Name Antipodes Operator OceanGate, Inc. Height 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) Endurance 3 days 0 hours | Owner OceanGate, Inc. Beam 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) Length 4.5 m | |
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Class and type American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) + A-1 Submersible (ABS ID 7310882) | ||
Antipodes (Perry / Hoffmann / Marlin / SAL) is a 5-person manned submersible that was first built in 1973 as a diver lock-out sub by Perry Submarine, named PC-1501, where it spent several years operating in the North Sea oil fields.
Rebuilt in 1995 to include a 58" in diameter, hemispherical domes at each end of the hull and renamed XPC15, it was installed and operated around the world aboard the Mystere, a 200-foot yacht. It was further modified in 2001 and renamed Antipodes by Submarine Adventures, which successfully operated the sub in Milford Sound, New Zealand, where it took thousands of tourists on dives to depths of 1,000 feet.
Antipodes is certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and has proven itself as a safe and effective vessel over the course of more than 1,300 dives in a variety of sea conditions. While typical mission profiles will call for dives of 2–8 hours in duration, Antipodes has the additional capability to provide life support for five people for 72 hours.
Current operation
In 2009, Antipodes was purchased by OceanGate, Inc., a submarine operating company based out of Everett, WA. Utilized for deep-water expeditions, the manned submersible Antipodes enables commercial and scientific applications for researchers, scientists, filmmakers and content providers.
Under the ownership of OceanGate, Antipodes has been a crucial element of diving operations in Washington State, Miami, Catalina Island, CA, Monterey Bay, CA, and the Gulf of Mexico.