Published on May 31, 2023
Courtesy UBoat Worx
Experiencing the ocean in a personal submarine is like accessing another world from the comfort of your living room. Whether diving deep to the Titanic, as Limiting Factor has done, to exploring shallower depths and coral reefs in the two-person Nemo, the underwater world is officially open for adventurers.
The next generation of submersibles has moved beyond a cramped sphere with limited visibility, and gone for faster, more torpedo-like shapes, large acrylic domes so transparent that it feels like you can touch passing fish, and amenities like leather seats, joystick controls, and high-end sound systems. The largest even have bathrooms and bars.
Here are seven of the best personal submersibles to unlock your inner Jacques Cousteau.
U-Boat Worx Nemo
The Nemo brings personal submersibles to the everyman. The owner-operated sub starts at about $632,800—around half the price of other subs on the market—and is now in production. Available in one- or two-seat models, the first ten were sold to owners looking to self-pilot. Nemo is compact, with roughly the same footprint as two jet skis, meaning it can fit on yachts as small as 100 feet, while its 5,500-lb. weight allows it to be towed. For an extra $35,000, owners can choose custom colors. Other options include sonar, a manipulator arm, and a navigation package, which provides GPS coordinates to the helmsperson. The standard package includes two spotlights and floodlights.
U-Boat Worx Nautilus
Taking its name from the fictional submarine in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the Nautilus is a diesel-electric submarine concept with a 500-foot depth rating. Designed in collaboration with Dutch manufacturer U-Boat Worx for extended underwater exploration, the sub can operate independently for up to 12 hours and has a range of up to 100 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 3 knots. But that’s not it’s most interesting feature. The 123-foot Nautilus is also designed for superyacht-style relaxation at the surface, boasting a massive sundeck with a freshwater pool, bar and beach club that retracts before submersion. Inside, a large living and dining area with a full galley are twinned with accommodations for up to 10 guests and seven crew. The estimated price is $39.6 million.
Project Hercules
Project Hercules is a concept collaboration between Triton Submarines, Dark Ocean Design and superyacht design firm Espen Øino International. In addition to the ability to dive to 656 feet, Hercules can travel up to 8 knots, which is almost three times faster than any other sub out there. It’s modeled after a private jet, which gives it a long shape with three times more internal volume than last-generation dual-hulled submersibles. It also borrows design features from Formula 1, including a spoiler at the front that advances and retracts to balance the horizontal trim. Its transparent dome provides front-row seats for underwater viewing, though should you wish for a more intimate setting, the “private diving” configuration separates the pilot from the guests by shifting bulkheads. The estimated price is $24.5 million.
DeepFlight Super Falcon 3S
The Super Falcon 3S is the newest submarine in the DeepFlight range of personal submersibles. Inspired by the aerodynamic fighter jet that Tom Cruise flies in Top Gun, the three-seater’s wings and fuselage push it to depths of about around 330 feet. The silent-running electric motors create thrust and enable the sub to glide close to marine life, while the hydrodynamic shape allows for agile maneuvers. Costing a mere $2 million, it has a dive time of around 8 hours and cruises at 4 knots.
SEAmagine Ocean Pearl
Powerful enough for challenging missions, yet small enough for intimate exploration, SEAmagine’s $1-million Ocean Pearl is a mini two-person sub designed to fit on the aft deck of a superyacht. Guests access the interior via a clamshell door, while its large sphere provides 360-degree views. With a depth rating of around 1,200 feet and six hours of battery life in one charge, the Ocean Pearl is designed to handle multiple dives a day without needing to be taken out of the water. It comes with subsea tools that include GPS and surface tracking equipment to ensure accurate positioning under water.
Jet Shark
Jet Shark is one of the newest subs on the block, combining the body of shark with the power of a jetboat. Despite its name, the Jet Shark doesn’t have a custom paint scheme that makes it look like something out of Jaws. But it’s significantly larger and, according to its designers, a whole lot faster than the last-generation Sea Breacher, thanks to a Kodiak Marine V-8 engine (similar to a marinized Chevy Corvette.) Exact speeds haven’t been released, though the slower Seabreacher sibling hits an impressive 43 knots (50 mph) on the water and 17 knots (20 mph) a few feet below it. The Jet Shark has a spacious, air-conditioned cockpit, four cushioned seats and twin piloting controls. Four small fins enable it to glide below the surface without flipping, diving to depths of around six feet in short bursts. This one-of-a-kind vehicle costs about $200,000.
Triton “Limiting Factor”
Triton’s Limiting Factor, which cost about $37 million to build, is a personal submarine unlike any other. The two-man vessel is the world’s first and only manned-submersible certified to dive to a full ocean depth of 36,000 feet. It features a 90-mm thick titanium pressure hull machined to within 99.933% of true spherical form. The sub has 12 separate batteries, and, in the case of no electrical power, the main ballast weights are designed to release for immediate emergency ascent. Originally commissioned by explorer Victor Vescovo for his record-breaking missions, Limiting Factor and its mothership Pressure Drop were sold to Gabe Newell’s Inkfish ocean-exploration company in November 2022.
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