Red Bull billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz just dropped $1.7 million on a new extreme submarine. Part jet fighter, part great white shark, the DeepFlight Super Falcon glides underwater with the agility of a dolphin. Mateschitz hired Hawkes Ocean Technologies to build the bespoke submersible for guests at his posh Laucala Island resort in Fiji. Inventor Graham Hawkes tells me most submersibles are sinkers–cumbersome crafts that take on tons of water to drop deep in the ocean. The nimble Super Falcon works differently, its movable wings provide negative lift and allow the craft to move in three dimensions like an underwater airplane. Says Hawkes, “Put the nose down, and yee-ha–you’re flying.”
Mateschitz Super Falcon was custom built to fit his body like a glove. The craft’s two acrylic domes have refractive index similar to seawater’s meaning the glass basically vanishes overhead once the Super Falcon is underwater and gives riders the experience of riding in an open cockpit–think underwater Red Baron. A good view is the whole point of the Super Falcon. While Richard Branson and James Cameron build subs to reach the dark depths of the ocean floor, the Super Falcon is designed to fly in the sunlight. Lithium batteries, similar to the type used in a Tesla, power a propeller that let’s the craft swim at 4 knots–that’s about the cruising speed of whales and big sharks and allows resort guests to glide along side the big animals. Max depth? 400 feet.
Mateschitz bought Laucala island, once owned by Malcolm Forbes, in 2002 and opened his resort there in 2011. Guests can already golf, horseback ride, sport fish, and starting this November, get two-hours rides on the billionaire’s new Super Falcon for $1,700. Pocket change considering rooms at Laucala start at $4,200 a night.
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