JamesList Exclusive: SCUBACRAFT and the rise of personal submarines

JamesList was envisioned as a platform where dealers and manufacturers could meet and put up those things that make life worth living for sale. Those exquisite, expensive and alluring things that people with money to spend are interested in. Not because they need them, but because they want them. Having established the focus on the covetable rather than the necessary, so to speak, what could be more in the spirit of James than something as wonderfully unnecessary as a personal submarine?

The technological advancements in the field have made the dream true, with many companies showing off different models capable of feats even exceeding those in the campy Roger Moore era of James Bond films. One such product is Scubacraft. Remember the submersible Lotus in The Spy Who Loved Me? The car was far more memorable than the film itself, and Scubacraft has taken the concept further.

They describe their vessels as submersible watercraft rather than submarines, as they function as speedboats while on the surface with the ability to quickly transform to a streamlined wet submersible. It’s like a childhood drawing of what the coolest vehicle could do. The lightweight trimaran hull design provides stability for all the divers out there, and the jet propulsion is more than powerful enough for water-skiing; truly a creation with a magnitude of applications and global potential.

The scheduled release for the two models, SC3 and SC6, is late 2010, with both being put up for sale on JamesList when the time comes – but you can already place your order right now! The SC3 weighs in at 390 kg, seating 3 people. On surface it does a steady 50 mph, with a standard depth capacity of 30 meters (50 meters optional). A sophisticated options list that includes scanning sonar, imaging systems and carbon fibre is available on request.

The SC6, on the other hand, is the beefier big brother, seating 6 people and weighs in at 700 kg. It has a more powerful engine but shares the same performance stats.

J. Browne at Scubacraft was available to answer a few questions.

James: We all understand the James Bond connotations of the SC3. Is that how it all began, or was there more to it?

J. Browne: For the initial underwater testing programme, we had several locations identified as potential test sites from quarries to the sea but working with Pinewood studios presented the opportunity to best capture Scubacraft in its element. It was fantastic to watch Scubacraft roll past the 007 Stage, where many exciting Bond moments have been filmed.

James: Personal submersibles have been cropping up more and more often lately. What does the market look like for you, what does Scubacraft offer that no one else does?

J. Browne: Scubacraft represents the most significant development in recreational watercraft for years; it’s an entirely new generation of watercraft that makes under the sea more accessible than ever before. Its purpose is to transport people directly from the shore to the dive location and delivers the excitement of high performance on the surface with the thrill of underwater flight. Scubacraft effectively bridges two entirely different markets and forms a new one in a machine that is set to take the industry by storm.

James: The release is in late 2010. Where do you go from there?

J. Browne: Our initial line-up is the SC3 and SC6 variants of Scubacraft but we have several other designs on the drawing board; all featuring our patented, platform technology. We’ll be offering more bespoke variants in the future and expanding our international network.

Be sure to check out JamesList in the future for more Scubacraft and submarine-related news!

Tags: James Bond, james browne, JamesList Exclusive, lotus, personal submarine, scubacraft, submarine, the spy who loved me

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 11:48 am and is filed under Marine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.