helene victims in Florida and North Carolina in 2024.

The same technology now integrated into the SXR 68 XL is backed by Utility Process Patent 7,272,947 — making Altitude Water the only AWG company on the market legally authorized to use ozone purification technology during and after the water generation process. That exclusivity is significant: it means the water produced aboard the SXR 68 XL is processed to a standard no competitor can legally match.

What This Means for the Marine Industry

Jeff Szur has spent nearly two decades proving that water independence is achievable in virtually any environment. With the SXR 68 XL, he’s proving it’s achievable at sea — and doing so in a vessel that doesn’t ask owners to sacrifice luxury or performance in exchange for sustainability. The boat is still a 68-foot hybrid superyacht with everything that implies. The AWG system is simply part of what makes it exceptional.

As environmental regulations around single-use plastics tighten globally, and as consumer awareness of water quality issues continues to grow, the SXR 68 XL may well represent the beginning of a new standard for the industry — one where water independence is simply expected.

See the full coverage at Powerboat World and explore Altitude Water’s product lineup at AltdWaterUSA.com.

Tags: powerboat, AWG yacht, drinking water from air, SXR 68 XL, marine technology, Altitude Water, water independence, sustainable boating, off-grid vessel, military-grade water