Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2012, highlighting the launch of the Subwing, an innovative underwater glider designed to be towed behind a boat.
A new invention that is rather a different kind of ‘water wings’ has emerged: a hang-glider made of a carbon fibre wing which lets scuba divers and swimmers ‘fly’ underwater while being pulled along by a speedboat.
Flying Through the Water
Divers can hurtle through the water up to 25 feet below the surface, hitting speeds two to three times higher than even world-class swimmers could achieve on their own.
Subwing was invented by Norwegian Simon Sivertsen when he saw some driftwood while on a family holiday to the Mediterranean. He was struck by the idea of using the wood as a float or wing to help him move dynamically through the water and quickly began making drawings of a prototype.
The Subwing is specifically designed for underwater sports activity. It gives you the unique opportunity to explore the sea in a way never done before, allowing you to choose your own pace and glide directly above the ocean sand floor, do thrilling twists and turns, or simply cruise along at the surface.
Controlling the Subwing
You can easily control the movement of the Subwing by carefully tilting the two wings in different directions.
By doing this, you can easily achieve dives (both up and down), sideways movements, or fast spins. The Subwing is attached to a boat with a recommended rope length of about 15 metres.
The standard speed of the boat is about 2 knots. By using a much longer rope, it is considerably easier to achieve deeper dives. The only required equipment needed is a basic diving mask. If desired, a snorkel and fins can be used, but this is not strictly necessary for a thrilling ride.
High Quality Fibreglass Construction
If you want to equalise the pressure in your ears, the rear triangle rubber grip is specifically designed for comfortably controlling the Subwing with just one hand. The standard Subwing is medium heavy, expertly manufactured from a combination of epoxy and fibreglass.
The centre swivel is made of a durable combination of thick rubber and stainless steel. The rope that is attached to the Subwing is made of Dyneema fibres, which are widely considered as the world’s strongest fibres used in ropes. The ropes are permanently glued directly into the stainless steel fastenings housed in the wings.
The complete Subwing kit consists of the following components:
- Two fibreglass wings with high quality rubber pads for perfect grip.
- One detachable centre swivel mechanism.
- One attached rear rubber triangle grip.
- Durable ropes pre-attached to the wings (you still need a main tow rope for the boat).
The best speed is around two to three knots underwater, but you can safely reach speeds of up to seven knots (around 12 km/h). Go any faster, and the face mask pressure becomes too much, acting as a strain on your neck. It is absolutely amazing to use, and you can rotate, roll, and even use it completely upside down.
The Subwing was successfully launched worldwide, with various models made available online for water sports enthusiasts.
