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Hyper-Sub Is an Insane Navy-Approved Speedboat-Submarine and We Want One

Is your private Batcave looking a little dated these days? Sure, you’ve got your gravity jetpack, a stable of flying cars, and a bevy of other personal craft to get you where you need to go. But those are so last month. What you don’t have is a personal, Navy-approved speedboat submarine. We’re not talking about a speedboat and a submarine. We’re talking about an all-in-one, fully submersible, Bond villain-style powerboat. Meet Hyper-Sub.

Hyper Sub/Facebook

Topside, the Hyper-Sub looks like a futuristic speedboat. Only the curved, fully-enclosed cockpit, racecar-esque silhouette, and exaggerated spoiler hint at something more. As a boat, it’s capable of launching from most typical docks, beaches, and marinas. Twin 480-horsepower Yanmar 6LY3-ETP diesel engines push the vessel to a cruising speed of 26 knots (30 miles per hour) with a 6,000-pound hauling capacity. By the numbers, it’s as versatile, functional, and economical as most other 900-horse speedboats.

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Below the surface is where things get a lot more interesting. In “submarine mode,” Hyper-Sub is capable of on-demand diving up to 1,200 feet. Twin electric-powered thrusters propel it to a top speed of six miles per hour. The state-of-the-art design allows the vessel to submerge and resurface almost indefinitely, recharging its batteries and oxygen supply along the way. With the help of a snorkel, it can even sail semi-submerged. If necessary, onboard emergency systems ensure the Hyper-Sub can surface rapidly even if the cabin is completely flooded. If inverted in extreme weather, it also has the capability of automatically righting itself.

Hyper Sub/Facebook

The modular design consists of two parts: the Sea-Frame (including the pontoons and propulsion system) and the Dry Chamber (the cockpit and passenger cabin). Separating these components allows the vessel’s owner to use a single Sea-Frame with an infinite number of uniquely configured cabins. One Dry Chamber could be customized for pleasure cruising; one could be outfitted with research equipment; while a third could be armored and armed for storming the lair of your archnemesis (note: we couldn’t find this option anywhere in their marketing literature, but a boy can dream, right?). The sky — er, the ocean — and your wallet are the limit.

July 2018 Hyper Sub Video MPG2

The Hyper-Sub is nothing new. In fact, news stories of the vessel’s production date back more than a decade, and the research project itself is years older than that. Similar concepts like the Migaloo submersible superyacht have been bandied about for almost as long. However, Hyper-Sub appears to be among the first to make it beyond the concept phase — so much so that it has the U.S. military very excited indeed.

With the right discretionary income (best guesses put the price tag north of $3.5 million) or if your name happens to be “U.S. Marine Corps,” you might be able to score a Hyper-Sub of your very own. If not, you’ll just have to settle for a boat garage with a speedboat or a submarine. Lame.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
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