Atlantis Submarine Ride in Hawaii (Lotsa Photos!)

Schöneboom · 03-29-09, 06:40 PM

Surface, Surface!

The Atlantis IV: All-electric, 48 passenger capacity, air-conditioned, 3-inch thick plastic view ports.

What looks like a conning tower is really a housing for the aft hatch.

Babes on board! My kind of submarine!

Forget about going to the loo. There isn't one.

Aircraft wreckage, deliberately placed as an artificial reef to attract sea life.

Mmm, shipwrecks!

Was it worth it? Yes, though I'd much rather be the guy driving!

UnderseaLcpl · 03-29-09, 06:50 PM

I envy you so much. How deep did it go? Where did it go? Details, please

ReallyDedPoet · 03-29-09, 07:22 PM

Nice pics, thanks

Schöneboom · 03-29-09, 07:23 PM

The boat takes you down to 110-120 feet (~ 35 meters); though it's "certified" for 150 ft., of course it can go much deeper (800 ft.) -- but it would be significantly darker, too. Top speed is 2.5 knots.

All we had to do was book online, then catch their shuttle bus which stops at the major hotels, then take their ferry Discovery a short distance off Waikiki (the photo gives you an idea of the distance). That's Diamond Head in the background:

The main attractions were all placed there by the Atlantis company & University of Hawaii as artificial reefs, including the Navy tender YO-257 & the Korean fishing vessel, the St. Pedro. The area now teems with life, and we sighted rare sea turtles, both at the shipwrecks and on the surface.

Kapt Z · 03-29-09, 08:26 PM

Yes! These little subs are great aren't they!

My wife and I took a trip on one in Cozemel Mexico during our honeymoon cruise. I was wondering to myself as we boarded, 'Are we really going to see anything?" Boy did we! Sharks, sea turtles, fish and coral of all types. It was better than I ever expected. Easily the best shore excusion of the whole cruise.

Only one caution- It is tight in these things. Be warned if you are really claustrophobic. A woman started panicking and crying to get off when we were at around 90ft down. They got her calmed down, but we weren't sure what was going to happen there for a few minutes.

Onkel Neal · 03-29-09, 10:29 PM

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing

Torplexed · 03-30-09, 12:43 AM

Interesting pictures indeed. I could see how claustrophobia could become an issue with some though, with so many people in a cramped space. Do they have any emergency procedures they run you through in case something goes amiss?

Schöneboom · 03-30-09, 01:12 AM

As a matter of fact, there are airliner-style life vests as well as miniature rebreathers stowed on board. However they did not demonstrate the equipment. I reckon that underwater evacuation of 48 people (of all ages & degrees of fitness) through 2 hatches would be "problematic" to say the least!

About claustrophobia, the funny thing was that with everyone so engrossed in staring out the view ports, it was easy to ignore our total lack of mobility for an hour or so.

AVGWarhawk · 03-30-09, 08:39 AM

Looks like fun. The passengers were packed in from the looks of it. I would hate to be the guy who had beans the night before!

03-29-09, 06:40 PM	#1
Schöneboom Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 651 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	Atlantis Submarine Ride in Hawaii (Lotsa Photos!) Surface, Surface! The Atlantis IV: All-electric, 48 passenger capacity, air-conditioned, 3-inch thick plastic view ports. What looks like a conning tower is really a housing for the aft hatch. Babes on board! My kind of submarine! Forget about going to the loo. There isn't one. Aircraft wreckage, deliberately placed as an artificial reef to attract sea life. Mmm, shipwrecks! Was it worth it? Yes, though I'd much rather be the guy driving! __________________ Dietrich Schöneboom, U-431 "Es wird klappen, Herr Kaleun. Ganz sicher."

03-29-09, 06:50 PM	#2
UnderseaLcpl Silent Hunter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Storming the beaches! Posts: 4,254 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I envy you so much. How deep did it go? Where did it go? Details, please __________________ I stole this sig from Task Force

03-29-09, 07:22 PM	#3
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,886 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Nice pics, thanks __________________ Back in the Day

03-29-09, 07:23 PM	#4
Schöneboom Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 651 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	The boat takes you down to 110-120 feet (~ 35 meters); though it's "certified" for 150 ft., of course it can go much deeper (800 ft.) -- but it would be significantly darker, too. Top speed is 2.5 knots. All we had to do was book online, then catch their shuttle bus which stops at the major hotels, then take their ferry Discovery a short distance off Waikiki (the photo gives you an idea of the distance). That's Diamond Head in the background: The main attractions were all placed there by the Atlantis company & University of Hawaii as artificial reefs, including the Navy tender YO-257 & the Korean fishing vessel, the St. Pedro. The area now teems with life, and we sighted rare sea turtles, both at the shipwrecks and on the surface. __________________ Dietrich Schöneboom, U-431 "Es wird klappen, Herr Kaleun. Ganz sicher." Last edited by Schöneboom; 03-29-09 at 08:17 PM.

03-29-09, 10:29 PM	#6
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,385 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Nice pictures, thanks for sharing __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

03-29-09, 08:26 PM	#5
Kapt Z Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: ...somewhere in the swamps of Jersey. Posts: 909 Downloads: 157 Uploads: 0	Yes! These little subs are great aren't they! My wife and I took a trip on one in Cozemel Mexico during our honeymoon cruise. I was wondering to myself as we boarded, 'Are we really going to see anything?" Boy did we! Sharks, sea turtles, fish and coral of all types. It was better than I ever expected. Easily the best shore excusion of the whole cruise. Only one caution- It is tight in these things. Be warned if you are really claustrophobic. A woman started panicking and crying to get off when we were at around 90ft down. They got her calmed down, but we weren't sure what was going to happen there for a few minutes.

03-30-09, 12:43 AM	#7
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Interesting pictures indeed. I could see how claustrophobia could become an issue with some though, with so many people in a cramped space. Do they have any emergency procedures they run you through in case something goes amiss?

03-30-09, 01:12 AM	#8
Schöneboom Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 651 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	As a matter of fact, there are airliner-style life vests as well as miniature rebreathers stowed on board. However they did not demonstrate the equipment. I reckon that underwater evacuation of 48 people (of all ages & degrees of fitness) through 2 hatches would be "problematic" to say the least! About claustrophobia, the funny thing was that with everyone so engrossed in staring out the view ports, it was easy to ignore our total lack of mobility for an hour or so. __________________ Dietrich Schöneboom, U-431 "Es wird klappen, Herr Kaleun. Ganz sicher."

03-30-09, 08:39 AM	#9
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,267 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Looks like fun. The passengers were packed in from the looks of it. I would hate to be the guy who had beans the night before!