DSV Sea Cliff

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This article is about the US Navy submarine. See also:Sea Cliff (disambiguation)

Sea Cliff (DSV-4) is a 16-ton, manned deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy. It is sister to Alvin (DSV-2), and also an Alvin class Deep Submergence Vehicle. The Sea Cliff was retired from active service in 1998.

The Sea Cliff originally had a maximum dive depth of 8000-feet, like all Alvin-class DSVs at first. It was redesigned to dive to 20,000 feet, and refitted in 1984. With the refit of Sea Cliff, DSV Trieste II was retired from service. It has a hatch 2-feet thick, and held in place by the pressure of the water above it (it is tapered, narrower inward), leaving it vulnerable on or near the surface with less pressure holding the hatch in place. The Alvin-class DSV were designed to replace older DSV, such as the less maneuverable Trieste-class bathyscaphes. The Sea Cliff can dive 5,000 feet further than the famed Alvin, however the super Alvin class replacement for Alvin is designed to dive to 22,000 feet.