Seabob vs Subnado: Do You Need to Spend 17× More?
TL;DR: A Seabob costs around AED 55,000–70,000 in Dubai. A Subnado Plus costs AED 3,250. They are not the same product: the Seabob is a 29–35 kg powered sled you ride, the Subnado is a 1.8 kg scooter you hold. The Seabob is faster and far more powerful. The Subnado is rated deeper (60 m vs 40 m), fits in hand luggage, and costs a twentieth as much. Which is right depends entirely on whether you own a boat.
They are not competitors — that's the first honest answer
Comparing these two is a bit like comparing a jet ski to a snorkel fin. Both move you through water, but they are different categories of object.
The Seabob is a rideable powered watercraft. You hold onto the body, steer with your weight, and it pulls you along the surface or underwater using a jet drive. It weighs 29–35 kg in the F5 range, is over a metre long, and is designed and sold as a yacht toy — CAYAGO sells it through yacht brokers and superyacht suppliers.
The Subnado is a handheld tow scooter. At 1.4–1.8 kg it fits in a beach bag, and you hold it in front of you at the trigger. It is designed for snorkelling, freediving, pool days and SUP assist.
Disclosure: we distribute Waydoo in the Middle East. That's why the numbers below come from each manufacturer's own published specs, and why we point out where the Seabob genuinely wins.
The numbers, side by side
| Seabob F5 S | Subnado Plus | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 35 kg | 1.8 kg | 19× lighter |
| Motor power | 4,000 W | 800 W | Seabob 5× |
| Battery | 1,800 Wh | 144 Wh | Seabob 12.5× |
| Max thrust | 680 N | ~91 N | Seabob 7.5× |
| Surface speed | 20 km/h | ~6 km/h | Seabob 3.3× |
| Max depth | 40 m | 60 m | Subnado deeper |
| Run time | 60 min | 60 min | Equal |
| Charge time | 8 h (1.5 h with optional quick charger) | 1.2 h included | Subnado 6.7× faster |
| Price | from AED 55,000 (Dubai, F9) | AED 3,250 | ~17–20× |
Seabob F5 S specs from CAYAGO's published data; Dubai Seabob pricing from a UAE reseller (AED 55,000 F9 / AED 70,000 F9 S); Subnado specs and AED prices from us. Prices checked July 2026.
The one nobody expects
The AED 3,250 Subnado is rated to 60 m. The Seabob is rated to 40 m. Depth rating is not what the extra AED 50,000 buys you. What it buys is speed, thrust and the experience of riding a machine rather than being towed by one.
What the Seabob genuinely does better
- Speed and power. 20 km/h on the surface against roughly 6 km/h. There is no argument here — the Seabob is a thrilling machine, and nothing handheld feels like it.
- Rideability. Because it has designed buoyancy and you steer with your body, it flies underwater in a way a handheld scooter cannot.
- Build and design. Porsche-studio design, premium materials, an onboard display and programmable depth limits. It looks and feels like a AED 55,000 object.
- Guest wow-factor. If you host people on a boat, a Seabob is an experience. That is a legitimate reason to own one.
What the Subnado does better
It flies with you — and this is regulation, not marketing
Airline lithium-battery rules are absolute: batteries up to 100 Wh travel in carry-on without approval, 101–160 Wh need airline approval, and anything above 160 Wh is forbidden in passenger baggage. The standard Subnado's 98 Wh battery sits under the threshold. The Subnado Plus at 144 Wh needs airline approval. The Seabob's 1,800 Wh pack is more than eleven times over the absolute limit — it can never fly as passenger baggage, only as dangerous-goods freight.
If you travel with your water toys, the comparison ends right here.
It fits in your life without a boat
A Seabob is 1.15 m long and 35 kg. Moving it alone means a transport cart (a paid accessory), it will not fit in most car boots without folding seats, and it needs a rack to store. A Subnado goes in a backpack. For anyone without a boat or a beach villa, that difference is the whole decision.
Charging that fits a day
Subnado: 1.2 hours, charger included. Seabob: 8 hours standard, and the quick charger that brings it to 1.5 hours is a separately priced option costing more than a Subnado Plus. If you want two sessions in a day, budget for it.
Service and support in the UAE
This matters more here than people expect. Our Subnados are stocked, warranted and serviced in Dubai — genuine parts on the shelf, no shipping units abroad. For Seabob, CAYAGO's public dealer locator does not surface a UAE dealer and directs international enquiries to Germany; a Dubai reseller sells them locally. Before spending AED 55,000, ask specifically: who services this, where, with what parts, and how long does a battery replacement take in July? A 1.8 kWh lithium pack in a 33 °C sea and 40 °C summer deserves a clear answer.
The honest recommendation
Buy a Seabob if you own or regularly charter a boat, you want a premium guest experience aboard, you have secure air-conditioned storage, and the price is not the deciding factor. It is genuinely a beautiful machine and nothing else feels like it.
Buy a Subnado if you want to snorkel further and easier, you travel, you have no boat, you want something the whole family can use, or you simply want 80% of the fun for 5% of the money. Most people who ask us this question end up here — and almost none of them regret it.
Not sure? Rent a Seabob first. Dubai operators run sessions at roughly AED 490–800 for 30 minutes from Dubai Harbour, JBR and the Palm. Two or three of those cost about the same as a Subnado Plus and will tell you honestly whether you want the big machine.
Quick answers
Is a Seabob worth 17 times the price of a Subnado? If you have a boat and want a rideable machine, it can be. If you want to snorkel further and travel with it, no — the money buys speed and prestige, not depth or portability.
Which is better for scuba or freediving? The Subnado for most divers: 60 m rating, one-handed use, and it packs in your dive bag. The Seabob is a surface-and-shallow thrill machine that also dives.
Can I take either on a plane? Subnado standard yes (98 Wh), Subnado Plus with airline approval (144 Wh), Seabob never as passenger baggage.
Where can I try a Subnado in Dubai? Message us — or see both models on the Subnado page. Our full spec comparison against LEFEET and Sublue is here.
Sources: CAYAGO / Seabob official product specifications (F5, F5 S, F5 SR, F9 series); UAE Seabob reseller pricing (seabobs.co, July 2026); US Seabob dealer price list (Feb 2026); Waydoo published Subnado specifications; FAA passenger lithium-battery rules; Dubai Seabob rental operator pricing (Sea Life Dubai, Dubai Yachts). Note that CAYAGO does not publish battery capacity or depth rating for the newer F9 series — F5 series figures are used here because they are fully documented.