The folks at www.uboatworx.com in Holland just redesigned their models to 2 and 3 pax. that will go up to 100 m. deep and will be classed by Germanischer Lloyd.

The new models look awesome.

I visited the factory last year and can see the redesign means a big improvement.

There's a lot of crazy designs out there but it seems there's finally a personal sub available that's more than just a bunch of webpages with artist impressions or models that require you swim into them from below.

Check it out.

[PropBet]

Could someone please loan me ______ (insert price here) for nothing more than 'slush fund / entertainment value')

My guess is they are in the 1M range?
Didn't see prices on the site, but man, what a fun toy that would be!

[K1W1]

Hi,

These guys will probably be at the Monaco Show so I will see if I can find their stand and ask how much they are once I get a chance to wander around.

[K1W1]

Hi,

Managed to stop by these guys stand for about 2 mins today- just long enough to come right out and ask how much.

3 Seater- Approx 420,000 Euro
2 Seater- Approx 390,000 Euro

Awesome. I'll take 2. Do they take VISA? that's a lot of frequent flier miles.

thanks for that information.

Seriously, it IS a lot more serious sub then the previous model in terms of space and range. They now get to compete with the Seamagine Triump with is $ 1.5 million or so.

YOu can't go as deep but who needs to go that deep? It does save a lot of weight and space limiting the depth. Few yachts have a 9 ton crane that can handle the Seamagine.

The question is, how many deposits will the get to actually start building them.... The Seamagine is there already. Of course, hard to call it a personal sub..


Thorwald

[orion]

Maltese Falcon Submarine Test;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em6yW6lUW-4

[Marmot]

"Few yachts have a 9 ton crane that can handle the Seamagine."

The SEAmagine 2-man boat only weighs about 3.5 tons, no need for a 9 ton crane.

The U-Boat Worx boats are nice if all you want to do is be underwater or look at the bottom of waves. Placing the canopy in the middle of a large disk places your viewpoint in a position where there is no visibility downward and from side to side or ahead you can only see the hull fairing. Underwater vision is refracted so much that the bottom you can see is too far away to view anything with any detail. Paste a graphic of the boat on a representation of a flat bottom and measure for yourself how far the eye is from any bottom feature.

When you scuba dive do you like looking at stuff from 20 feet away, even in the clearest of water?

[stevenpet]

I really like these Triton Subs.

I like their design, their visability and all the safety features.

Has anyone here "flown" one of these? I wonder how well they handle.

Here's a pic of one off the back of Mine Games.

[trawler]

I did some research on this recently.

Check out the VAS subs.

They are similarly priced to the SeaMagine, have bigger capacity, no distorted view thanks to a flat front window and higher performance thanks to their fairing

http://www.nautilussystems.com/

As to the lack of view downward in the Uboatworx, true. But then again, if you have sharks and other big fish around or are cruising along a coral reef, you don't have to look downward to see interesting things!

And they are a lot more affordable than either the VAS or Seamagine...

Scott

[Marmot]

Originally Posted by trawler

As to the lack of view downward in the Uboatworx, true. But then again, if you have sharks and other big fish around or are cruising along a coral reef, you don't have to look downward to see interesting things!
And they are a lot more affordable than either the VAS or Seamagine...

If you have a shadow boat or similar vessel with a man rated launch and recovery system the VAS might be great, for a yacht, forget it. As far as restrcting your viewing to upward only, it is obvious you have never been underwater in a submersible. If the only time you can get a decent look at something is while cruising under an overhang then you will quickly give up on submersibles. If you want to operate from a yacht you had better look carefully at the classification status of the sub as well. I don't know about you but I would not want to put money down on an unclassed submersible and hope the builder can walk it through the process before going broke.

[elsupremo]

It does look like the U-Boat visibility is compromised, particularly forward and aft. Side to side may not be that bad, as the vessel is oblong shaped; not nearly so thick on the sides. Still, the design seems not too practical as visibility would be an emphasized design element in a sub. The Triton looks significantly better, at least in regard to visibility.

[trawler]

No Marmot,

I've never been in a sub of any kind.

I understand the limitations of the design but that's why it's 1/3 the price of a SeaMagine and VAS. You can't have it all, can you?

And by the way, the Uboatworx has received G/L certification for its sub.

Scott

[Marmot]

Originally Posted by trawler

I understand the limitations of the design but that's why it's 1/3 the price of a SeaMagine and VAS. You can't have it all, can you?

And by the way, the Uboatworx has received G/L certification for its sub.

I stand corrected on the classification status then, last time I looked it was not.

But even at 1/3 the price, it is a lot of money to spend just to look at the underside of waves and suffer the frustration of not being able to see anything close up. Believe me, the thrill of being underwater wears off in a hurry when you can't see anything.

How many SCUBA divers do you see swimming on their backs hoping to find an overhang or wishing a shark would swim overhead?

[trawler]

Well, I think the comparasion with swimming on your back is not quite fair but as I said, you get what you pay for.

I think they fill a niche in market. Very few yachts can take a 7-9 ton sub. Yes, there's a smaller SeaMagine but it only takes 2 people: pilot + guest and people love the share experiences like these. A lot of guests may not be SCUBA divers so even a less-than-ideal underwater experience is a thrill.

They are all 'personal subs' but it's still comparing apples with pears; hence the difference in price.

[Marmot]

Originally Posted by trawler

Yes, there's a smaller SeaMagine but it only takes 2 people: pilot + guest and people love the share experiences like these.

Take another look at the SEAmagine boat. It is designed and equipped to allow a diver/pilot to control it from an external station behind the sphere. So, for shallow diving, where the most interesting sightseeing is anyway, a couple can share the experience very easily ... and actually see something as well.

The diver on his back is very much an accurate comparison to the the quality of experience. Just take a drawing or photo off the brochure and extend the sightlines.