Subskimmer

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Computer-generated image of three frogmen riding a Subskimmer underwater. Their breathing sets are the Siebe Gorman CDBA.

The Subskimmer is a Diver Propulsion Vehicle which is a form of RIB (inflatable boat) with an outboard petrol (gasoline) engine. It is equipped to inflate and deflate itself as it runs. When submerged it seals its motor and runs with battery-electric thrusters, which are on a rotatable cross-arm, and is deflated. Thus it transforms between a fast light surface boat and a submerged diver propulsion vehicle. The central box contains the pump to deflate and inflate the tubes, and miscellaneous kit. The batteries, being heavy, are in a thick tube along its keel. Its outboard motor has a long snorkel so the Subskimmer can run on motor just submerged to try to avoid detection. Its thrusters are on a rotatable cross-arm which contains navigation kit.

The Subskimmer project was started in the 1970s by Submarine Products Ltd. of Hexham in Northumberland in England.

There are 3 photographs of a working Subskimmer being demonstrated in Portsmouth, in the 15 September 1983 edition of the Daily Telegraph newspaper; the caption states its speed as 6 miles at 2 knots underwater and 100 miles at 20 knots on th surface.

After Submarine Products Ltd closed down, Subskimmer (as at 1989) was made by Defence Boats Ltd, based in Hexham; they also made an orange-colored version of Subskimmer called Seasearcher intended for visible patrol work.

As at December 1992 it was made (renamed Kraken 90) by Serrico, who were based at Saint-Georges-du-Vièvre in Normandy in France.

In 2005 it was being made by Alphachamp.

As at February 2008 Alphachamp's web site has disappeared and the "SSK-96 Subskimmer" is being made by K S A (Underwater) Ltd in Alston in Cumbria, England. [1] [2]

[edit] Other uses of the name

The word "subskimmer" has been found on the WWW used incorrectly to mean:-

An Exocet-type anti-ship missile.
In the image at this link (pointed to by this link and this link), a one-man diver-tug with a big propeller below and handlebars. Malaysia's and Pakistan's navies have or had examples of it. This is a diver propulsion vehicle, sometimes known as a scooter or a sled.
As a generic to mean the Infernus, a Subskimmer-like boat being designed and made by students in Sweden; its developers call it "a subskimmer"; see also [3] or [4] (in Swedish)