CASHMEREISSUE • n°33 • 2023
EVOLVING INNOVATION
Italian ingenuity has done it again: the aptly-named DeepSeaker DS1 isn’t just a submersible and a hydrofoil, its electric jet powertrain makes it safe for fragile marine environments too
by Mary Hagerty
Italy is the home of superyacht design, so it couldn’t be more fitting that it has also produced an exciting new toy that is the answer to every exploration-hungry owner’s wildest dreams. The brainchild of a start-up called iSpace2o, the futuristic DeepSeaker DS1 is both a submersible and a hydrofoil. This sleek pod-like composite craft won’t just zip across the waves at speed in excess of 30 knots, it will also dive below those same waves to a depth of 50 metres, thanks to its mobile ballast system. That said, iSpace2o has broader ambitions for the DeepSeaker DS1 than simply the superyacht market, attractive though that may be. The Abruzzo-based company is also marketing it as an original way to offer visitor trips to underwater archaeological sanctuaries as well as notoriously fragile coral reefs in a non-invasive way. Powered by an electric jet powertrain from Sealance, the DeepSeaker DS1 will whisk its pilot and up to three passengers cleanly across and under the water. iSpace2o CEO and engineer, Giuseppe Carusi explains: “The large planetary ocean sanctuaries will be able to offer visitors an immersive experience in the literal sense”. The light, compact Deepseaker DS1 fits on a trailer in addition to stowing neatly in superyacht garages or on their transoms. A short certified course is all that’s required to pilot it. A patented regeneration system even extracts breathable oxygen directly from seawater so it can stay down longer. Thanks to Invitalia (Italian National Agency for Inward Investment and Economic Development) Smart & Start funding, production of the first hull has begun. “The first 10 DeepSeakers have already been optioned by one of the largest international navigation groups as a means of entertainment for the passengers of its cruise ships,” concludes Carusi proudly. www.ispace2o.com
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The futuristic DeepSeaker DS1 is as at home below the waves as above. Its flies across the water at 30-plus knots on its hydrofoils before swooping up to 50 metres beneath it. A patented system extracts breathable oxygen from the seawater for extended diving too