The Personal Submarine Just Got a Bit More Affordable

Plenty of watercraft like boats and jetskis are attainable on even fairly modest incomes. But a personal submarine still exceeds most people’s budgets. Until now! The U-Boat Worx NEMO submersible series includes an upcoming pair of single- and two-passenger submarines that start at just 545,000 Euros, or about the same in U.S. dollars. That’s still a lot, more than many houses or exotic sports cars. But compared to the average price for a personal submarine, which the New York Times puts between $2.5 million and $3.5 million, it’s somewhat affordable. The NEMO 1 and the Nemo 2 can both dive up to 100 meters or 330 feet below the surface and both can clock up to 3 knots under the water, but the Nemo 2 lets you bring along a friend to check out the deep blue sea. The company said that alongside a qualified NEMO pilot, anyone can take over steering the submarine via the company’s MANTA controller. To make things even more attainable, you don’t need a yacht or similarly large ocean-faring vessel to launch the NEMO. The craft is relatively small and lightweight so it can be deployed from beach launchers and smaller boats along with being towed on a trailer behind a car. According to Powerboat World, the NEMO is entering production and should be available in stock models as early as next year. U-Boat Worx has set a goal of having 1,000 submarines in operation by 2030. "We set out on a mission to introduce safe and effortless access to the underwater world to as many people as possible,” said U-Boat Worx Founder and Chairman, Bert Houtman. Even if the NEMO is still out of your price range, at least it’s a positive step toward a world with a submarine in every driveway.