Jet Express Officials Announce New Submarine Service to Put-in-Bay
Put-in-Bay Jet express officials announced late Friday that approval has been granted and testing completed to begin offering submarine service to Put-in-Bay along with underwater Lake Erie Shipwreck tours. The joint venture with Atlantis Submarines International, Inc., the company responsible for taking more than 11 million passengers on undersea adventures aboard its 48 and 64 passenger submarines worldwide is scheduled to begin operations on May 3rd. Dennis Hurd, President / CEO / Founder Atlantis Adventures currently operates Atlantis subs found in Grand Cayman, Barbados, St. Thomas, Aruba, Guam, Cozumel, and on the Hawaii Islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu.
Hurd working with local Jet Express officials has taken his idea through the whole spectrum of challenges that are involved in designing, financing, and building a unique vessel, having it approved by regulatory authorities and insured, moving it into production, developing operating systems, maintenance systems, and training programs, and establishing operating sites around the globe including their newest base in Lake Erie.
The Site of Former Island Rocket To Be Home To New Attraction
Put-in-Bay Submarine passes by a small shipwreck during practice maneuvers off Rattlesnake Island.
The 65-foot Submarine with a berth at the site of the former Island Rocket ferry boat in Port Clinton, Ohio requires only 10 feet of depth to maneuver and it’s unique helm to the stern transitioning command center does not require turning in the basin. Hurd launched his first battery-powered, nonpolluting Atlantis Submarine in December 1985 off the coast of the Cayman Islands.
“The high-tech nature of the vessel, the air-conditioned, pressure-controlled cabin, and excellent safety record have made Atlantis Submarines International the perfect partner for us” stated Jet Express CEO Todd Blumensaddt. “We’ve experienced a few days where rough weather and Lake Erie conditions have caused service delays or shutdowns.
This will no longer be a factor as no matter how rough it may be on the surface, it is calm underwater, and with state-of-the-art stabilizers & gyros, seasickness will be a thing of the past,” Blumensaddt added.
The 65-foot air-conditioned submarines can carry up to 48 passengers
The Atlantis Submarine has been named “The Spirit of Lake Erie and will be formally christened at the annual Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony held annually at Put-in-Bay Ohio Service will initially be offered with three round trips each morning and afternoon, with each narrated tour expected to take 45 minutes. En route, the submarine will pass by several Lake Erie wrecks underwater, including the Charles Spademan, Isabella Boyce, and the Prison Ship Success, all located along the route to Put-in-Bay.
The cost of passage will be $48 per person each way. Children under 12 are $15.00, and those under 5 years of age are free. The Atlantic Class Submarine has an excellent safety record and is held to the same high standards as all passenger ferries by the United States Coast Guard. “The safety mechanisms are state of the art,” Hurd stated; in the unlikely event of loss of pressurization, the blast tanks immediately discharge gently lifting the submarine to the surface level” Hurd added that in 30 years of operations in the Carribean, Grand Cayman, Aruba & Curacao this has never occurred.
Media Week & VIP Trips to Begin April 29th
Classroom crew training has been completed, and Jet Express employees returned from the Caribbean this week after extensive training over the winter in Grand Cayman. Captains Jeff Wylie and Rob Sloan were certified by the manufacturer after over 800 hours of hands-on training, including emergency procedures, navigation, systems controls, and maintenance.
Coast Guard inspections are expected to conclude in late April, followed by additional crew training, media trips, and VIP experiences. The Put-in-Bay Visitors & Convention Bureau will conduct FAM excursions for qualified media outlets interested in experiencing the journey firsthand beginning April 29th.
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