Great, this is just what I needed to transport a bunch of coke from my hookups south of the border. (google: cocaine submarine)
For recreation, I think this wouldn't really beat just plain old snorkeling, or even scuba for the more involved. Its more like a rich-guy toy.
No. Though it does enable you to say things like "So I went out in my submarine last weekend" and "I have a submarine" and "Hey, want to see my submarine?" And if that's not worth fifty thousand dollars I don't know what is.
Half a year's work output from a skilled engineer?
In fact, if it works like I think it does, you should be able to go down farther for longer periods of time with scuba equipment (esp. if you use something like nitrox). I could be wrong though... this is out of my 20,000 leagues. (oh ho!)
This is wrong - nitrox doesn't let you go down farther for longer periods [1]; in fact, oxygen toxicity happens at a shallower depth on nitrox than on regular air.
20 000 leagues is not a reference to depth ;)
Wiki: "A narco-submarine (also called narco-sub, drug sub and Bigfoot submarine) is a type of custom-made ocean-going self-propelled submersible vessel built by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs."