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Personal Subs Dive a Half Mile Deep

Analysis by David Teeghman
Wed Sep 8, 2010 08:09 AM ET
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Personal-sub-650x650
The average billionaire already has a private plane and outsize yacht, so what else is there? The answer: a personal submarine.

The Dutch company, U-Boat Worx, has introduced a new line of "personal exploration submersibles" that can dive up to 3,300 feet below sea level.

(Not sure about a business strategy that involves naming a submarine company after the ones used by Nazis.)

But back to the submarine. They're called C-Explorers, and are offered in configurations to fit anywhere from one to six passengers. It's being marketed to scientists, research organizations and anyone with a large pile of money they're not doing anything else with.

The same company that is building the C-Explorer has another line of personal submarines called the C-Quester, that served as the foundation for this new line. But the C-Explorer can seat more people, dive down further and stay out to sea for longer periods of time.

Each sub boasts a new catamaran-style design concept that is combined with a fully acrylic transparent pressure hull to provide the best underwater viewing. Fittingly enough, it comes packed with luxury features like a champagne cooler and an iPod stereo dock.

Like its predecessor, the C-Explorer 1 is powered by a 10 kWh lithium-ion battery, but other models pack a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery.

There's a reason this personal submarine is designed for researchers and wealthy explorers. Prices span the range from the smallest C-Explorer at $360,000, and the five-seater at just over $1 million.

The C-Explorer 2 will be unveiled to the public during the Monaco Yacht Show later this month.

Credit: U-Boat Worx




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Tags: Submarine, Water Sports

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