blacktip travel tips and tricks

[k954triniz]

hello guys and gals., new black tip travel owner here. actually just new to the dpv in all. the dealer who i bought it through is doing a dive with me in the next week to teach me how to properly use it.
other than that im open to advice on using it, accessories, and what not. like where can i get a nice stand? ( if all else fails ill make on out of wood and packing foam). what travel case yall use, thing of a pelican case of sorts that can hold the dpv, batteries and a charger? ( i know i have to put batteries in carry on when flying but i will also use the case for general storage purposes.
is off brand batteries worth it and if so which ones.

 

[geoff w]

Congrats on your Blacktip purchase! You will love it! It's an incredibly capable scooter for the price. Anecdotal evidence from the Dive-X Facebook group makes it sound like the 9 AH Dewalt batteries last longer than the others, the next most popular being the Waitleys. With the Dewalts, figure you'll get 10 minutes run time at a decent clip for every AH, less with the others. A pair of 12 AH Dewalt PTBs should last for a day of diving for most people, assuming you can find any these days. Dewalt has 10 AH PTBs coming out soon and available in 2 packs that aren't flex voltage, so they might be more cost effective

The Travel Blacktip is very stable on its tail, so try it out first before spending time or effort on a stand

@Patrick Sadowski is the man to talk to for compass mounts and left handles

Get in a few dives before complaining your Blacktip sits nose up in the water. They are easy to drive once they are dialed in

Most importantly - don't leave batteries in your Blacktip when not being used. They will die. You can usually jump start them to bring them back to life, but it's not good for the batteries

 

[k954triniz]

Nice when you think a shore dives normally last an hour 90 minutes sounds really good. The stand is more about showing it off when I have buddies over. As far as the trim goes from what I’ve read it’s not bad, just won’t be using it as a floating tripod stand underwater to take selfies.
Also has anyone tried towing other like they hold your fin or legs. How does the black tip do in that situation

Congrats on your Blacktip purchase! You will love it! It's an incredibly capable scooter for the price. Anecdotal evidence from the Dive-X Facebook group makes it sound like the 9 AH Dewalt batteries last longer than the others, the next most popular being the Waitleys. With the Dewalts, figure you'll get 10 minutes run time at a decent clip for every AH, less with the others. A pair of 12 AH Dewalt PTBs should last for a day of diving for most people, assuming you can find any these days. Dewalt has 10 AH PTBs coming out soon and available in 2 packs that aren't flex voltage, so they might be more cost effective

The Travel Blacktip is very stable on its tail, so try it out first before spending time or effort on a stand

@Patrick Sadowski is the man to talk to for compass mounts and left handles

Get in a few dives before complaining your Blacktip sits nose up in the water. They are easy to drive once they are dialed in

Most importantly - don't leave batteries in your Blacktip when not being used. They will die. You can usually jump start them to bring them back to life, but it's not good for the batteries

 

[geoff w]

Nice when you think a shore dives normally last an hour 90 minutes sounds really good. The stand is more about showing it off when I have buddies over. As far as the trim goes from what I’ve read it’s not bad, just won’t be using it as a floating tripod stand underwater to take selfies.
Also has anyone tried towing other like they hold your fin or legs. How does the black tip do in that situation

You can tow one or two divers relatively easily, although for an hour or longer dive it gets tiring. I bring a 6 ft line I keep coiled up with a snap on one end, and use that to tow. Unless they have their buoyancy trimmed well and know what they are doing for tows, they're usually too negative and drag your feet down. Without a tow line and a knowledgeable dive buddy, having them hold your tank valve is less streamlined but often easier to manage.

I've had recreational and working (underwater cleanup for abandoned lobster trap removal) dives over an hour towing buddies on and off and the Blacktip has plenty of power and battery capacity for multiple hour long dives

 

[NothingClever]

Towed diver grabs the crotch strap just below BP and above the bum.

Lots of info readily available in the forums.