Choosing a DPV

[Dont_Hold_Your_Breath]

Looking for a scooter to use in cold water for a project photographing fish. Water temps are ~50F for 6-8 hours but I can stop and switch out battery packs in the middle if needed. Also looking for something that will allow me to cover some ground and scout a lot of area so duration and speed would be nice but I don't have a sense of what speed is for a DPV by just looking at speeds online. Some DPV use will be on the surface snorkling, some of it will be with a CCR but always in less than 40ft of water.

I work with electronics for my profession and can build almost anything including my own lithium battery packs but looking to find something in the next couple weeks for a project. Would like to stay around $2k if possible. If you were to buy new what would you get in that price range and if you were to buy used what would you get? As mentioned, If there’s a solid older system with a bad battery that could definitely work for me. Hoping to get some help jumpstarting my search for a DPV. Thanks!

 

[Jona Silverstein]

Even Building your own battery you'll be hard pressed to make those durations work at $2k.

New is out of the question as youll be minimum 3k with maybe a 2hr runtime. Look into an older Used scooter, If you can be slower shoot for a DiveXtras Sierra. (I have a couple I need to offload) With a 1080wh battery you might be somewhere in your runtime range but still would be a looking at a small recharge in the middle.

Bump a little higher in price and youll be looking for a DiveXtras Cuda or a Silent Submerge Viper or Magnus.

Typical Diver on CCR cruising at 150fpm (standard Cruise speed for DPVs) youll be floating in the 200-300W power range depending on trim an drag...

 

[Nick_Radov]

If you're looking for a cheap scooter with a long run time then the Dive Xtras BlackTip Tech might be a good option. They're not the most reliable but they do work well enough for shallow dives.

BlackTip Tech

With a fully trimmed out scooter body, the BlackTip Tech is ready for anything! Tackle any technical dive with ease, thanks to our longer, more balanced scooter design. If weight and length are not critical and you would like a scooter that floats trim, the Tech model is the best choice. It...

dive-xtras.com

 

[rjack321]

Looking for a scooter to use in cold water for a project photographing fish. Water temps are ~50F for 6-8 hours but I can stop and switch out battery packs in the middle if needed. Also looking for something that will allow me to cover some ground and scout a lot of area so duration and speed would be nice but I don't have a sense of what speed is for a DPV by just looking at speeds online. Some DPV use will be on the surface snorkling, some of it will be with a CCR but always in less than 40ft of water.

I work with electronics for my profession and can build almost anything including my own lithium battery packs but looking to find something in the next couple weeks for a project. Would like to stay around $2k if possible. If you were to buy new what would you get in that price range and if you were to buy used what would you get? As mentioned, If there’s a solid older system with a bad battery that could definitely work for me. Hoping to get some help jumpstarting my search for a DPV. Thanks!

$2k is wildly unrealistic, especially for a "6 hour battery" whether that is 6 hours in one pack or 2x 3hr batteries. Even if you picked up a short Gavin and tried converting it to li-ion you are looking at 800-1000wh even for a sedate speed. That will be $1200-1500 in batteries alone, some sort of bracket to hold the pack in the hull, lead to compensate for all the extra air in the tube, nevermind a $150+ BMS, and a decent charger. That's all just conversion parts on top of the old Gavin hull and motor - assuming the brush board is already upgraded so it doesn't melt on you.

 

[broncobowsher]

$2k range you are looking at a nice scooter that will need work (probably needing a whole new battery) and that will blow the $2k budget. Or a Blacktip will fill that spot. You might get a used Blacktip ready to roll for $2k, if not $3k for new and new batteries to go with it.

I'm confused by the 6-8 hour time frame that has the option for a battery change halfway through?

 

[Jollymon32]

$2K scooter that is reliable with a 6 hour battery = unicorn.

 

[grantmac]

I looked long and hard for a 1st generation Genesis with dead battery. I'm into it for about $3500 now with some DIY but I got real lucky and I wouldn't sell it for that much.