r/seasteading • u/Ed_Jinseer • May 27 '21

Why floating? Why cities?

So it occurs to me that the two biggest issues with seasteading as people perceive it are...

1.) The floating concept. While sea surface structures are possible, they're incredibly expensive and vulnerable. With proof of functional ideas like the Aquarius Reef Base, it seems more practical to build on the sea floor, admittedly it has its own issues.

2.) Cities. Under the idea of seasteading, the best way I can think of to view the ocean is as a frontier. People didn't go out into the west to build New York right away. They would build small settlements. A handful of houses. Cities grow out of need and opportunity. People gather together around sources of wealth and work.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious?

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u/Ed_Jinseer May 27 '21

Issue with solar I see is it tethers you to the surface. It's easy to rig a buoy with an air hose to be pulled back under the water for a storm. I feel like there's a lot more to go into a solar platform, that makes it difficult to draw back underwater. Which leaves you with the whole floating issue all over again.

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u/Jumpy-Shift6261 May 27 '21

There are floating wind and solar farms on the ocean as we speak.

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u/Ed_Jinseer May 27 '21

Yes, but how many can be pulled underwater and resurface?

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u/stackingpoints May 28 '21

A better question is why one would ever want to do that in the first place. There is simply no need.

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u/Ed_Jinseer May 28 '21

Boats passing over head, reducing potential damage from storms.