More News

The concept is simple. Design a human-powered submarine, build it, and propel it down a 100-meter underwater course.

Putting the idea into practice, however, is a bit more complicated. And therein lies the beauty — and the educational impact — of the International Submarine Races, organizers say.

The competition draws teams of high school and college engineering students biennially to race their handmade subs for the best time at the David Taylor Model Basin, one of the world's largest indoor test tank facilities at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.

"There's no textbooks on this, there's no manual — it's all made from scratch," said Daniel Dozier, the acting department head of the Ship System Integration and Design Department at Carderock Division. Dozier first got his start as a contestant at the races in 1991. He's been a contestant in every race since, and now acts as the liaison between the Carderock Division and the Foundation for Underwater Research and Education, which organizes the races. "There's only one rule — get a human-powered submarine 100 meters."

For the students, learning about concepts like hydrodynamic design and propulsion in the classroom takes on a whole new meaning when they are suited up in SCUBA gear in a fully submerged submarine. Some have propellers connected to foot pedals; others have mechanical oars, wing-like devices or other means of pushing the subs through the water. The crafts can fit one or two people.

This year, 19 college and high school teams from across the country and the world competed at the races, which launched June 22 and wrapped up Friday.

The teams are all independently sponsored and include the University of Maryland, Texas A&M University, and the returning champions from the University of Quebec at Montreal's Ecole de Technologie Superieure.

"It's really a huge application of the skills they've already learned, and a whole lot more," said Christopher Lang, a teacher at New Jersey's Sussex County Technical School. His team of junior and senior engineering students designed and built the "Umptysquatch-4," a submarine modeled after a brightly colored fishing lure. Teamwork, he said, was a key ingredient while putting the craft together. "No one person — myself included — could have done this on their own," Lang said.

Local students are also racing this year. "It's exhilarating whenever you cross the finish line," said Nate Leibolt, 16, a Richard Montgomery High School student who was piloting a bright yellow, one-person craft dubbed the Scuba Doo II this year for his team, Wheaton Submarine Works. His father, Wheaton resident Edward Leibolt, is managing the team, which draws on county high school and middle school students.

The most challenging part of the race? "Probably just getting down the course," Leibolt said.

According to Dozier, most teams return year after year, and many are only able to race at competitive speeds after they already have a race under their belts. Mishaps like submarines running into walls are a common occurrence. "That's all part of the learning process," Dozier said.

The races launched in 1989. Back then, contestants competed at Singer Island, near Riviera Beach, Fla. They moved to the model basin in 1995 and have returned there every two years since, largely because the facility — several basins housed in a 3,150-foot-long building, used by the U.S. Navy for development and testing — provides a more controlled environment for submarine racing, Dozier said.

But even though the crafts are designed to maneuver underwater, they don't lack flair. One resembled a fighter jet; another was imprinted with the image of a mermaid. "It's not just engineering; there's art to this," said Dozier.

Safety is also of key concern. Students must become SCUBA certified prior to the races. The submarines are evaluated prior to their run, and Navy divers are on hand to help out if needed.

According to Chelsea Shupe, 18, a senior at the Sussex County Technical School, the key take-away value is the hands-on learning experience. Shupe is planning to attend college as an engineering major in the fall. "This helped me to see a project from beginning to end," Shupe said.

Winners of the International Submarine Races are broken into crafts with and without propellers and subs that fit one and two people. Those who are declared winners in one of the categories made it down the underwater course with the fastest time; measured in knots.

-One person, non-propeller: The "Omer 6" submarine, designed by the team from the Ecole de Technologie Superieure at the University of Quebec at Montreal

-One person, propeller: The "Talon" submarine, designed by the team from Florida Atlantic University

-Two person, non-propeller: The "Omer 7" submarine, designed by the team from the Ecole de Technologie Superieure at the University of Quebec at Montreal

-One person, propeller and non-propeller: The "Sulis" submarine, designed by the team from the University of Bath, England