I recently bought this set used off of eBay for a relatively low price of $30.00 (including shipping!). The first Aquaraiders line only consisted of three sets, which is a bit of a bummer. All three sets were strong and had unique features (or gimmicks depending on how you look at it) not found in other Aqua Zone sets of the time. This set is worthy of its status as the largest of the original Aquaraiders sets. It's nothing like any of the sets from the earlier Aquanauts of Aquasharks lines, nor is it that similar to the later Hydronauts and Stingrays.

Box/Instructions

I did not receive the box when I bought this set. The instructions are typical of mid-late 90s Lego. The cover features the set artfully placed over an underwater background and the back cover features alternative models.

Parts

The parts are sweet. The cockpit pieces on the main vehicle are a must have. I know some people have complained about the use of technic pieces as drills (unlike the drill pieces used for Rock Raiders about 3 years later). I personally don't think that's a fair complaint. Lego made due and designed the set with the parts it had at its disposal, and I think the goofy simplicity of the technic gears adds to the charm of the set.

Minifigures

The set includes two Aquasharks:

? - the commander (who shares a head with the Exploriens commander) and features a yellow hook on one hand

- the Aquashark, who shares a head with the Aquashark minifig. I'm personally a fan of the Aquaraider torso design and head gear.

The build

The set took me maybe 45 minutes to an hour to build (including distraction time). Building this set was a great activity. It wasn't an extremely quick build, but it didn't drag on too long either. Just put on some tunes (I always prefer the Grateful Dead) and spend a nice, relaxing hour building this set. Great fun!

The completed model

All in all, the model is impressive. It's big, it has a few nice moving parts. The detachable submarine on the back is one of the major draws of this set. It's big enough to be a pretty neat craft on its own. The three wheel construction is novel and rarely seen in Aquazone sets (I think the only other wheeled Aquazone set is a Hydronauts set) and is used effectively in my opinion. The set is structurally sound and stays together well. Another bonus it there are only two stickers (the eyes on the cockpit).

If you're a fan of Aquazone, Aquaraiders (I) or the latter day underwater adventure themes (which are vastly inferior to the classic Aquazone subthemes in my opinion) I'd recommend picking this set up, especially if you can find it at a good price.

ALtough I'm not from the USA,I got it back in 1997.
(thx to the TRU in munich)
The Model seems somewhat weird,so that I can't give a high mark for it. Now the reviews for the Model:
1.The small plane-like sub: It would be a cool model,if there aren't those 4 propellors.They are on both sides and that seems annoying to me. Total: 6/10
2.The underwater vehicle: It looks like a kind of a
three-wheeled city vehicle crossed with a sub.But I like the Technic elements used for some tools.But all in all it seems weird. Total: 7/10

This set had so much potential and is rather good for a set this size. The colour choice of green, black and neon works well and gives it a rather interesting look. The design is a bit of a suspect though, with the big wheel and harpoon in front spoiling the otherwise sleek look of the vehicle. Also, there are holes in the craft which means that the cockpits are not fully enclosed. Despite the slightly bad design, there are a lot of plus points, the main one being the detachable submarine from the rear of the vehicle. The remaining ground vehicle then resembles a truck in the rear, which is great for hauling crystals, of which 4 are provided in the set. There are a few rotating bits which are supposed to seem menacing but it just looks like junk - it would have been better if the gears were replaced with more menacing pieces. There's also the usual shark, octopus and grass and two minifigs to complete the set.