Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit a reef in a sub-marine? Well now you can (sort of). U-Boat Worx B.V., a Dutch manufacturer of exclusive private submarines, has opened a rental center in the Caribbeans.

“For tourists, this is a wonderful opportunity to discover the underwater world in an exclusive way. You do not need a diving license and our guests can chat with each other, while enjoying a glass of champagne.” say Peter de Hoop, U-Boat Worx Aruba’s managing director. The first of it’s kind, this rental center is to be used as a franchise model for other locations around the world.

A great feature of these submersibles, is that the passengers remain in a dry, “one-atmosphere environment”. This means that passengers can rapidly dive to the maximum depth of 100 meters and say there as long as the submersible will allow, then quickly return to the surface, without the need for decompression. Each C-Quester 3 unit can be configured for 2, three, and even four passengers, and has an operational autonomy of up to 6 hours. In case of an emergency, the unit can stay underwater for over 96 hours!! I know what you’re thinking…what about safety. Well, each C-Quester 3 is equipped with a lead weight that can be dropped, a depth sounder, underwater communication, and AC system and sonar. Optional accessories include video, tracking systems, an underwater modem, a high intensity lighting system, leather seating, and even an iPod docking station and speaker set. The C-Quester 3 (and 2) have surface speeds of 4 knots, and underwater speed of 2 knots.

The C-Quester start at around €550,000, so start saving your change now. For an hour on Aruba you pay approximately US$500 (so, US$250 per person per hour) which would be a pretty sweet deal for the rare chance to do something like this.

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