Light mounted to DPV???

[Cyborg Pirate]

It hasn’t arrived yet...

I ordered a new sub-gravity Aquaprop. It will arrive on Wednesday this week. I have been thinking about how I can attach a light to the nose or to the DPV so I can have kind of a headlight. A lot of my dives are night dives, and in conjunction with that. When I use it to take me from my House boat to a local dive site (300 yards from my House boat). The first 50 yards will be in open water about 15-20’ below the surface. No reference to the ground that will stil be 100-120’ below me. Would rather not be crashing head on into the side of the mountain. Once to the mountain I would hang a left and follow the contour of life the land around to the site. Anyone have a good way of doing this? Even more specific to the SubGravity’s?

 

[Jack Hammer]

If you really want something attached try some bungee to begin with. Or you could make a solid mount held on by a worm drive clamp (West Marine carries them, same as a stage clamp). Be aware the weight of the light may adversely affect the trim or steering of the scooter. You could also try clamping a piece of sealed PVC piping to compensate for the weight of the light, if needed, and cut a small piece of PVC as a holder for the light.

I'd probably just go handheld.

 

[JohnnyC]

On a tiny little scooter like that you're probably going to run into trim issues if you put a worthwhile light on it. Most scooter lights are big HID's with large battery packs.

Also, remember that your ability to see is directly proportional to the crap that's floating in the water. Think about driving in thick fog with your high beams on. Lights on a scooter are like having headlights on a car. You can mitigate some stuff in the water by putting the light source off-axis (hold it to the side), but if it's attached directly in front of you all of the backscatter is reflected right back at you.

 

[AJ]

Put a Goodman handle on your light and keep it in your left hand. May take some effort to get used to, but it's a way better and more flexible option than attaching light to your scooter.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I ordered a new sub-gravity Aquaprop.

I think you will find you can not mount a light without manufacturing a bracket. I tried some homemade things and it did not work well on my Aquaprop. Best idea is above with a flashlight in or on your hand - in NJ waters I am constantly scanning the water. As you become more familiar with the Aquaprop you can easily control it with one hand - it did take a couple runs for me to work that out...

Have fun with your new dpv and dont over think it...

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Even more specific to the SubGravity’s?

More of a convenience than a necessity but I put a compass on my Aquaprop. The trouble is too close to the battery and it throws off the compass - can't use any metal or tin as a holder for the same reason - so I used an 18 inch ruler, plastic bolts and nuts and 2 u-bolts to clamp it to the handle. You can not see but it has some padding under the u-bolt and under the plate across the u-bolt so I don't crack the ruler.

 

[Cyborg Pirate]

How does it affect the buoyancy? Nice mount! I like it. I have only had mine out and running it 3 times now (lol just got it Thursday). But I have already found I prefer single hand use. So I would need to shorten the ruler to avoid hitting the handle and trigger. Just rest it on the shroud I am guessing.

I did rig a 2 lights on it. Temporary mounting with Velcro straps. Still perfectly weighted for fresh water.

 

[Cyborg Pirate]

I just posted another thread titled Holy Crap! I am sure you are aware of the power of the Aquaprop well before I was. But read what it did today. Awesome!!!!

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

So I would need to shorten the ruler to avoid hitting the handle and trigger. Just rest it on the shroud I am guessing.

The issue I had was the battery is very strong - really throws off the compass. So 18 inches for me was far enough away to keep the compass true. So anyway the ruler bends and I am thinking for single hand operation the compass will be on my hand. Although it may not be completely straight I can lay off the trigger and get a reading and then move off again - or point the dpv up a bit and see if the compass works. I have not tried it yet but I am very hopeful.

 

[Cyborg Pirate]

The issue I had was the battery is very strong - really throws off the compass. So 18 inches for me was far enough away to keep the compass true. So anyway the ruler bends and I am thinking for single hand operation the compass will be on my hand. Although it may not be completely straight I can lay off the trigger and get a reading and then move off again - or point the dpv up a bit and see if the compass works. I have not tried it yet but I am very hopeful.

Yeah keep me posted. I do have the compass on either one of my Shearwater. But I personally don’t like the electronic compass. Ha! Gonna have to for now tho I guess.