Marion Hyper-Submersible Powerboat Design, a privately-held Company formed in 2005 and located in Florida, has developed a revolutionary Hyper-Sub. The vessel is capable of cruising at speeds of 45 mph on the surface with its standard twin 440 horsepower diesel engines, as well as diving at submarine depth with a standard pressure hull rated to 600 feet with a safety factor of 7. With room for 4 people plus a “pilot,” the possible applications are numerous - rig and infrastructure maintenance, security applications, research or salvage operations, as well as recreational and tourism use.
"The Hyper-Sub is the first small craft built with the horsepower, sea-keeping, and range to allow operation on the high seas, which also functions as a self-charging, autonomous, one-atmosphere submarine," explains the company.
The Hyper-Sub's overall length is 31 feet and its height is six feet ten inches. Its small measurements allow this vessel to deploy from a small craft launch or wet slip. The Hyper-Sub is built to operate deep at sea in all weather conditions. In addition, it can right itself in the case of being inverted by a rogue wave simply by submerging. Onboard the vessel one can find a GPS, radar, auto-pilot, high-gain VHF radio, and an optional satellite phone.
The Hyper-Sub is equipped with twin 440 horsepower diesel engines and jet drives. With the optional twin 1200 horsepower jet turbines, it can achieve speeds of up to 65 mph on the surface. The Hyper-Sub has a surface range of up to 1,000 miles without refueling thanks to its optional fuel load of 1,050 gallons. Additionally, it has an underwater lifting capability of over 12 tons.
When the passenger compartment is sealed, the one-atmosphere pressure hull allows the Hyper-Sub to dive to a depth of 250 feet with a safety factor of 16, while relaying on the self-renewing air supply. The submerged propulsion used when diving is electric over hydraulic. The craft’s vital systems are inherently NIJ threat level 3 resistant, and can be armored for greater protection according to the company.
The boat surfaces when it needs via a ballast system which requires only air pressure. For additional safety, an emergency grid backs the air grid, meaning that the boat will be able to surface even under extreme conditions such as a total failure of all mechanical systems. Neither a leak in the passenger compartment nor a loss of buoyancy of up to 12 tons can compromise its ability to surface.
The Hyper-Sub is still in development stages. The prototype, dubbed "Fathom,” has successfully completed two months of in-water testing. The company states that three production models would be available: the HS-250 Sport – designed for recreational and tourism use, the HS-600 – designed for industrial, salvage, or government operations with an available all-aluminum hull, and the HS-1200 - configured for users requiring deeper dive applications. The company has yet to release the official pricing for the production models.
TFOT recently covered a successful mission to dive using a manned MIR submersible to a depth of 1,680 meters — the very bottom of the world’s deepest lake, Lake Baikal, in Siberia. TFOT also covered a concept car called "sQuba", which is the world's first “green” diving car. This innovative car is capable of driving on roads just like a normal car, yet it can also be turned into an amphibious vehicle capable of diving.
More information on the Marion Hyper-Sub can be found here.
