Dive Propulsion Vehicle

[mweitz]

ScubaFrog,

I just noticed your profile says that you have 15 - 50 dives. If that is correct, I would wait a while before getting a scooter. Most of the guys saying scooters are great are very experienced Technical divers, and have a very high level of training and experience. Look at their profiles, 1000+ dives, 3000 dives, Tech 1, Instructors, etc.

I think you should be super comfortable in the water before adding something like a scooter. When you dive, do you think about diving, or is it all in the "background"? Diving should mostly be a "background" activity, where you aren't really thinking about it, before you start to scooter. 150 - 300 dives would be somewhere in the range I would guess based on my own experience. I'm probably a bit "early" in my diving career for a scooter. They can easily take you somewhere you shouldn't be, and quickly get you into trouble.

Before throwing 4K on the table, get a couple hundred dives, continue to research them, and slowly save up. They will only be better in two years, and you will know your commitment to diving much better then. You can even take a DPV class and rent a scooter for it. That could be a cool way to get yourself started.

Mark

 

[wb416]

I have this dive buddy that used one once. He's now addicted. Just got one. Now I'm going to need one too. I understand that they cause your mask to leak. Too much grinning.

Now I either need one and a cave cert, or I need a new dive buddy.

I'd tried a Gavin over a year earlier, and the scooter "bug" didn't bite... not even close.... but the "X" was a different story.

Yes.... I DID break down and buy one... cause I've been losing too much sleep since I used an X-scooter two weekends in a row, including an awesome 5-wreck dive weekend on the St Lawrence River. That X-scooter handled the current very well and was easy to handle on the boat.

So.... work on your frog kick... get your cavern/intro cave training, and buy ya a scooter. In fact, buy your scooter now... .if you can't use it, I'll be happy to keep it wet for you!!!!

....and no.... you're not going to lose your dive buddy!!:10:

 

[wb416]

[snip]
The weight issue (in my experience) is really much more of an issue when boat diving. I have come to GREATLY appreciate a 32lb scooter on a rocking boat vs. a 55lb scooter on a rocking boat....so have the DM's and Capt's that I charter.
Coming from the a shore entry, weight is less of an issue since the ground is stable and one can always use a cart....but I still appreciate the lighter (much lighter) weight of my X vs. my other scooters.
[snip]
Best Regards,
brando

While providing surface support during a dive last winter, I carried a gavin and an X-scooter on my shoulder several hundred yards back to the vehicle (not at the same time :sprite10, and even carrying the gavin first, my shoulder felt like it would fall off. On the next trip I carried the X and the difference was night and day.

 

[bwh6]

ScubaFrog,

...

I think you should be super comfortable in the water before adding something like a scooter. When you dive, do you think about diving, or is it all in the "background"? Diving should mostly be a "background" activity, where you aren't really thinking about it, before you start to scooter. 150 - 300 dives would be somewhere in the range I would guess based on my own experience. I'm probably a bit "early" in my diving career for a scooter. They can easily take you somewhere you shouldn't be, and quickly get you into trouble.

...

Where are the best places to take an 80# scooter in Monterey? (besides Lobos)

Brian

 

[tstonedvr]

A scooter is like a boat...."a hole in the water to put money into".....of course I have a old Tekna reputed to have been geeked by Black Cloud....it's a 24v and will give a hour at full pitch...got it off EBay a few years ago and had to send it of to be worked on...then it blew a battery on a liveaboard when the voltage dropped as they switched generators...that was a mess to clean up...but it runs ok for the moment..I have a lift bag mounted on it so I can find it when it next decides to go down....but it sure beats swimming!
Yarg

 

[mweitz]

Lobos

Breakwater

Boat

I dive Lobos most weekends, so that is primarily where I'll use it. I can borrow a short body and pack from a buddy if I want to boat dive with it. If I start to boat dive with it more I'd pick up a short body and battery for about 600 bucks new.

I don't know where else I'd try to shore dive with it. Most of my dives are at BW, Lobos and North Monastery. It would be doable at Monastery, but a PITA. I'm sure I'll give it a go sometime though...

Mark

Where are the best places to take an 80# scooter in Monterey? (besides Lobos)

Brian

 

[IceDiverInCA]

I like X-scooters for their light weight and it's possible mostly because of NiMH batteries. Silent Submersion, although they sell a NiMH model, doesn't recommend it because of its less reliable performance (http://www.silent-submersion.com/NiMH/). With that in mind, do you think an X-scooter is a good DPV for very long overhead excursion dives?

 

[JeffG]

With that in mind, do you think an X-scooter is a good DPV for very long overhead excursion dives?

No different than any other scooter. You still need to plan as if it will fail. (ie If you only have one scooter, plan to swim back)

 

[wb416]

I like X-scooters for their light weight and it's possible mostly because of NiMH batteries. Silent Submersion, although they sell a NiMH model, doesn't recommend it because of its less reliable performance (http://www.silent-submersion.com/NiMH/). With that in mind, do you think an X-scooter is a good DPV for very long overhead excursion dives?

My first thought would be that they don't have the history/track record of a gavin for that type of diving. Secondly, if you did try it, best have a fleet of X's with backups on the dive, and limit your dives until you gain trust in the X.

I know one guy that has the NiMH battery in his SS, and I don't _think_ he's had any issues, including his cave dives. I spent a week with him when his scooter was being used and there certainly weren't any issues. Granted, we were doing "weenie" cave dives....

 

[bwh6]

Lobos

Breakwater

Boat

I dive Lobos most weekends, so that is primarily where I'll use it. I can borrow a short body and pack from a buddy if I want to boat dive with it. If I start to boat dive with it more I'd pick up a short body and battery for about 600 bucks new.

I don't know where else I'd try to shore dive with it. Most of my dives are at BW, Lobos and North Monastery. It would be doable at Monastery, but a PITA. I'm sure I'll give it a go sometime though...

Mark

What would you consider your effective range on it? What average speed will it last for 90 minutes at (say for a typical diver in doubles w/o stages)? On a nice day there's lots of great diving within 1/2-1 mile of Pinos, Cypress, and Carmel points. Soberanes would probably be a blast but it's a long walk and you'd need ropes to get to the water.

Brian