You have just moored your yacht in the open ocean. You are relaxing on your deck chair, enjoying the sun. The breeze seems perfect but without warning, dark clouds appear on the horizon. What do you do? You wanted to savor the beauty around you. Why, you dive your vessel under the surface, and wait for the choppy weather to pass. Simple, if your yacht were also a submarine.

In today’s high tech world where people boast of owning luxury yachts, racy speedboats and private helicopters, submarines are the latest entry but with non-disclosure agreements. The age old question for the rich and the famous, “What do you give the one who has everything?” or give yourself, probably has an answer. The ultra wealthy have found a way out to shake off the extra dollars and own submarines. These could range from two-seater submersibles to 5,000 square-foot luxury liners. The fact is that very few of them would openly admit to possessing these beauties. However, it has been reported that director James Cameron, co-founder Paul Allen, and Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich all have subs of their own.

For the billionaire who has always wanted to play Captain Nemo, there is truly no better way to submerge in luxury. Some go for them to prove what all money can buy, but there are others who are genuine undersea enthusiasts. For who would not love to come nose-to-nose with a Black tip shark or lavish the beauty of coral reefs?

In a world of $100-million mega yachts, U.S. Submarines crowning glory is the Phoenix 1000, which has 5,000 square feet of interior space on four levels and can dive up to 1,000 feet. Customizable to the customer’s specific requirements, the only difference between this and a full-on megayacht would be the view for the truly intrepid undersea adventurer. The Phoenix is supplied with a docking mini-sub that can take passengers to an extreme 2000 feet below the surface. The clients can get their submarines done as they wish, with Jacuzzis, gyms, wine cellars and up to 10 bedrooms. They could even go for a basketball court, which would win the trophy of being the world’s most expensive basketball court!

At an estimated cost of US$80 million, the Phoenix 1000 costs as much as the largest mega yachts in the world, and would take about 3 years to build. Not something one picks up over the weekend. Therefore, if you have all that money, you can have the experience worth paying for. The owner can hire a crew from the sub manufacturer, or be on the helm himself. In any case, he is sure to have the time of his life, but with a price of course!

Check out another one - Hawkes Ocean Technology’s Deep Flight Falcon submersible - here!

Via: CNN