Fans of the classic 1869 French novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, in which Captain Nemo roams the world's oceans in an electric submarine, no doubt can relate to the desire to own a real personal submarine.
Now, several small companies are developing and selling submarines intended for just one to two people to glide under the sea; one design, the SeaBreacher submersible, even looks like a dolphin. Unlike submersibles, which normally are tethered to the surface vessel with a cable that often provides power, personal submarines carry their own engines and air supplies.
Companies building these submarines are marketing their crafts to mega-yacht owners and thrill-seekers who want the experience of "flying" a submarine, but like tethered submersibles, the small submarines also can be used for research or other business purposes.
In addition, at least one company is renting its personal submarines, complete with a skilled pilot, to tourists who want the chance to view the undersea world without getting wet, and another builder occasionally offers lessons in its submarines.
Most Personal Submarines Driven By Electricity
As in author Jules Verne's vision, almost all private submarines are propelled by electric motors. This eliminates the huge complication of an internal combustion engine, which requires constant air flow to operate.
Most of the crafts also feature significant electronic controls. For example, the SportSub built by International VentureCraft Corp., uses a fly-by-wire system similar to the type used in military aircraft to control two thrusters. The joystick signals are fed into a computer, which coordinates the thrusters.
Personal submarines also need an air source and a way to circulate that air. International VentureCraft says scientists and physicians developed a formula for air use using test subjects sitting in a SportSub cockpit in a hyperbaric chamber.
Mega-Yacht Owners Main Market for Subs
Personal submarines are not inexpensive to own. For example, the Netherlands-based U-Boat Worx B.V., which markets five different submarines capable of carrying two to five people, says its smallest model, the C-Quester 2, retails for about $721,000. The C-Quester 2 can run for eight hours and dive 328 feet, and features a glass-bottom hull.
Sub Aviator Systems' OrcaSub, which looks like a small airplane with stubby wings, can dive to 2,000 feet with 80 hours of life support for two passengers. The company says it will produce three OrcaSubs in 2010, and a fully-equipped model will cost about $2.2 million.
Because of the high price tag, many builders are targeting mega-yacht owners, who often carry a wide variety of yacht tenders, water toys such as personal watercraft, and even helicopters onboard their vessels. But the craft also could find a home in underwater research or in the film industry; Sub Aviator Systems notes that its OrcaSub can be customized to meet the needs of most businesses.
Those who like to build things themselves do have another option: International VentureCraft offers kits for its two- and three-person SportSub models, starting at about $37,000.
Tours, Training Available in Private Submarines
For those who can't afford to own their own personal submarine, there are some opportunities to ride in one.
U Boat Worx, for example, announced in February 2010 that it has opened a submarine center in Aruba where customers can take an underwater cruise in one of the company's three-person submarines. The price tag depends upon what the customer wants, according to company founder Bert Houtman.
"The business on Aruba was set up to break open the luxury tourist submarine market. By catering to tourism ourselves, we are showing third parties, such as luxury resorts, hotels and cruise companies, what the opportunities are," Houtman said in a Feb. 10, 2010 press release.
Sub Aviator Systems, meanwhile, has offered underwater "flight school" at Lake Tahoe, and says it plans to do so again.
Jane Anderson - Jane M. Anderson spends as much time as possible on the water, working and sailing on boats. She grew up sailing Sunfish and Rhodes 19s on ...
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