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 late 1970s by Submarine Products Ltd. of Hexham in Northumberland in England, the first boats being sold in their original form in 1983/84.

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 range as 6 miles (9.7 km) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) underwater and 100 nautical miles (190 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h) on the surface. Submarine Products Ltd also built an orange search and rescue version of Subskimmer called Seasearcher with high intensity submersible spotlights fitted. When Submarine Products Ltd closed down, Subskimmer (as at 1989) was made by Defence Boats Ltd, based in Hexham.

In 1993 all rights were purchased by K S A (Underwater) Ltd [1] in Alston in Cumbria, England. [2] [3]. Alpha Champ Marine Products Ltd was given some marketing rights from KSA (Underwater) Ltd but defaulted on payment for the rights and all agreements with them subsequently lapsed. Alpha Champ Marine Products Ltd ceased to trade in 2007 and was dissolved in 2009.

In 2009, KSA (Underwater) Ltd along with all rights to its product range including Subtug and Subskimmer Submersible Craft were purchased by the Special Products division of Marine Specialised Technology Limited,and all production moved to its manufacturing facility in Liverpool where it already designs and manufactures surface craft for military and commercial applications.

[edit] Users

Subskimmers are used by:

• The Royal Thai Navy Marine Corps [4]

[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 [5] or [6] (in Swedish)

[edit] External links

• 5 images of Subskimmers at http://www.globaltradelink.co.uk : in rain, bouncing on wake, running fast, underwater, awash.
• 2 small images of Subskimmers underwater at http://www.footagefirm.com/footage/historical.htm : [7], [8].
• an image on site PASKAL
• SSK-96 Subskimmer specifications