I live in S. Florida, a longtime boater here and yes, you are correct, there are areas that are quite off limits. Florida Bay estuaries and quite a few, "no anchor" zones in the Biscayne National Park come to mind.
Here in Florida, I would need to register the PSUB as a "vessel / boat" with the DMV, electric power propulsion, hull material...etc. No big deal.... $30+ dollars annually,... just a little tax revenue for Uncle "Jeb".
Too much government intervention would cause me to abandon the idea of a PSUB as I have aviation, so those who would advocate that should be careful what they wish for.
Interestingly, post 911, there are now armed USCG boats guarding the main channel to the Port of Miami when the cruise ships are in port, "off limits" to pleasure boaters. There is no doubt that they have specific orders should you gun the throttle and make a run for the ships. Sneak around there in a PSUB....and you no doubt have a problem on your hands.
From what I have seen, those who successfully build a sub are quite conscientious in it's operation. However, keep your fingers crossed that the bad guys never pull off something big with a submersible!.....real potential bad news for us!
Joe
From: ShellyDalg@aol.com
Reply-To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Law and Sub
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2006 15:40:19 EDT
I have asked this question several times over the years, and found no American agency which governs psubs. On the other hand, where you go with your sub can make a difference. Some waters are protected by marine sanctuary laws and even scuba diving is restricted. I know that Greece won't allow anyone to dive in large parts of their waters. Mexico has some areas off limits, and probably Florida as well. I read recently that Silvercrest Submarines had one of their subs confiscated for diving near the Galapagos islands. I think they leased it to some individuals and as I recall, the Silvercrest people were being detained while the lessee was allowed to leave. I'm also guessing that if you have a sub in the harbor, someone from the government is going to ask a lot of questions. We need to make sure we have all the required safety equipment and documentation available so we don't get our subs impounded.
I think that the recent emphasis on port security will make it more difficult to enjoy a psub. Surely they would be great for smuggling drugs or immigrants or something, and that's bound to make the authorities curious. These are just some thoughts I've had. Perhaps some of the more experienced members have some first hand experience with this and will share any advice or stories they have. If I hear of anything along these lines, I'll post it.
Frank D.