DPV class in Massachusetts?

[mello-yellow]

Does anyone in Massachusetts offer classes in DPV? I just bought an X-Treme X-151 scooter, and do not want to lose it, or to strand myself a mile from shore by doing something stupid (other than buying it in the first place, that is ).

 

[wreckedinri]

Contact Heather and Dave at Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions (http://www.northernatlanticdive.com/). I am not sure if they offer classes but I do know that they are each experienced with and regularly use scooters.

Dennis

 

[matt_unique]

I have used only the basic Seadoo scooters. Some add weight to make then neutral (or omit the weight to keep them positive). The biggest challenge is to determine your battery life. Once you have that dialed in, it's pretty basic. If your battery is good for an hour....that's your ride length. Beyond that you are finning.

--Matt

 

[Soggy]

I have used only the basic Seadoo scooters. Some add weight to make then neutral (or omit the weight to keep them positive). The biggest challenge is to determine your battery life. Once you have that dialed in, it's pretty basic. If your battery is good for an hour....that's your ride length. Beyond that you are finning.

--Matt

There's a good amount more to scootering than just knowing the burn time. You need to take into consideration how to stop a stuck scooter, air sharing while scootering, towing a dead scooter, towing a diver, and managing a flooded scooter.

I only have used Gavins and SSs, but the general principles apply to any scooter.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

There's a good amount more to scootering than just knowing the burn time. You need to take into consideration how to stop a stuck scooter, air sharing while scootering, towing a dead scooter, towing a diver, and managing a flooded scooter.

I only have used Gavins and SSs, but the general principles apply to any scooter.

If you are an elderly scooter-er, and you press the gas, thinking it's the brake, and run over abunch of divers (DIR or not) are you responsible?

 

[mello-yellow]

Contact Heather and Dave at Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions (http://www.northernatlanticdive.com/). I am not sure if they offer classes but I do know that they are each experienced with and regularly use scooters.

As it turns out, Heather and Dave do offer a DPV class. Even though it is not on their website.

Thank you for pointing them out.

 

[wreckedinri]

As it turns out, Heather and Dave do offer a DPV class. Even though it is not on their website.

Thank you for pointing them out.

You're Welcome.

 

[matt_unique]

If you are an elderly scooter-er, and you press the gas, thinking it's the brake, and run over abunch of divers (DIR or not) are you responsible?

Ha ha ha! Too funny.....

Soggy - I have a more simplistic view. If we need to share air, we stop and share. Towing a diver is a piece of cake and there are several obvious options....each diver with a hand on one of the handles or diver 2 two holds onto diver 1.

The stuck scooter is a good one...but (unfortunately) these things are not like torpedos. You can flare your fins and stop dead in your tracks or at least slow WAY down. A dead scooter means you fin it.

I wish these things were crazy powerful....I want to be able to tow a water skier from the surface. HA ha! Imagine how cool it would be if these things really fast.

--Matt

 

[Soggy]

Yup, none of it is rocket science, but all of it requires practice. You may have a more simplistic view, but at the end of the day, when the crap hits the fan, you need to be able to do these things without having to stop and figure it out.

Actually, the technique you described to stop a stuck on scooter is not the best one. The way to do it is to drop trim and bring the thing towards your belly so all the thrust is going toward your abdomen. I haven't used one of these cheap scooters, but a 'real' scooter such as a Gavin or SS certainly has enough thrust to keep you going despite your best efforts if you don't have the right technique.

Anyhow, the point is that there are procedures in place to most of the potential problems you can get into and learning them by trial and error is not the best plan. That's why a class is a good idea.