U-boat Worx has a custom submarine program that lets owners be part of the design process. One owner told the Dutch company that he wanted to be able to keep pace with large marine life underwater. After all, what fun is it to come upon a group of sea turtles or barracuda, only to have them swim away?
Enter the Super Sub, which reportedly can hit 8 knots underwater. According to U-Boat Worx, that’s 2 knots faster than the top cruising speed of a bottlenose dolphin and 5 knots faster than the average submersible.
Weighing in at a little more than 19,800 pounds, the Super Sub can accommodate two passengers and a pilot in what U-Boat Works describes as “a luxury supercar interior.” Thruster capacity comes from lithium-ion batteries. With the four thrusters, U-Boat Worx says, the Super Sub can make 30-degree climbs and dives to a depth of almost 1,000 feet beneath the water’s surface.
Hull No. 1 of the Super Sub is already sold, with delivery to the owner scheduled in 2023. Plans are for the model to become part of the company’s general range of offerings, with a full range of Super Sub models on the drawing board for the future.
Those are hydrofoils on the after end of the U-Boat Worx Super Sub. They help direct the flow of thrust, which allows the pilot to make sharp turns and banks. The sub’s overall design, in the shape of a droplet, sprang from the mind of a sub owner. Total use time is reportedly eight hours, with a feature that prevents the sub from exceeding its maximum operating depth.
