Ten surtseyan tuff cones on Marion island (46° 54 S, 37° 46 E) and seven on Prince Edward island (46° 38 S, 37° 57 E) were erupted on shallow submerged coastal plains related to normal faulting. They range from Pleistocene to Holocene in age and exhibit a variable degree of erosion by the sea. Fundamental differences, irrespective of age, exist between two types: Type I cones have diameters of 1–1.5 km, rim heights of about 200 m and steep (27°) outer slopes. Deposits are plastered against nearby cliffs. Beds are thin, including layers of accretionary lapilli and less than 10 % lithic clasts. Numerous bomb sags, soft sediment deformation structures and gravity slides occur. On one of these cones mudflows formed small tunnels which resemble lava tubes, associated with channels sometimes having oversteepened walls. These cones reflect comparatively low energy conditions and probably resulted from extremely wet surges interspersed with mudflows and ballistic falls. Type II cones have smaller diameters (0.5 km) but widespread fallout/surge aprons. Rim heights are about 100 m and average slope angles are 18°. Bedding is massive with variable lapilli/matrix ratio and more than 10 % lithic clasts without bomb sags. These cones formed under drier, perhaps hotter and more violently explosive conditions than Type I, though not as energetic as the phreatomagmatic eruptions of terrestrial tuff rings. The two types of surtseyan eruptions are explained by invoking not only different water/magma ratios in the conduit but also different mechanisms of water/magma interaction. The slurry model of Kokelaar is favoured for Type I and a fuel-coolant model for Type II. The decisive factor is considered to be rate of effusion, with rim closure and exclusion of sea water playing a secondary role.