Marine

EGO semi-submarine boat offers underwater exploring for dummies

EGO semi-submarine boat offers underwater exploring for dummies
The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
So simple a child could drive it
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So simple a child could drive it
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
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The EGO semi-submarine boat
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Most of the vehicles designed for intimate trips beneath the ocean waves, such as Uboatworx's line of personal submarines, are pretty complicated affairs, meaning you'll have to put in some study time to get a grip on the controls or rely on the services of a trained captain to get you around – which can kind of defeat the whole intimate aspect of the trip. In an effort to give anyone the opportunity to swim with the fishes without getting their feet wet, Korean-based company Raonhaje has developed an electric-powered craft that is a little bit submarine and a little bit regular boat.

Not unlike the Adventure-Doo, the EGO is essentially a boat that has been flipped upside down. Instead of a cabin above the waterline, the EGO features a two-person cabin located between two floating hulls that sits below the waterline and is entered via a trapdoor and ladder on the EGO's topside. Because the craft can't actually dive, Raonhaje have been able to design the EGO so it is simple enough for just about anyone to operate. Instead of a throttle lever, the EGO's speed is controlled via a foot pedal, while forward or backward motion is set by the flick of a switch.

So simple a child could drive it
So simple a child could drive it

Raonhaje stresses that the EGO is not a glass bottom boat, but rather a "semi-submarine boat" that allows its passengers to enjoy undersea exploration along with the leisure activities of a boat, such as fishing or sunbathing. Because the EGO isn't airtight there's no need to keep one eye on the oxygen supply as you cruise around, but you will need to keep an eye on the battery gauge to ensure you don't end up running out of juice.

The EGO can run at a top speed of five knots (5.7 mph / 9.2 km/h) for four hours or at cruising speed for eight hours and takes from six to nine hours to completely recharge. Its windows are made from an acrylic material mainly used in aquariums that is 200 times stronger than the same thickness of glass and offers 92 percent light transmission. Because the EGO isn't coated with anti-fouling paint, Raonhaje recommends the craft should be taken out of the water at least once a week for cleaning.

The EGO semi-submarine boat
The EGO semi-submarine boat

Since the controls are in the cabin below the waterline, the EGO comes with an LCD monitor connected to a camera placed on the upper part of the cabin to provide a live image of happenings on top of the water. The EGO also comes with a digital depth sounder that provides an audio warning when the craft is entering a shallow area, a battery monitoring system and a VHF marine radio.

Aimed primarily at marine resorts, Raonhaje offers the EGO in seven colors with pricing depending on the number of EGOs ordered. Delivery time is around three to four months. Raonhaje is also working on a four-seater version.

Via Born Rich

EGO Compact Semi submarine - EGO.mov

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7 comments
7 comments
windykites
This looks like a fun machine but a couple of points spring to mind. It seems a bit short on streamlining, and I wonder how you\'re supposed to handle it out of water? They advise cleaning it every couple of weeks, so this could be quite a tricky problem. I think a glass bottomed boat would be much easier option.
Nick Herbert
Yes please...
kalqlate
Indeed, this could be great business for resorts or water-based theme parks, especially those that would create elaborate underwater fantasy environments.
Steve Anderson
I\'m wondering how they manage to keep such a large vessel, air-filled, as it were, under water; it\'s difficult to hold even an inflated beach ball under the waves. I\'m wondering if the frame of the underwater portion is pumped full of water for ballast, or filled with lead or concrete, as in a sailboat keel. Even then, this is a huge displacement of water. I\'m just guessing the cylindrical submarine part to displace roughly 110 cubic feet, at 62.42 pounds of water per cubic foot: Around 7000 pounds! At 8.34 pounds per gallon, that\'s about 846 gallons. Maybe they pump water into the sponsons, which should have the necessary volume.
Hmmm... some plexiglass siliconed to a 2x4 frame and a couple of old pontoons with a trolling motor and some...
Bryan Paschke
Steve, My thought is that the batteries are probably the ballast as well.
Bryan
Esi 1976
Those handrails cause an irregular shape of trapdoor, I wonder how can they seal it? Although it is a semi-submarine and doesn't supposed to soak in water, removing water from that deep, hard to access hull would be difficult.
12ollin12ush
I believe they have a bilge pump down below to pump the water.. I'm not sure that would be very stable.. looks like sea sickness in any kind of waves.. the adventure doo was a far better concept ..