Balancing a Mako

[Potapko]

Anybody here sucessfully trimmed out a Mako in fresh water. It is easy to get it neutral with the nose up. I would like to get it neutral in scootering position. When I add weight to the nose it simply gets overweighted and goes nose down to the bottom. Short of removing the bracing to shift the batteries, I'm stumped. Love to hear from someone who has done it.

Thanks

 

[Mr.X]

I've used different sets of batteries with the Mako. All sets of batteries in fresh water made the Mako negative with a nose-up attitude. In salt water the Mako is almost perfect with a slight nose up attitude. You could be like some of the old time cave guys wrap/strap some some sealed PVC tubes on the front of the unit. Ugly as heck, but gets the job done.

In freshwater I use the Gavin, or X Scooters as there is more leeway with buoyancy adjustments.

X

 

[MitchFtLaud]

I have an old Tekna and it's negative in fresh water because I put a pair of 22ah batteries in it. It has one of the neoprene sleves that slides over the body and it works out great, it's neutral with the added neoprene and by sliding the sleve up or down the body I can adjust the trim during the dive as I see fit. I got my sleve with the scooter from the cave diver I purchased it from, looks home made and if I had to guess I'd say 7-9mm and a band about 4-5 inches wide.

 

[Peter_C]

Heck with the bigger batteries I can't get my Mako level in salt water. I even have thick neoprene glued inside the flutes of the shroud. Along with a neoprene sleeve on the body. I use about 3/4 of a pound in lead to keep the front heavier. Still though it takes a lot of effort keeping the nose down when stopped. I have used it in freshwater before at Lake Tahoe and it is very negative.

 

[Potapko]

. You could be like some of the old time cave guys wrap/strap some some sealed PVC tubes on the front of the unit. Ugly as heck, but gets the job done.

X

I am really trying to avoid the ugly as heck look but even so, wouldn't the tubes need to go on the back to add boyancy?

I may try to make a neoprene wrap and give it a try. Thanks,

 

[MitchFtLaud]

Out of curiosity, the batteries are installed so the tops are up when the scooter is level... correct? I'm guessing they are in correct, but if not, flip them over, the bottom of the battery is much heavier than the top and throws the thing out of wack if you get them upside down.

 

[Mr.X]

I am really trying to avoid the ugly as heck look but even so, wouldn't the tubes need to go on the back to add boyancy?

I may try to make a neoprene wrap and give it a try. Thanks,

I tried looking for a picture online and wish I had some shots from 16 years ago showing Tekna scooters with PVC tubes. They were attached to front where the handle is. It consisted of what looked like 3"-4" diam/ tube with end caps??? This probably gave the Tekna scooter a nose-up attitude in the water (?) - but underwater when I passed these guys they were full on their triggers. As I was on a Gavin with buddies I never paid much attention other than noting they were orange and trim seemed fine.

Other than a highly dense (rubatex?) neoprene sleeve the only other suggestion I might have (expensive) is finding some way to attach syntactic foam to wherever it needs to go. Best with your project.

X

 

[Mr.X]

I am really trying to avoid the ugly as heck look but even so, wouldn't the tubes need to go on the back to add boyancy?

I may try to make a neoprene wrap and give it a try. Thanks,

I tried looking for a picture online and wish I had some shots from 16 years ago showing Tekna scooters with PVC tubes. They were attached to the front where the handle is located. It consisted of what looked like 3"-4" diam/ tube with end caps??? This probably gave the Tekna scooter a nose-up attitude in the water (?) - but underwater when I passed these guys they were full on their triggers and as I was driving a Gavin with my mates I never paid much attention other than noting they were orange and trim seemed fine.

Other than a highly dense (rubatex?) neoprene sleeve the only other suggestion I might have (expensive) is finding some way to attach syntactic foam to wherever it needs to go. Best with your project.

Cheers,

X

 

[MitchFtLaud]

Tekna

Look at the last picture here, this look familiar?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It depends on how picky you are about "level" trim. You can get a Mako trimmed in fresh water to where it is neutrally buoyant and in an attitude where the top of the shroud is about level with the top of the nose. Not perfectly level, but close enough so that the scooter is easy to control and also tows behind you ok.

The average Mako you encounter is all over the place in terms of batteries used, and generally speaking a lighter battery allows you to put more weight in the nose. The improvement in lever arm is not huge but it makes a difference - at the expense of run time.

Adding a neoprene sleave helps as you can slide the sleave all the way aft on the body and then add about 2 pounds of weight in the front of the nose cone, for a total weight out of the water of about 56 pounds.