The following provides a brief overview of the major components of a typical tourist submarine. For a more detailed analysis of specific systems and their functionality, see the Design and Engineering section of the article entitled, The Tourist Submarine Industry.

The Conning Tower is a hollow fiberglass enclosure situated over the main hatch to protect it and passengers from sea spray and rain.

The Deck Railing is required on all tourist submarines for the protection of the passengers.

Main Thrusters are located on the stern of the submarine and provide fore and aft propulsion. Sometimes they are located on the rudder to provide directional control, and other times they are fixed with a rudder behind, or installed with their own rotational mechanism. In many cases the thrusters are fixed with directional control provided by differential thrust or the use of a bow thruster.

Vertical Thrusters are vertically mounted in the deck, either in the bow and stern or on either side of the midbody of the submarine. They provide precise vertical positioning of the vehicle when submerged.

Lateral Thrusters are located athwartships in the bow and stern of the submarine and allow the submarine to sidle (translate left or right) or spin in its own length. They are very helpful in maneuvering in close to submerged objects for a better view.

The Hatch Assembly exists in two locations; forward, just behind the Pilot's compartment and farther aft along the centerline of the submarine. The hatches are large enough to provide comfortable access and have springs to compensate for their weight and locking dogs to secure them prior to diving.

The Forward Viewport is a hemisperical sector of transparent acrylic and provides excellent viewing for the pilot. A Crash Guard of heavy steel pipework protects the viewport from damage.

The Main Ballast Tanks are vented to seawater at the base and when filled with air provide buoyancy, freeboard and stability while the submarine is surfaced. They can be "blown" at depth to provide emergency ascent capability.

The Variable Ballast Tanks are one-atmosphere steel tanks that compensate for differences in passenger load to keep the submarine neutrally buoyant. They can also be used for differential trim.

A Trim Weight which moves on a track is used on some submarines to provide longitudinal trim. An emergency drop weight is also available for the pilot to release when an emergency ascent is required.

Underwater Lights are used to provide increased visibility at depth or during night dives. Pneumatic Fish Feeders are also common.

The Skid Assembly provides a solid base for the submarine when on land or on the bottom and also provides attachment points for many pieces of external equipment.

Oxygen Bottles located outside the pressure hull store oxygen at high pressure which is injected into the submarine to make up for the oxygen consumed by the passengers during the dive. Two banks exist, one for daily oxygen consumption and another that provides 72 hours of emergency life support for the crew and passengers.

High Pressure Air Bottles located outside the submarine hull under the main deck or between the skids provide air for the ballast tanks and pneumatic control valves.

The Aft Machinery Compartment contains the air conditioners, carbon dioxide scrubbers, electric motors and control circuits, hydraulics, etc.

The Passenger Compartment is the largest section of the submarine and provides comfortable seating for the passengers.

The Battery Compartment is located below the passenger seats and contains several tons of batteries that provide electrical power for the main systems.

The Pilot's Compartment is in the bow of the submarine and contains all of the control, communication and navigation equipment utilized by the pilot.