Dutch U-Boat Worx launched its upgraded ‘Super Sub,’ a luxury three-passenger electric submarine water toy it claims is now faster than a dolphin. According to Wikipedia, the company, based in Breda (Netherlands), is recognized as the foremost manufacturer of private submersibles globally, with over 60 submarines in operation.
The Super Sub resembles an ultra-streamlined, suppository-like rocket with a fully acrylic pressure bulb on top. It provides a breathtaking, unobstructed view for its pilot and two passengers while flying horizontally underwater at up to 300 meters (1,000 feet) deep at up to 10 knots (18,5 km/h). It can do that for an average of 8 to 18 hours before running out of oxygen or energy.
When it comes to performance, the Super Sub can deliver an impressive 100 kW of thrust “to effortlessly coast through the water, deftly maneuvering through the water with exceptional
agility,” the company says.
Agility comes from four horizontal thrusters combined with hydroplanes,, allowing the submersible to adapt to any possible heel or pitch, affording optimal viewing to the occupants and optimum control for the pilot using a unique SHARC controller.
The ‘juice’ is delivered by a 62 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, specially engineered for low weight and endurance. However, it is reassuring that all U-Boat Worx submarines automatically resurface in the ‘unlikely’ event of a power outage.
Four knots faster than the dolphin
U-Boat Worx claims its maximum speed is 3-4 knots faster than the average cruising speed of the common bottlenose dolphin. Sailors know dolphins as playful ones who love to race against boats, jumping at speed in front of their bows.
The efficient traveling speed for a dolphin is about 3-5 sea miles per hour (knots) or 5 to 9 kilometers per hour. However, the dolphin’s fast cruising speed is between 7-9 knots (13-17 kilometers) per hour. Some species have been spotted doing up to 14 knots (26 km per hour) over short distances while jumping out of the water, which is called ‘porpoising’ or ‘breaching’.
Two passengers and a pilot can comfortably sit in spacious, ergonomic leather seats with a five-point harness system during the electric sub’s high-speed maneuvers. The pilot is trained at U-Boat Worx’s training center in Curacao, in the southern Caribbean, well out of the way of the hurricane belt. It’s the world’s first submersible training center for year-round training for submersible owners.
Owner of Bark Europa
The three-passenger Super Sub was first shown in 2021, but it’s only now the revamped model has officially been launched. The company was founded in the Netherlands in 2005 by Bert Houtman, a man who made his career as
But his true love was and still is the sea, as he was the owner for 16 years of the sail training three-master Bark Europa. Built in 1911 as a lightship on the German river Elbe, Bark Europa was transformed into a sail training vessel in 1986.
Since 2000, the Bark Europa has been crossing oceans and seas. Houtman became its owner in 2001. Unlike going on a cruise, on board Bark Europe, the guests who are called ‘voyage crew’ get hands-on, active sailing training by experienced tall ship sailors.
But ultimately, Bert‘s dream was to develop submarines, especially ‘personal submarines’, that would be accessible to everyone. For him, that meant developing a high–quality and certainly safe boat under the $100,000 mark.
5.2 million euros to start
Most are far from ‘accessible to everyone’, targeting superyachts and cruise ships, and prices are not listed on the website. The wide range of U-Boat Worx models includes manned personal submarines that can accommodate from one to 11 people and operate to depths of 100 meters up to 3,000 meters.
“The Super Sub represents the pinnacle of underwater luxury and performance, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the thrill of exploring the depths with this extraordinary submersible,” Roy Heijdra, Marketing Manager at U-Boat Worx said at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2023.
The first model to be delivered was shown there. The starting price for this model was said to be 5.2 million euros.
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