Some older deep submersibles are listed for sale. Are they viable to operate?
There are a large number of older deep submersibles that are advertised for sale. Generally, they are large and heavy and require significant maintenance due to their old and outmoded systems. Many are not stable on the surface and so must have man-rated launch and recovery systems that are very expensive. To be used in practical applications, these submersibles require large support ships and any money saved by buying an older heavy submersible will be spent several times over in the support ship and launch and recovery system requirement. If you have a commercial or scientific task and substantial financial resources to pay a highly specialized trained crew for the sub and a large support vessel, then an older submersible may make sense. Otherwise, these older deep submersibles make good static displays and museum pieces.
