"New To Me" Gavin DPV rigging questions

[OrcasC205]

Just wanted to close out this thread by saying that I tried the Gavin DPV out for the first time last night. My friend and I went over to Madison Park on Lake Washington where there is a square course laid out on the bottom with lines for such endeavors. The scooter worked really well. My weighting was a little off -- it needed 4 lbs to be neutral at depth instead of 5 and it was clocking about 60° with torque instead of 90, but all in all it worked well. I think I can adjust the position of the weight a bit to get it dialed in for freshwater and then I will start seeing what I have to add for salt water.

It was my first time ever using a DPV and it went better than I hoped. My buoyancy was a little sketchy going up and down slope the first couple times, but I quickly figured out when and how much to vent and add gas. I was able to move between the "temporary stow" position and the "ready to go" position easily, but I still need to work on how to do the "permanent stow." According to my battery charger, I was somewhere between 25 and 50% of charge left after about 40 minutes of trigger time which helps for future dive planning.

 

[rjack321]

Just wanted to close out this thread by saying that I tried the Gavin DPV out for the first time last night. My friend and I went over to Madison Park on Lake Washington where there is a square course laid out on the bottom with lines for such endeavors. The scooter worked really well. My weighting was a little off -- it needed 4 lbs to be neutral at depth instead of 5 and it was clocking about 60° with torque instead of 90, but all in all it worked well. I think I can adjust the position of the weight a bit to get it dialed in for freshwater and then I will start seeing what I have to add for salt water.

It was my first time ever using a DPV and it went better than I hoped. My buoyancy was a little sketchy going up and down slope the first couple times, but I quickly figured out when and how much to vent and add gas. I was able to move between the "temporary stow" position and the "ready to go" position easily, but I still need to work on how to do the "permanent stow." According to my battery charger, I was somewhere between 25 and 50% of charge left after about 40 minutes of trigger time which helps for future dive planning.

The short is typically a "60min" scooter with new-ish batteries.

Sounds like you're on your way

 

[OrcasC205]

Sounds like you're on your way

Thanks for your help.

By the way, Kelly K., who you know, was my buddy last night. Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to introduce myself in person at some point.

-Doug

 

[PfcAJ]

Try and find some appropriately sized rubber bands to go over the latches.

1- If you transport with the nose O ring out (generally a good idea), the latches will flop. Eventually you'll tear one off.

2- Line can and will slip under the latches and snag you up good. Rubber bands cover those gaps.

3- Depending on your latch tension and o ring thickness, the latches can loosen when very deep and open up. Not a problem with locking latches but most Gavins have normal sessions latches

4- Rubber band is a great place to stash the trigger pin. Carry a spare pin in your wetnotes.

Invest in a good charger. BatteryMinder is top notch, but a little spendy. One turn through your bolt snap provides some tension so it doesn't slide as easy and helps to keep you locked in, but still lets it slide (unlike a fixed bolt snap). Fixed is hard to get just right. Take the time to get the weighting right. The handle should come up to 1 o'clock or 12 o'clock when under power and stay there without you even needing to touch it. Mark your battery holder bulkheads so you can put the batteries back in position should they ever shift out of alignment.

 

[OrcasC205]

@PfcAJ Thanks for the tips. I'll see if I can find some sections of inner tubes to cover the latches since the 11 inch diameter is bigger than any bands I have currently.