Velosub of Lyon, France has announced a new version of their human powered water craft.  Updates include a shrouded prop and a larger front float which looks more comfortable. 

Velosub.com

Original Sub-Log posting

How efficiently do you swim with fins?  They're a big help over using plain naked human feet but what if you could translate your leg power into turning a propellor. 

The Velosubmarine does just this, allowing snorkelers and scuba divers to pedal along at up to 3 knots.

Based in Paris, France the Velosub company offers the eponomous Velosubmarine for 950 euros and also has a nice looking one person wet sub.   Hopefully these will be turning up for trial in resorts around the world.

Dutch Submarines describes a very interesting BBC project - building a replica of the first known submarine.  Is the BBC documenting the history of a Dutch submarine?  Well the inventor was Cornelius Drebbel (Dutch) and he built and demonstrated it for King James I (British) on the Thames back in the 1620s.  

Anyway, the boat is effectively a wood underwater rowboat and the page linked below has some great photos and illustrations of the design and operation of the replica.  Good stuff!

  http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/specials/special_first_submarine.htm

Here's a nice collection of photos from the July 2005 International Submarine Races.  I've had some trouble finding good shots of human powered subs in the water but there are dozens of well-lit underwater photos here, all taken by Phillip Colla.   Subs include Quebec's winning Omer 5, and entrants from the University of Washington, UCSD, Texas A & M and others.

  Oceanlight.com - sub photos...

- larger image -	Secrets Of A Civil War Submarine: Solving The Mysteries Of The H. L. Hunley ASIN: 1575058308 Binding: Hardcover List price: $18.95 USD Amazon price: $17.05 USD

Attractively illustrated book, for adolescent readers, that tells the story of the Confederate submarine Hunley and then quickly dives into describing the recovery and preservation of this vessel.  Compelling text tells the various phases of the Hunley story and keeps it interesting.  Over half of the book is on the recovery and preservation effort and what this has taught researchers about the boat and its last crew.  Illustrated with period photos, documents and paintings, along with modern photos of the recovered boat and its contents, recreations of the crews faces and original artwork illustrating the operation of the Hunley.

Heroes: archaeologists, and the Hunley's crews for bravery in operating such a craft

Boat: CS Hunley

Location: South Carolina, USA

Category: juvenile, historical wreck preservation

Technical content: Light

A contemporary of the CSS Hunley, the Alligator was a Union submarine with a man-powered propellor, diver lockout hatch, compressed air tanks and an air scrubber.  This advanced vessel isn't well known, probably because it had no operational successes.   She finally sank while under tow in a storm off Cape Hatteras.  There is an effort underway to find her involving NOAA and the US Navy.

Quite a lot of information about the boat at this site: 
http://www.navyandmarine.org/alligator/ 

http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2781190p-9220117c.html

A lower-profile search is also underway for the Alligator Jr., a prototype of the larger USS Alligator:
Courier Post Online article..

Here's a Dutch human-powered sub project. This is a student team and they have a nice looking website with some design information.
Website

- larger image -	The Sea Hunters: True Adventures with Famous Shipwrecks ASIN: 0743480694 Binding: Mass Market Paperback List price: $7.99 USD Amazon price: $7.99 USD

Boats: Many surface ships, but one submarine, the CS Hunley.

Heroes: Clive Cussler (for funding the expeditions)

Location: USA

Synopsis: A collection of shipwreck hunting stories, all funded by Mr. Cussler, with narrative descriptions of the sinkings. Some are more interesting than others but it's hard to beat the fact that they found the Hunley.