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There are roughly 18 charter yachts on the open 2026 market that carry a personal submersible. We rank 12. LOAs run 65m to 156m, weekly rates €490K to $2.5M plus APA at 30 to 40 percent. The submarine itself is rarely the booking driver, but the platform that supports it (a yacht with a working submersible programme) is also the platform that delivers the rest of the high-spec charter expectations: helicopter capability, dive chamber, ROV, cinema-grade interior. The combination is the booking driver.
Two cautions before the ranking. First, "submarine on board" is not "submersible operating during the charter." Several yachts carry a submersible that is not in operation for the booking (technical recertification, pilot unavailable, insurance lapse). Verify operational status, pilot availability, and depth rating at the booking stage, not at the brochure stage. Second, the submersible depth rating matters. A 200m or 300m submersible (most U-Boat Worx C-Researcher and Triton 1650 hulls) does most useful charter work. A 100m submersible is closer to a deep dive vehicle than a true submersible. A 1,000m or deeper submersible (Triton 36000/2 or comparable) is genuinely scientific equipment and rare on the charter pool.
How we ranked
Five weights. First, submersible operational status and current certification (with documentation). Second, pilot availability for the charter (a submersible without a current pilot is a museum piece). Third, depth rating and dive duration (300m at four to six hours is the usable working envelope). Fourth, launch and recovery system (LARS): an A-frame or knuckle-boom crane that can launch and recover in moderate sea state, not flat water only. Fifth, charter-rate positioning versus the comparable non-submersible pool. Editor's Pick, runners-up, and 9 alternates below. Then passed-on. Then budget. Then FAQ.
No. I — Editor's Pick: Octopus (Lürssen, 126m, 2003, 2024 refit)
LOA 126m. Beam 21m. Draft 5.7m. GT [VERIFY: 9,932]. Built 2003. Refit 2024. Builder Lürssen. Guests 12 in 6 suites. Crew 56 to 63. Submersible (PC1201, two-person, depth rating [VERIFY: 500m]) plus ROV bay. Charter rate [VERIFY: $2.2M to $2.5M] peak weekly. APA 35 percent.
Octopus is the strongest single Editor's Pick in the submarine-yacht-charter pool because she is the only yacht in the segment with a continuous documented multi-decade submersible programme. The PC1201 has logged a working operational record across the Pacific and Atlantic, including documented scientific deep-water dives. The launch and recovery system is sized for the submersible and operates in moderate sea state. The pilot complement on the hull is established. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: $1.9M to $2.2M] regular, [VERIFY: $2.2M to $2.5M] peak, plus APA at 35 percent. APA can run higher when the submersible programme is intensive.
Inquire via Imperial Yachts | Inquire via Burgess
No. II — Runner-up: La Datcha (Damen SeaXplorer 77, 77m, 2020)
LOA 77m. Beam 14m. Draft 5.0m. Built 2020. Builder Damen Yachting. Guests 12 in 6 cabins. Crew 20. U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 3 (three-person, 300m depth rating). Charter rate [VERIFY: €640K to €840K] peak. APA 35 percent.
La Datcha is the cleanest single sub-100m booking with an active submersible programme. The U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 3 is the most common charter-class submersible and has a documented operational record on this hull. The launch and recovery system is properly sized. Pilot is on the crew complement. The combination with the certified helideck and the ice-class hull means a single charter can run a Polar surface programme, a helicopter ferry programme, and a sub-300m submersible dive programme in the same week. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €550K to €700K] regular, [VERIFY: €700K to €840K] peak, plus APA at 35 percent.
Inquire via Y.CO | Inquire via Burgess
No. III — The Legend pick: Legend (IHC Verschure, 77m, 1974, 2018 refit)
LOA 77m. Beam 11.6m. Built 1974. Refit 2018. Guests 26 in 13 cabins. Crew 18. U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 3 (three-person, 300m depth rating). Decompression chamber on board. Charter rate [VERIFY: €490K to €625K] peak. APA 35 to 40 percent.
Legend is the cleanest single high-latitude submersible booking. The C-Explorer 3 plus the decompression chamber plus the ice-class hull means the platform can run the submersible operations through Greenland and Antarctic waters where most submersible-equipped charters cannot. The 26-guest capacity means the booking economics work for a multi-family or scientific-foundation charter. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €390K to €500K] regular, [VERIFY: €500K to €625K] peak Arctic or Antarctic, plus APA at 35 to 40 percent.
Inquire via EYOS Expeditions | Inquire via Cookson Adventures
No. IV — The Northern Sun pick: [VERIFY: 65 to 75m motor yacht with U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 (seven-person, 300m), 2018 to 2024 build, 12 guests, weekly rate €490K to €700K peak]
A 65 to 75m motor yacht with a Cruise Sub 7 is the cleanest single booking for clients who want the submersible experience without the explorer-aesthetic platform. The Cruise Sub 7 carries seven (one pilot plus six guests), which means a single dive can take the entire charter party on a continuous 90-minute to 4-hour underwater excursion. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €420K to €580K] regular, [VERIFY: €580K to €700K] peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. V — The Vava II pick: [VERIFY: Vava II, 96m Devonport 2012 with submersible bay, 12 guests in 8 cabins, weekly rate €875K to €1.05M peak]
Vava II carries a U-Boat Worx submersible and a documented submersible programme on charter. The 96m Devonport hull is one of the better-built UK platforms in the segment and the interior is one of the more unusual layouts in the 90 to 100m bracket. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €690K to €870K] regular, [VERIFY: €870K to €1.05M] peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Edmiston
No. VI — The Lürssen 100m+ pick: [VERIFY: 100 to 120m Lürssen with submersible bay and active dive programme, 2017 to 2023 build, 12 to 14 guests, weekly rate €1.2M to €1.8M peak]
The 100 to 120m Lürssen segment includes several charter yachts with submersible bays and active dive programmes. The cleanest single booking is a 110m+ Lürssen with documented two-season submersible operations and a current pilot on the crew. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €950K to €1.4M] regular, [VERIFY: €1.4M to €1.8M] peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. VII — The Andromeda pick: Andromeda (Astilleros Gondán, 107m, 2015, 2022 refit)
LOA 107m. Beam 16m. Built 2015. Refit 2022. Guests 12 in 6 cabins. Crew 30. ROV plus submersible launch capability (submersible carried as required). Charter rate [VERIFY: €750K to €1.0M] peak. APA 35 percent.
Andromeda runs the most flexible submersible-launch platform in the sub-110m bracket: the deck and crane configuration support multiple submersible types (U-Boat Worx, Triton 1650 series) launched as required for the booking. The platform is also the strongest expedition platform on the open market, which means the submersible operations integrate with a documented expedition programme rather than running as a brochure feature. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €650K to €850K] regular, [VERIFY: €850K to €1.0M] peak, plus APA at 35 percent.
Inquire via Y.CO | Inquire via EYOS Expeditions
No. VIII — The 90 to 100m Feadship pick: [VERIFY: 90 to 100m Feadship with submersible bay and Triton 1650 (three-person, 500m), 2018 to 2024 build, 12 guests, weekly rate €900K to €1.4M peak]
A 90 to 100m Feadship with a Triton 1650 is the cleanest single deeper-rated submersible booking on the open charter market. The Triton 1650 series carries three at 500m depth rating, which opens up a meaningful slice of the Mediterranean and Caribbean dive sites that the 300m hulls cannot reach. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €750K to €1.1M] regular, [VERIFY: €1.1M to €1.4M] peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Edmiston | Inquire via Burgess
No. IX — The Caribbean dedicated pick: [VERIFY: 80 to 100m motor yacht with submersible and Caribbean winter base, weekly rate €620K to €950K peak Caribbean]
A submersible-equipped yacht with a Caribbean winter base runs a clean dive programme through the Bahamas, BVI, and Grenadines. Caribbean charter rate sits 5 to 10 percent below the Mediterranean equivalent at the same hull. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €520K to €750K] regular Caribbean, [VERIFY: €750K to €950K] December 20 to January 4 holiday peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Northrop & Johnson | Inquire via Y.CO
No. X — The Pacific dedicated pick: [VERIFY: 75 to 95m motor yacht with submersible and Pacific dive base (French Polynesia, Galapagos, Indonesia), weekly rate €560K to €890K peak]
A submersible-equipped yacht with a Pacific winter base runs the strongest single dive programme on the global charter calendar. French Polynesia and the Indonesian archipelago carry some of the most viewable submersible dive sites in the 50 to 300m range. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €450K to €700K] regular, [VERIFY: €700K to €890K] peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Y.CO | Inquire via Burgess
No. XI — The Latitude pick: Latitude (Damen SeaXplorer 77, 77m, 2024)
LOA 77m. Beam 14m. Built 2024. Builder Damen Yachting. Guests 12 in 7 cabins. Crew 22. Provision for U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 3 launch (submersible carried on enquiry). Charter rate [VERIFY: €700K to €900K] peak. APA 35 percent.
Latitude is the cleanest single new-build platform with submersible-launch capability. The launch and recovery system is current-spec, the bridge electronics integrate with the submersible operations, and the captain has a current submersible-operations endorsement. Submersible carried on enquiry; confirm at booking. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €600K to €750K] regular, [VERIFY: €750K to €900K] peak, plus APA at 35 percent.
Inquire via Damen Charter Brokerage | Inquire via Y.CO
No. XII — The mid-size dive-platform pick: [VERIFY: 50 to 65m motor yacht with two-person submersible (U-Boat Worx Super Yacht Sub 3 or comparable), 2018 to 2023 build, 10 to 12 guests, weekly rate €280K to €440K peak]
The cleanest single sub-€500K submersible booking. Two-person submersible (one pilot plus one guest), 100 to 200m depth rating, useful but limited operational envelope. The trade is operational simplicity (smaller LARS, shorter dive duration) and a meaningfully lower all-in. Charter rate runs [VERIFY: €240K to €360K] regular, [VERIFY: €360K to €440K] peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons | Inquire via Y.CO
What we passed on
Five submarine-equipped charter yachts on the 2026 market that we did not rank.
[VERIFY: 90m motor yacht with submersible carried but pilot off-roster for the 2026 charter season]. A submersible without a pilot is a deck ornament. The clean fix is to confirm pilot availability with the broker before signing.
[VERIFY: 80m motor yacht with submersible due for recertification in mid-2026 and operations suspended]. Submersibles run on a strict recertification calendar. We would not place a submersible-charter booking on a hull where the certification window falls inside the charter dates.
[VERIFY: 100m motor yacht with submersible bay but submersible removed for owner refit and not yet replaced]. A bay without a sub is a partial spec. The clean fix is to confirm submersible presence and operational status at the booking stage.
[VERIFY: 65m motor yacht with submersible rated for flat-water launch only and a Mediterranean July charter]. Mediterranean July sea state is rarely flat. A flat-water-only LARS is a brochure feature, not a working dive programme.
[VERIFY: 75m motor yacht with submersible insurance lapsed]. A submersible with lapsed insurance cannot be operated. The clean fix is to require current insurance documentation before signing.
How to think about budget for a submersible charter
A working submersible programme adds meaningfully to APA. Plan on the standard charter rate plus 32 to 35 percent APA (versus 30 percent on a comparable non-submersible charter), plus pilot fees if not included with the crew complement, plus consumables (lithium battery cycles, oxygen, scrubber media), plus the LARS operating cost line.
For a 90m Feadship at €1.2M peak weekly with two submersible dives during the charter: €1.2M plus 22 percent VAT (€264K) plus 32 percent APA (€384K) plus submersible operating cost at €5K per dive (€10K) plus 12 percent gratuity (€144K) equals roughly €2.0M all-in for the Mediterranean week. The submersible component is small relative to the base; the cost is in the hull that supports it.
Intensive submersible operations (multiple dives per day) can add 8 to 12 percent to the all-in.
FAQ
What is the difference between a submarine and a submersible? In yacht-charter usage, the terms are interchangeable. The technical distinction (a submarine is independently powered for extended underwater operations; a submersible is launched and recovered from a surface platform) does not matter at the charter level. All charter-capable units are submersibles.
How deep can a yacht submersible go? The most common charter-class submersibles (U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 3, Cruise Sub 7) are rated to 300m. The Triton 1650 series is rated to 500m. The Triton 36000/2 series (Limiting Factor) is rated to full ocean depth, but is not on the charter market. For most charter purposes, 300m covers the majority of viewable dive sites.
How long does a submersible dive last? Typical charter dive duration is 60 to 240 minutes, with 90 to 120 minutes the practical norm. Battery capacity, depth, and consumables determine the envelope. Multiple dives per day are possible but the launch and recovery cycle takes 30 to 60 minutes between dives.
Do I need any prior experience to dive in a submersible? None. The pilot handles everything. A short pre-dive briefing covers safety equipment, hatch operation, and what to do in an emergency. The submersible carries a 96-hour emergency life-support reserve as standard.
Can the submersible operate at night? Yes. Submersibles carry external lighting and most night operations are run for biological observation (deep-water bioluminescence, predator behaviour). Verify with the captain at the booking stage that night operations are in scope.
Are submersible operations covered by the standard charter insurance? Submersible operations are typically covered under a separate policy or endorsement. Confirm with the broker that the submersible is currently insured and that the policy covers the planned dive depth and locations.