The ''Necker Nymph'' is a

submersible A submersible is a small watercraft designed to operate underwater. The term "submersible" is often used to differentiate from other underwater vessels known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully self-sufficient craft, capable of ind ...

vehicle operated by

Virgin Aquatic Virgin Oceanic (originally Virgin Aquatic) is an undersea leisure venture of Newport Beach, CA businessman Chris Welsh and Sir Richard Branson, part of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. The brand was first reported in a 2009 Time Magazine interv ...

from the 32-metre yacht ''

Necker Belle The ''Necker Belle'' is a 105-foot (32 m) private charter catamaran yacht,New York Times"Ahoy, Matey - Let's Get Nautical" Michael Cannell, ''28 March 2010'' (accessed 1 August 2010) offered through Virgin Limited Edition and based at the re ...

'', which is based at the

Virgin Limited Edition Virgin Limited Edition, part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group of business ventures, is a collection of holiday retreats around the world. Properties Current * ''Kasbah Tamadot'' hotel in Asni, Morocco * ''The Lodge'', a ski lodge in Ver ...

resort Necker Island in the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

. The ''Necker Nymph'' is the initial example of the

DeepFlight Merlin DeepFlight Merlin is a personal submarine by Hawkes Ocean Technologies, part of the DeepFlight line of submersibles. The positively buoyantDesign World"DeepFlight Merlin 3-person Aero Submarine" 18 February 2010 (accessed 31 July 2010) submersibl ...

class of positively-buoyant open-cockpit

wet sub A wet sub is a type of underwater vehicle, either a submarine or a submersible, that does not provide a dry environment for its occupants. It is also described as an underwater vehicle where occupants are exposed to ambient environment during oper ...

s manufactured by

Hawkes Ocean Technologies Hawkes Ocean Technologies is a marine engineering firm that specializes in consumer submarines, founded by Graham Hawkes. It is headquartered in San Francisco, US. Hawkes Remotes Hawkes Remotes is a subsidiary that builds ROVs (remotely operat ...

. It relies on hydrodynamic forces for anti-lift force. It is 4.5 metres long, capable of 360-degree "hydrobatic" manoeuvres, can dive up to 40 metres underwater, and seats one pilot and two passengers in an open cockpit (necessitating wearing

scuba gear Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

).Forbes.com
"What billionaires do on summer vacations"
Katie Evans, ''16 June 2010'' (accessed 25 July 2010) Occupants have a "windscreen" to protect them from the water's slipstream.

References

External links

* Virgin Limited Edition Personal submarines Wet subs Individual watercraft {{Submarine-stub