Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Your Undersea Adventure

Submarine hides under this pontoon boat


Readers of this blog know that I gravitate to information about interesting vehicles. Friends know that I spend a lot of time around the ocean. Taken together, it really should come as no surprise that I'd be interested in the Ego Compact Submarine.


The concept is that a two person glass enclosure sits in a fixed position below a stable, 12-foot long battery-powered pontoon boat with twin thrusters. A hatch in the deck of the above-water portion allows passage to and from the "submarine" portion. The lower portion cannot dive or navigate independently, but should afford some amazing views in clear water.




It's hard to really know how practical this craft is without seeing it in action. It obviously draws at least 7 feet or more of water, and a pontoon boat is probably not a great choice for rougher waters. So the most practical application is probably calm, clear, protected waters of at least 15 to 20 feet deep. I could see using this craft in some of the best snorkeling locations where the waters aren't too rough and you can count on the appropriate depths.

The Ego is said to be commercially available now, but no price information was easily available. Is this personal sub on your wish list? How much do you think it's worth? Would you want to take a ride in it? Please leave a comment and let us know.






Links:



Thanks for reading! A blog works best with active participation. If you enjoy this blog, please give it a +1 and leave a comment. Share it on Twitter, Google+, or Facebook. More readers will drive more discussion.




1 comment: