We’ve been looking for a yacht sub for some time and recently ran into the VAS submarine models from GSE Subs srl in Italy, a mostly military contractor with a 30-year pedigree of building submarines. In the US they are represented by Nautilus Underwater Systems. The people at Uboatworx in the Netherlands also upgraded their design recently. Add the line of personal subs from SeaMagine in California and you now have some real choices when looking for a certified personal submarine from companies that have gone well beyond nice 3D models or unstable models with very minimum freeboard.
So I decided to dedicate a post to comparing these 3 models. Of course, there are also the SeaMagine submarines which I have covered in an earlier post.
The most affordable entry in this field is C-Quester 3. At about Euro 550 K you get a 3-seat sub that is certified by Germanischer Lloyd. The Quester 3 can also be configured to take the pilot and 3 passengers but while making this attractive in commercial use, I doubt it will be very comfortable.
There’s also a 340 kg payload limitation so ideally this 3rd passenger is a kid and the airconditioning needs to work. With its new lithium batteries it now has a very practical 6 hours of autonomy and 96 hours of life support.
With a maximum operational depth of 100 m. (300 ft.) you can cover any area where you typically would like to make recreational dives.
Weighing only 4.500 kg and relatively small, this is the only personal sub you can put on a big yacht as an afterthought. You may need a bigger crane but not much more.
The main drawback of the Quester models is its limited downward view forward due to the seat location. It won’t be a major issue for general sightseeing when you’re between a shoal of sharks or passing by a coral reef wall as you can see on the picture in an earlier post. But for but more serious work, including picking up things you’ll have a problem. But then again, you save almost $ 1.5 -2 million depending on the configuration compared to the next in line, the SeaMagine Triumph.
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The Uboatworx folks in Breda, The Netherlands upped the notch for personal subs dramatically. The redesigned subs now come in a 2-person version and 3- person version with optional 4-person configuration with greatly increased endurance thanks to better and more batteries.
It looks a lot better too I think. Getting in and out will be dramatically more easier I can assure you from experience. And yes, it has gotten more expensive too: about Euro 550.000 + options. To make it Euro 500.000 if you include transport and training and all the gadgets. Ohh, and your yacht needs a 4.5-ton crane as minimum. Still , that’s a lot less than you need with other subs.
Downward visibility has also improved as you can see on the picture below.
Need one? Visit Panama Submarines.
This is it ! The ideal sub for our expedition vessel. Well, at least while we save some $$ for the 3-seat, ABS-classed Seamagine Triump that costs 10x more (mainly because it goes 10x deeper and it’s made for professional uses). Now we explore Panama’s beautiful underwater world without getting wet and see big sharks without them ever taking a bite at you.
But this new product from The Netherlands by Uboat Worx in Breda, allows two people to explore the underwater world up to 50 meters, more than enough for recreational use. After all, most of the fun is within the first 30 meters.
The cost, fully equipped is about $ 155 K. Not bad at all for a quality product, unlike some of those designs you see online that never seem to leave the drawing board or require you to get wet first before you can get into the sub.
Diving here at Isla Coiba is really spectactular but not everybody may like the idea of swimming between lots of sharks or barracudas. This sub will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world in comfort, safety and without getting wet.
Right. Impossible! So, we plan to make this vessel sub ready in order to accommodate it once we can afford one. We already have a model in mind. The 3-person Triumph from
SeaMagine.
This is without doubt the ultimate toy to have. But it’s actually not a toy! It’s a fully ABS classed submarine, capable to go down to 457 m (1500 ft). Yep. Serious stuff. With a serious price tag too.
The photo below shows the sub placed on a platform at the stern but we would place it on the main deck in front so we don’t increase the length of our vessel with would affect us in our Panama Canal transits.
We’ll be ready for it but for the time being, this $ub will have to wait. 
