Those of you who own a multi-million-dollar super yacht will be well acquainted with the fatigue that comes with possessing such a vessel. After all, a relentless routine of sipping Cristal with P Diddy, shooting hoops on deck with Roberto Cavalli and hanging with oligarchs while holed up on the shores of St. Tropez can get a little tedious.
Happily, the industrious souls at last weekend's Monaco Yacht Show came up with an innovative new way to persuade jaded billionaires to part with their cash: submarines, or to use the correct spiel, "underwater planes". These multi-million dollar toys can be stowed away on a yacht, and then taken for a spin up to 1000 meters under water.
“There is a change in attitude of super-yacht owners,” Bert Houtman, founder and chairman of the Netherlands-based U-Boat Worx, told Bloomberg.
“They’re fed up with drinking white wine and riding jet skis, so they’re looking for another thrill.” We feel their pain.
Interested? Submersibles cost from around $1.5 million to $4.2 million, depending on their size and underwater range. While this is all fine and dandy, we can see one flaw in the plan: super yachts are in-your-face status symbols that enable wealthy types to show the world just how much money they have swishing around their bank account. But the problem with a submarine is that no one — save the odd fish — will see that you own a submarine. Perhaps it's time for someone to develop a billionaire-watching aquarium to solve this problem?
If you're interested in stowing a submarine in your super yacht (or apartment), you better watch this video: