Subfest 2026 Recommended Locations

[NicholasRadzykewycz]

Creating a thread to discuss possible future Subfest locations after issues with the previous resort's schedule. This way we can build up a short list roster of suitable venues for future events

Core requirements:

Must allow RC Submarines during event period
Must allow for reserving the entire pool or a region of the pool to prevent propeller / citizen interactions
Water clarity must be high enough to maintain line of sight to submarines running deep
Water shallow enough to allow for easy recovery of a crippled submarine laying on the bottom, but not so shallow as to prohibit dive operations


One site I am doing more research on is this site:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ngqYbhEaysRJFgro6

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

How about this interconnect body of pool water? It's a large 'lane' main pool connected via waterways to adjacent 'grotto' type pools. All clear fresh water.

I will not query the Pool Director for a 3-4 day use until I hear back from Bob. The local model boat club has a good working relationship with the JCC, so I think this can be arranged. This venue is in Virginia Beach, VA. Here's a Google map of the place: Simon Family Jewish Community Center - Google Maps

I've attached the following videos to demonstrate the layout, water clarity, easy access, and topside infrastructure.

If we have a shot at use of this pool it would have to be off-season.

https://youtu.be/WOVYwwx6VD4

https://youtu.be/DYVTNzmNIrM

https://youtu.be/r1U_KxzySzY

David

[Das Boot]

That’s a nice place, David. Hypothetically, what month are you talking about?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

That’s a nice place, David. Hypothetically, what month are you talking about?

Spring or Fall time.

[Das Boot]

Spring or Fall time.

The only problem I have is my back. If I drove all the way up there, I probably wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone drive back here. Hopefully I’ll have my surgery by then. I’ll talk to you about a hotel if I’m able to come up, if there’s anything you can recommend.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

The only problem I have is my back. If I drove all the way up there, I probably wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone drive back here. Hopefully I’ll have my surgery by then. I’ll talk to you about a hotel if I’m able to come up, if there’s anything you can recommend.

Nothing at all firmed up. Just spit-ball'n in response to a posted inquiry of possible venues.

[RCSubGuy]

The Houston location would be great for a local run, but based on my conversations with people, the max driving distance they'll do is between 5 and 8 hours. That means the only people a Texas event will draw will be from Texas. Where SUBFEST 2024-Redux drew about 30 skippers, I bet we'd get way less than half that in Texas.

No.. a SUBFEST event needs to be east coast or west coast to draw on those exponentially higher concentrations of skippers. That leaves a lot of territory to explore, and a lot of options to examine. The Red Clay Resort is beautiful, but remote, and very expensive.

The Jewish Center looks good, but would only be applicable for smaller subs. There is a pretty high concentration of skippers, me included, that run big subs, so a larger body of open water is also a requirement.

[SubSteve]

[QUOTE


One site I am doing more research on is this site:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ngqYbhEaysRJFgro6

[/QUOTE]

We have an HOA nearby with an outdoor lagoon like that and I think it's salt water pool. Ask what the water purification is before you go too far.

[SubSteve]

Bob, any plans to return to Red Clay/Cohutta this fall - next spring?

[Subculture]

When I was searching for venues for pool runs years ago, I used google maps and also the internet to find venues. Nine times out of ten I came up with a blank or the venues were just too expensive unless I was willing to make up the difference, as you can usually only count on a handful of modellers to make any kind of commitment to attend let along contribute in any financial capacity.

I can’t comment on what will or won’t work in your locale, but I have seen half a dozen or more pools within The Woodlands area, and might be worth considering if you like he idea if of a simpler event of maybe a couple of hours sailing perhaps with some extra time elsewhere for socialising. When I ran pool events I got the venue for six hours, and most modellers tended to sail for two to three hours at the most.

The best of all worlds is if you can find a pool manager who finds the hobby interesting or wants to participate, but it’s rare.

I haven’t organised an event in a long time now, as securing venues at rates modellers found agreeable was proving increasingly difficult, and since the days I organised events in London new hurdles have been introduced like congestion charges for drivers, low emission zones etc. basically crude taxes designed to discourage drivers which really push up costs for anyone travelling into central London.

However modellers on your side of the pond seem to have deeper pockets, and you probably have more driver friendly administrations. If the events are kept smaller in scale you only need half dozen committed souls to keep costs within reasonable bounds and things can quickly mushroom.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

When I was searching for venues for pool runs years ago, I used google maps and also the internet to find venues. Nine times out of ten I came up with a blank or the venues were just too expensive unless I was willing to make up the difference, as you can usually only count on a handful of modellers to make any kind of commitment to attend let along contribute in any financial capacity.

I can’t comment on what will or won’t work in your locale, but I have seen half a dozen or more pools within The Woodlands area, and might be worth considering if you like he idea if of a simpler event of maybe a couple of hours sailing perhaps with some extra time elsewhere for socialising. When I ran pool events I got the venue for six hours, and most modellers tended to sail for two to three hours at the most.

The best of all worlds is if you can find a pool manager who finds the hobby interesting or wants to participate, but it’s rare.

I haven’t organised an event in a long time now, as securing venues at rates modellers found agreeable was proving increasingly difficult, and since the days I organised events in London new hurdles have been introduced like congestion charges for drivers, low emission zones etc. basically crude taxes designed to discourage drivers which really push up costs for anyone travelling into central London.

However modellers on your side of the pond seem to have deeper pockets, and you probably have more driver friendly administrations. If the events are kept smaller in scale you only need half dozen committed souls to keep costs within reasonable bounds and things can quickly mushroom.

Andy's real-world experience and clarification of what works and what does not work points us in this direction:

More regattas, spread out, smaller venues, and only one or two-day events. But each venue -- even if it fits all our special criteria -- needs a local 'spark plug'; the type who is responsible, can effectively sell us to a pool/lake manager/owner, is an organizer, has time-on-his-hands, is cash flush if the need arises to cover any red-ink left once the circus departs the event, and is local to the proposed event.

And that's the problem: finding that type of guy. We have it in Bob Martin, Joe Oliver and Ray Mason, me, Dave Hampton, the Rocky Mount mob, and a precious few others. Anyone else willing to make their life miserable on behalf of the many?

Anyone want to play?

Anyone...?

David

[Das Boot]

I’ve got a call in to Point Mallard in Decatur, Alabama. That would be central to a lot of people, especially from Texas, Georgia, Tennessee the Carolinas and Virginia. I don’t have a clue to what the price would be. I’ve got a call in, but they’re only open on the weekends now. They open back up in the latter part of May, so an event from the end of April to the middle of May would be good if they agree, and if I can get a price. This is a very nice venue, and there’s a campground adjacent to it, a golf course, the place even has a wave pool, but I don’t think we’d be interested in that. Let me see what I can work up and get a price and I’ll get back. Can someone message me and let me know how much you have been paying for Red Clay to give me an idea what has been spent in the past. Here’s a few pictures, although you can look it up there’s plenty of videos online.

[NicholasRadzykewycz]

My personal opinion is that square rectangular pools don't make for the greatest cinematography. If I'm going to journey to an event I want it to be a venue that's different than what I could get by going to my local HOA pool or otherwise make it worthwhile to journey or take a flight. I know this is a bit of a far stretch, but there are a couple of pools new Gorton, CT where the east coast submarine pen is and the museum where the USS Nautilus is docked. I think if our focus is to locate the epicenter(s) of where there is a high concentration of skippers are and we could locate a submarine museum nearby that we could tour as either part of the event or separately after the event I would find it a lot easier to justify going. Also if we could find trusted folks who I could ship my boat to and have them store it locally and bring it with them to the event that would save me from having to drive. I don't know how others feel about the idea of integrating a museum tour into Subfest though.

I do agree with the concept of a west coast and east coast and maybe even south coast event though, so that folks can go to something closer to them.

another question I have is wave pools for film studios and naval architecture testing. These can make water that looks like the actual ocean and so I would think it would be a ton of fun to run models in those tanks and film them there, but I am cautious about suggesting them because I don't know how other skippers will feel about running in rougher water if that's something their subs can handle or if the group would be interested in or if it is just me. I don't want to sink a ton of time into researching large wave tanks and talking to folks about using them if it is not something most skippers are intrigued by. In terms of filming opportunities though I don't think you will get better than a wave tank for epic photos.

[Subculture]

Here is one example. Forestgate pool just down the road from Bob. Prices are not cheap at around $400 for two hours rental, however that is during the season, perhaps they would be open to use in the autumn or early spring at a discount?

If you could get ten attendees, that would be $40 per person if full rate- too much?

https://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx....s/Pool-Rentals

[Subculture]

My personal opinion is that square rectangular pools don't make for the greatest cinematography.

another question I have is wave pools for film studios and naval architecture testing

The snag is you can’t see a what’s going on with a submerged model in choppy water. Negates much of the advantage of operating in a pool with clear water. So in order to make it attractive I think you’d need to have a certain slot for choppy water then the rest like a mill pond.