Vehicle Safety

Our top priority is the safety of our riders. All of our virtually unsinkable “Hydra Terra” amphibious vessels are rigorously inspected annually by our local United States Coast Guard. Our entire fleet is in strict compliance with all safety standards and the Federal Code of Regulations.

Since 2001, San Diego SEALS has been proudly serving the City of San Diego by delivering on our promise to provide the very best and safest land & sea tour for over 1 million visitors. We employ only well trained United States Coast Guard licensed Captains. Our First Mates, who are also trained, serve as guides for the narrated portion of the San Diego tours.

Vehicle Design – Hydra Terra

This Hydra-Terra vehicle was specifically designed and custom-built to carry passengers and these remarkable “boats on wheels” considered unsinkable by the manufacturer CAMI, are designed and built to the exacting standards of the American Bureau of Shipping and the United States Coast Guard. It is equipped with revolutionary positive buoyancy foam-filled compartments, is 40 feet in length and 8 feet wide and passengers maintain a distance of 5 feet from the waterline once in the bay.  The vessels can carry up to 42 passengers and 2 crew members. 2 adult life jackets are easily accessible under each pair of seats and child-size life jackets are also carried on board for all passengers weighing less than 90 pounds.

The wheels of the vehicle remain fixed as it enters into the water. The positioning of the wheels creates a substantial amount of drag which achieves two things:

1) It keeps the vessel from exceeding 5 miles per hour in the water and
2) keeps the weight directly beneath the vehicle creating a lot of ballast which makes us very stable while we float.

Operating Environment

We splashdown into the protected waters of the San Diego Bay. Unlike conditions you may find in the open seas miles from shore, the waters here are calm and easily navigable. The vehicle’s design gives it capabilities that far exceed what would be needed to be seaworthy in this environment. Because we want all our riders to enjoy the many things to see out there on the bay, we are never too far from shore.

San Diego SEAL Tours Weather Policy

We are always vigilant with regards to weather patterns and tide tables and never take our vessel out on the water if we have even the slightest doubt of our rider’s personal safety. We monitor the forecasts from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA) very closely and perform a complete systems check before the first person is able to board the vehicle.