Hi,
Curious to see if anyone has taken Divers Propulsion Vehicles (DPV or Underwater Scooters) onboard liveaboards?
Even in sub-tropical (26C or 79F) waters, recreational diving depths I am pretty spent by 4 or 5 dives at the end of the day. Was thinking one way to lessen the swimming work load is by letting a DPV take the majority of the propulsion load.
I have dived using a friend's Dive-Extras BlackTip Tech and it was fantastic on our local reefs. I am looking at getting formal DPV diving certification for recreational diving.
Obviously, there are some logistical and procedural considerations:
1. What happens to my DPV-less dive buddy?
This bothers me the most, as I have never seen a DPV being use on these kinds of trips and it is very unlikely I will be matched with someone who would use one.
I could offer to tow another diver behind me, but depending on the person this may not be an ideal.
I could offer to solo dive, but think this would be unlikely from the liveaboard's point of view.
2. Plan accordingly for DPV-failure and swimming range
In the event of DPV failure, the swimming team would need to be able to make it back to the boat. I would propose to construct and communicate a dive plan within swimming range to the liveaboard and within the allotted dive duration (typically 60-80 mins for a standard recreational dive).
3. Air transport and battery-charging onboard
Permission would have to be obtained from liveboards for charging large lithium-ion batteries.
I have been looking mainly at the Seacraft Go (582Wh battery capacity) and the Logic Dive Gear Genesis 3.1 (850Wh battery capacity). These two DPVs can have batteries removed, or electrically separated and remain in the DPV for airline travel. Both of these units will allow for external battery charging without opening the unit up. Assuming these can be brought onboard, they will need to be charged daily (or topped up in-between dives).
I am interested in hearing from people who have taken DPVs on liveaboards, I would think this would become more popular as the technology is now fairly mature and for people who simply want a more physically relaxing dive to see more reef area.
Curious to see if anyone has taken Divers Propulsion Vehicles (DPV or Underwater Scooters) onboard liveaboards?
Even in sub-tropical (26C or 79F) waters, recreational diving depths I am pretty spent by 4 or 5 dives at the end of the day. Was thinking one way to lessen the swimming work load is by letting a DPV take the majority of the propulsion load.
I have dived using a friend's Dive-Extras BlackTip Tech and it was fantastic on our local reefs. I am looking at getting formal DPV diving certification for recreational diving.
Obviously, there are some logistical and procedural considerations:
1. What happens to my DPV-less dive buddy?
This bothers me the most, as I have never seen a DPV being use on these kinds of trips and it is very unlikely I will be matched with someone who would use one.
I could offer to tow another diver behind me, but depending on the person this may not be an ideal.
I could offer to solo dive, but think this would be unlikely from the liveaboard's point of view.
2. Plan accordingly for DPV-failure and swimming range
In the event of DPV failure, the swimming team would need to be able to make it back to the boat. I would propose to construct and communicate a dive plan within swimming range to the liveaboard and within the allotted dive duration (typically 60-80 mins for a standard recreational dive).
3. Air transport and battery-charging onboard
Permission would have to be obtained from liveboards for charging large lithium-ion batteries.
I have been looking mainly at the Seacraft Go (582Wh battery capacity) and the Logic Dive Gear Genesis 3.1 (850Wh battery capacity). These two DPVs can have batteries removed, or electrically separated and remain in the DPV for airline travel. Both of these units will allow for external battery charging without opening the unit up. Assuming these can be brought onboard, they will need to be charged daily (or topped up in-between dives).
I am interested in hearing from people who have taken DPVs on liveaboards, I would think this would become more popular as the technology is now fairly mature and for people who simply want a more physically relaxing dive to see more reef area.