Runaway Scooters - Throw-behind/Throwback

[g1138]

That's a good enough/thorough answer for me Jon, thank you.


Thanks to everyone else for your insight as well.

 

[SeaCobra]

Clearly a technique created by someone that has probably never been in a cave.

you would be very incorrect in that thought

 

[kwinter]

I'll make you a deal Ken, I'll stop your prop with my hand if you TRY to stop my prop with your hand.

Just so you know, I dive a Genesis SW that requires about 4 time the torque as a standard clutch, to slip the mag coupling.

...and let me get the camera first. Deal?

Jeez, I could turn that around and use it to show how my scooter is safer than a Genesis. But then again, while I have stuck my hand in my Cuda prop, it wouldn't go anywhere near my Zepp blade.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

And only carrying a normoxic gas blend is safer than rolling off the boat with the all the necessary gasses for doing more serious dives. If whether the prop has been fully child-proofed is the measure of a DPV's safety, I'll take the unsafe one

 

[underwaterbuddy]

It really depends on the scooter, but I don't recommend sticking your hand in any rotating prop. If a blade were to break before it stopped, you now have a spinning jagged edge contacting you hand.

To stop a spinning prop, I recommend feeding something into the inlet that will stop the prop for you. Kelp, tow cord, line from a reel, your buddy's fin, safety sausage, rock or anything else that you can live without.

I'm not going to turn this into an online training thread for how to deal with a runaway scooter. If some people want to reach into a spinning prop to try and stop it with their hand, I just hope their clutch is well maintained and decouples before injury. It's not my hand and I won't feel a thing. Some people lock their clutches so they will not decouple, so definitely don't do it with a borrowed scooter, unless you are sure it will decouple.

With the Genesis DPVs there are three separate ways to stop the prop from spinning. Release the ON/OFF trigger, adjust the speed knob to zero or disable the motor controller by removing the plug cover on the nose.

Every scooter is different - RTFM (... get some training from a COMPETENT instructor)

Cheers,
Jon

Good insight. Can't imagine sticking your hand in there either..

 

[TSandM]

The PADI video suggests sticking a glove or something else in the prop. Even though I dive a Sierra, with a clutch that I haven't altered, I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to stick my hand in there!

 

[ScubaInChicago]

No way I'd unclip. You now have a missile going to do God knows what, including the opportunity to impact other divers.

Sounds like a good way to cause an underwater explosion if it struck a cave wall

 

[Rooster59]

Wile E. Coyote has an instructional video I'm sure. Works for ACME DPV's

 

[Randy g]

No way in HELL will I stick my hand in my Mako's prop much less the Genesis prop.The Genesis would slice and dice like a meat cutting machine going through a vienna sausage. I HIGHLY value my fingers and hands.

 

[Mr.X]

Sounds like a good way to cause an underwater explosion if it struck a cave wall

There's a movie called the Cave. It features scenes where runaway (discontinued) DiveRite scooters run amok and explode like cruise missiles. If you're interested the movie is on Youtube. I'd like to give to the exact time code where they explode - but I just can't take watching it again. That said - they do feature the Megladon rebreather and cool props. One of the movie Meg props hangs in my office.