Manned Submersibles

Introduction

The purpose of this website is to update and extend the listing of manned submersibles first compiled by R. Frank Busby in 1976 with the publication of Manned Submersibles. This book with its wealth of information and inclusion in the public domain has become a handbook for submersible enthusiasts. As Busby noted in the introduction the content was almost immediately out of date due to upgrades to the submersibles, changes in ownership, and new submersibles being launched. Busby himself updated the list only two years later with his Review of Manned Submersibles. This website is here to provide an accessible listing of the content Manned Submersibles and Review of Manned Submersibles and attempt to provide information on the fate of these vehicles and to list the many submersibles that have been introduced to the market since.

Manned Submersibles Defined

There are quite a few overlapping definitions and terms used to describe what we will called a 'manned submersible,' the current term gaining popularity is Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) as the alternative to a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). This website will continue to use the term 'manned submersible' and use Busby's definition from 1976:

A manned, non-combatant craft capable of independant operation on and under the water's surface which has its own propulsion power and a means of direct viewing for the occupants who are embarked within a dry atmosphere.

This excludes underwater habitats (no propulsion), military submarines and swimmer delivery vehicles (combatants), diver propulsion vehicles (no dry atmosphere). This definition does however include tethered craft such as WASP, and incredibly shallow diving craft such as the Bionic Dolphin.

With so much new construction it would be difficult if not impossible to track every new submersible built, in some cases only a single entry is made for a whole class of submersible and in other cases each submersible built has been given it's own entry.

Manned Submersibles: 1985—Present

Over the past 30 years the development of better computer systems and declining prices have caused the ROV and AUV to replace the manned submersible in many of its roles in the oil and research fields. Aside from aspiring superpowers developing deep diving research vessels to demonstrate their scientific prowess in lieu of participation in the space race, the majority of submersible development has taken place to provide for an expanding market for personal submarines. Whether individual builders, crowdfunded projects, or commercial products the main operator of the manned submersible is now the private individual. The megayacht industry has created a market for comfortable and easily piloted submersibles and in the past decade the number of commercials offerings has exploded and encouraged the production of amateur craft in the process.