Sub Culture

The two-seaters Hawkes makes are for cruising sea depths, not scenic routes. His San-Francisco-based company, Deep Flight Submersibles, started in the 1970s by building tiny submarines that allowed researchers to inspect the ocean floor. In the past three years, however, a demand for private minisubs has surfaced, as more people have been buying mega-yachts and stocking them with mega-toys like seaplanes, Jet Skis, kayaks, and speedboats.