INNERSPACE SCIENCE

The Nordicsub “Drebbel ” was completed by Emile Van Essen in 2013 and is based in the Netherlands. She can carry 3 persons to a 400 meter depth and is so compact that she fits in a 20 foot container an can be slipway launched. A forward looking sonar can be bolted on for search missions. Planned upgrades include a manipulator arm and high power LED lamps. The sub was named Drebbel in honor of the 17th century submarine pioneer Cornelis Drebbel, and is available for expeditions across Europe.

“Elementary 3000” is a one-man submersible designed and constructed by Hank Pronk, capable of diving to 3000 feet. She is equipped with a manipulator arm and a suction sampler, with a fly-out ROV under development that will be operational by the 2021 diving season. This submersible is Hank’s eighth, and the name reflects a design philosophy arrived at by long experience – to always use the simplest and most elegant solutions, because they also tend to be the safest. E3000’s hull was pressure-tested at Nuytco Research. She is based in British Columbia, Canada, and is available for operations across North America.

Harold is a Kittredge K350 with an adventurous past. She is named for her late owner Harold Maynard, who used her for many years of treasure-hunting in the Florida Keys as well as for search and recovery missions. For instance, she once found and recovered a lost aircraft from the bottom of Seneca Lake in New York.  Harold is currently owned by Brian Hughes, based in Sykesville Maryland, and available for expeditions across the US. 

Gamma is a two person submersible rated to 300 meters, and has a distinguished past. She was designed and built in 1971 by Doug Privett, whose submersibles have made over 12,000 dives all over the world and are legendary for their ruggedness and reliability. Jacques Cousteau dove in Gamma. In recent yeas, she has been restored and modernized.  Of special note is a detachable crew escape pod in the stern. This submersible is based in California and available for expeditions on the West Coast.

The R300 is a one man submersible rated for 91 meters (300 feet) designed and built by Dr. Cliff Redus for the purpose of flying underwater. Inspiration for the shape of the boat was the Orcinus orca, one the oceans fastest marine mammals. The pilot uses a 3-axis joy stick to control yaw, pitch and roll while a foot control gives throttle and breaking. The sub has life support for 72 hours with full data logging of all onboard systems. It can be launched like a conventional pleasure boat or from davits. There are four 5000 lumen LED lights for night dives, and a video camera can be mounted to document underwater sites. The R300 is based in Devine, Texas and is available for expeditions within southern US.

Shackleton is a two person submersible rated to 300 meters and designed to fit inside a 20 foot shipping container while riding on her trailer.  Our newest submersible, she made her first dives in December 2018 and completed trials in 2019. A manipulator arm was added in 2020. She is now available for expeditions on the East Coast. Shackleton was designed and built by Alec Smyth and her home port is Alexandria, Virginia.

“The Great Escape” is a Kittredge K250 submersible that was used for pilot training for over 20 years, but in 2020 completed a six year refurbishment and modernization. She has a depth rating of 250 feet, is configured for one person, and is an ideal photography or instrumentation platform. She is owned by Steve McQueen and based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Deep Ocean Engineering Inc. Phantom T4 ROV, currently equipped with single function manipulator, HID and LED lighting, Imagenex 881 digital scanning sonar, scaling lasers, 1050 feet of umbilical with a system depth rating of 1000 feet, color zoom (18:1) camera with provisions for additional cameras and telemetry devices to include Ethernet. Owned by Craig Bussel and operating out of Northern California, this ROV also has its own dedicated support vessel suitable for inland waters.