Seacraft GO! vs. Suex VR Voyager

[bradStyle]

Hi everybody. My wife & I just finished a three day DPV course in Cozumel & I'm planning to buy us DPVs sometime this year.
I've narrowed it down to the Seacraft Go and the forthcoming Suex VR Voyager.
I was hoping to use this thread as a place to weigh and discuss the pros and cons of these two models:


DIMENSIONS
GO Length 520mm/20.5" Width 280mm/11.0" Height 330mm/13.0" Body Diameter 160mm/6.3" Weight with Batteries 9.7kg/21.4lbs
VR Length 510mm/20.0" Width 320mm/13.4" Height 422mm/16.6" Body Diameter 200mm/7.9" Weight with Batteries 11.7kg/25.8lbs

BATTERIES
GO 582 watt/hours between 6 batteries (97Wh each) 4hr total charging time
VR 356 watt/hours between 4 batteries (89Wh each) 4hr total charging time

MOTOR
GO Brushless
VR Brushed —pretty sure, but awaiting confirmation

THRUST & SPEED
GO 260 N max thrust 80m/min max speed 45m/min cruise speed
VR 220 N max thrust 70m/min max speed 45m/min cruise speed

RUNTIME
GO 220min at cruise speed 60min at max speed
VR 130min at cruise speed 60min at max speed

PRICE
GO EU €4300 USA $5300
VR EU €4500 USA $5400


SIMILARITIES
Both are travel friendly DPVs, meaning they use multiple smaller lithium batteries which comply with TSA safety standards, and can be transported in carry-on luggage.

Both offer external charging, meaning you plug a charge cord into the chassis to charge all the batteries, which means not having to open the DPV each time.

Both appear to be similarly priced, although this could change or could vary between resellers.


DIFFERENCES
GO Advantages: Smaller, lighter, and a bit faster max speed, with clearly better burn time, quieter*
GO Disadvantages: No trigger lock, may not be as well constructed, brushless motor power lag, more electronic parts, quieter*
VR Advantages: Trigger lock, more robust construction, brushed motor provides instant torque, louder*
VR Disadvantages: Bigger, heavier, a bit slower max speed, less burn time, louder*

*Regarding engine noise, quieter could be preferred for being less intrusive to wildlife, while louder could be preferred for team diving to know your teammates are close by without having to look.

This information is correct to the best of my knowledge, but please feel free to contribute corrections if I've made mistakes or this information changes.

 

[stuartv]

Thank you for putting this together.

Quieter is definitely an advantage - to me. I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "I wish my scooter were louder."

Having a cruise control is definitely nice. I thought the Go! had some way in its menus or a click combo to allow it to run with the trigger "locked", but I could be wrong. Regardless, it does not seem like a difficult problem to solve to fabricate some kind of simple thing to hold the trigger, if needed.

You talked about motor power lag and are attributing lag in the Go! to having a brushless motor. I don't think those are related.

A brushless motor seems like a clear advantage and undoubtedly contributes to the Go! having a longer run time.

Lag in delivery seems likely to be a designed-in characteristic of the Go!'s motor controller and firmware. It may even be adjustable. Seacraft puts a lot of stuff in their menu system to support changing the behavior of their scooters (in general - not sure exactly how they have the Go! setup).

I would not compare manufacturer specs for speed. That is subject to way too many uncontrolled variables. I would only look at maximum thrust.

What is your basis for saying the Suex has better or more robust construction? I know the Go! had one specific issue when they first came out where you could overtighten some part on the nose and break something. But, I believe they redesigned that and that problem is now gone. I haven't heard of other issues with the Go! lacking robustness. From what I know, Seacraft and Suex both produce very high quality DPVs.

The Go! is:

Shorter
Lighter
More Thrust
MUCH longer runtime
Quieter
Same price (in practical terms)

The Go! is a no-brainer in this comparison, in my book. A factory throttle lock does not outweigh the benefits in a DPV of more thrust, lighter weight, and longer runtime.

I already had the gut feeling that this was the case, but your collection of the specifications makes it very clear (to me).

 

[mr_v]

@stuartv, with all due respect, I'll provide an alternative opinion in this thread, too.

The overall experience is more than just a few specs here and there. Tastes differ and the best option to try both scooters. Sometimes the option that is better on paper does not feel right in real life. I just got back from Cave Country where Go! DPVs are making a splash, and people do note that the Seacraft's trigger and the lag are friction points. @bradStyle mentions Voyager - the travel version of the scooter with a smaller battery. That is, in part, why it has a lower runtime.

@bradStyle - do you have an option to try both scooters? Do you plan to travel with DPVs? What dealers / support do you have for the scooters in your area? Other points to consider:

- Trigger locks may lead to issues when you need to unlock and cannot for some reason. I have one on my SUEX but never use it.

- Brushless motors are more effective in general and the "lag" may be seen as a disadvantage or advantage depending on the diving you do and how long you plan to keep the scooter. Brushes on motors must be replaced at some point, but it is not the end of the game.

- Max speed becomes irrelevant at some point. There is only so muc thrust you need.

- Noise can be a benefit in some conditions where you need buddy awareness.

 

[stuartv]

Sure. Nothing on paper should be taken as an Automatic Yes.

But, plenty of things on paper are valid as an Automatic No.

For example, opening the hull to charge is an Automatic No, to me. It's a spec on paper, but I think that is a perfectly valid reason to disqualify a scooter.

A range of 30 minutes would be an Automatic No. The point there? Range as a spec CAN be a perfectly valid disqualifying factor.

130 minutes runtime is weaksauce. It's what my BlackTip can do with DeWalt 12 Ah batteries. The BT could do significantly better with a 20Ah pack from @Jona Silverstein. You don't even have that option with the Suex.

130 minutes of runtime means 40 minutes in, 40 minutes out, and 40 minutes of reserve - if you're doing a dive that should be done using Thirds. That is a limitation that is a non-issue for SOME people and some dives. But, if you can get 220 min for the same money, is 130 really a Disqualifying Spec? It would be to me.

The VR Quantum offers 220 min at the same size and weight. I would only consider the Quantum. If it's more money than the Go!, and all the other specs are the same, well, the Go! still seems like a no-brainer.

I am still unclear on whether a startup lag is inherent to a brushless motor. You guys are talking as if it is. I think it is not. I think that is just a "soft start" feature that Seacraft have programmed into their firmware. In which case, I would expect that they CAN change the firmware to take out some or all of that lag. Not saying they will, but if it's an issue for people hopefully they will listen and at least make it some kind of option.

 

[grantmac]

Brushless motors can start just as quick with modern controllers so it's programming.

 

[stuartv]

Brushless motors can start just as quick with modern controllers so it's programming.

That is exactly what I thought. I just didn't want to assert it as fact, since I don't actually KNOW.

 

[Jollymon32]

So, I am a new to DPV's but the best advice that I was given when I was looking to buy one was to ensure that the DPV did not have a shaft driving the propeller as the shaft seal could leak. Instead, I was told, look DPV's with magnetic drives that do not have shafts coming out of the body to drive the propeller.

No idea if the Suex VR is shaft or magnetic driven. But it makes sense to limit holes in anything that goes underwater.

 

[Jollymon32]

By the way, the lag time on acceleration is by design; it is so that the scooter does not jerk the user forward when engaging. The Go does not have a way to adjust the lag time, but the higher end models do.

 

[bradStyle]

Thanks for all the contributions so far, folks. I am aware that the Go offers more battery power & burn time. I chose the Voyager to compare it to because they are both travel DPVs. The Suex VR Quantum has more comparable specs to the Go (220min run at cruise speed, 90min(!) run at max speed), except it does not use a travel friendly battery. It also has a US price around $1000 less than either of the models we're discussing here.

 

[bradStyle]

One of the things I did not bring up is the quality and availability of service in a buyer's area. It is too early to have solid reliability reports of the Voyager, and I haven't heard any discussion yet of the Go's reliability and serviceability. I acknowledge that some buyers might make their choice along the lines of what's likely to generate the fewest headaches over time in their particular area.