Underwater adventure has come a very long way since Turtle, the world's first submersible, which took its maiden voyage in 1776. Traditionally reserved for the navy and scientific research, underwater exploration has never been more accessible than it is today thanks to U-Boat Worx newest sub; the sleek and elegant NEMO submarine. To find out just how accessible, I travelled to Curaçao to test one out for myself and to say I was blown away by the experience would be an understatement.

With the first 10 units already sold, the NEMO is breaking new ground in the world of underwater exploration, opening the audience to a wider range of owners and showing the world that you don’t need a 100 metre superyacht to delve into the deep. Designed entirely in-house by the U-Boat Worx team, an unusual prospect within the submarine industry, the NEMO features a sports car inspired body which comes in 10 customisable colours. Her sporty look goes deeper than her exterior aesthetics, the sub’s interior is neatly compact, with control panels behind the chairs. The chairs themselves are likewise inspired by the automobile industry –and from the experience are extremely comfortable.

Arriving in Curaçao, the U-Boat Worx submarine centre is located just off Mambo Beach on the south side of the island. Two years ago the company opened a testing and certification centre at the Curaçao sub centre which has been around for decades offering island guests trips into the deep. Built in the Netherlands, the U-Boat Worx submarines cannot be certified in the Netherlands due to the water depth only reaching 50 metres, whereas in Curaçao the centre is based on a ridge that drops right down to more than 1,500 metres.

Scheduled for two dives over the course of the day, the first to 50 metres, the second to 100, I was first briefed by the pilot Artur, who has been with the company for years and works as a pilot, trainer and charter captain for when subs get sent out to various superyachts all over the world. With safety at the forefront of the company’s mind, I was both reassured and impressed to hear the list of automatic measures installed within the vessel in the unlikely event of an emergency, not least by the fact that it can remain below the water for 96 hours if necessary!

Walking me through to the launch station, my first view of the vessel was something of a surprise; a neat white submarine with a large acrylic dome sat in front of me, far more compact than I could have imagined. As the smallest and most agile of the U-Boat Worx range, the NEMO weighs only 2.5 tonnes and takes up less space than two large Jet Skis, a huge advantage for the owners of smaller vessels. Roy Heijdra, Marketing Manager for U-Boat Worx commented, “There is certainly a perception that submarines are reserved for only the largest yachts or those with support vessels, but with the NEMO that simply isn’t the case. Orders have come from owners of ‘pocket explorers’ but also from a number of clients who don't own a superyacht at all, but have a home on the coast or off one of the great lakes.”

In fact, the company has engineered a custom land launch for the submarine, meaning that owners are able to transport the sub wherever they wish to dive, meaning that the NEMO has vastly broadened the options for exploration to a much larger market.

In Curaçao the engineer launched the NEMO into the water and Artur stood on the back step with a remote control in his hands, guiding the submarine through the water to the pontoon where I joined him. Opening the circular hatch at the top of the dome, I boarded the vessel and settled myself comfortably inside, Artur joined me a moment later and we set off out past the harbour wall and sank below the surface. While that may sound like an unnerving experience, the ease and comfort with which the submarine is operated was hugely reassuring and a moment later we were floating among marine life as we skirted along the side of a reef, heading toward two sunken 20-metre trawlers.

superyachttimes.com