Scooters in smaller passages

[Manatee Diver]

Ok maybe it is just because my instructor expects me to use my brain, but we never had an in depth conversation about where to bring scooters. But I was doing some video scouting for some dives I planning over the next couple of months, like getting up in the Sherwood split. I saw a video, which I am not going to link as I don't want to put them in the crosshairs, where the team brought DPVs into the double lines and was even using them back there in some rooms.

But it seems to me that the effort wouldn't be worth it, or maybe I am missing something and am being too conservative on where I am thinking I can ride a scooter.

 

[kensuf]

I would not take a scooter in the double lines.

 

[tbone1004]

Think of learning to drive. When you were first learning merging onto a highway at speed felt scary but as you grew more comfortable you were able to make those mergers faster and into smaller spaces. DPV is no different, the more experience you get, theoretically the more proficient you get and that allows you to move faster and stay on the trigger into smaller spaces. Good technique where you can kick the dpv out to your side to mitigate prop wash will allow you to stay on the trigger in passages that are quite small, especially with bottom composition that is fairly hard/heavy. To get to that level of proficiency with a DPV takes a lot of hours on the trigger, very good control of your fins to counter the rotational torque and not cause a silt out. It is possible, but if you're going to try to use a DPV in some gnarly stuff I would make a pilgrimage to Cave Adventurers and get a day with Edd on the techniques used to do it safely. You may want to do it sooner rather than later as it is habit forming and very few DPV instructors are able to teach ideal technique for that kind of maneuverability.

 

[Dsix36]

I am currently exploring that very same area again, but I leave my scooter clipped to the line long before getting into any tight passage. I mean like still out on the Hill 400 line. I don't have the scooter skills that tbone is talking about but I am not half bad either. There is just no reason to take such unnecessary chances.

 

[rddvet]

I am currently exploring that very same area again, but I leave my scooter clipped to the line long before getting into any tight passage. I mean like still out on the Hill 400 line. I don't have the scooter skills that tbone is talking about but I am not half bad either. There is just no reason to take such unnecessary chances.

Yep. Anytime I’m going up in that area scooter stays on hill 400. ESP in doubles or ccr

 

[Manatee Diver]

I would not take a scooter in the double lines.

I am currently exploring that very same area again, but I leave my scooter clipped to the line long before getting into any tight passage. I mean like still out on the Hill 400 line. I don't have the scooter skills that tbone is talking about but I am not half bad either. There is just no reason to take such unnecessary chances.

Yep. Anytime I’m going up in that area scooter stays on hill 400. ESP in doubles or ccr

I should mention that I don't take my scooter into Double Lines, heck I'm not sure I want to take a stage up into that area. I typically drop everything off on the rock near the start of the Syphon tunnel. It holds both the stage and scooter, and there is plenty of room in an area of minimal flow to don and doff everything.

Just thinking of the mindset of when one would want to take a scooter into smaller passages, unless they are connecting passages that one can clearly scooter through.

 

[tbone1004]

I should mention that I don't take my scooter into Double Lines, heck I'm not sure I want to take a stage up into that area. I typically drop everything off on the rock near the start of the Syphon tunnel. It holds both the stage and scooter, and there is plenty of room in an area of minimal flow to don and doff everything.

Just thinking of the mindset of when one would want to take a scooter into smaller passages, unless they are connecting passages that one can clearly scooter through.

that is typically only it. You should only take a dpv as far as you need it to be taken, same with stages, if you're taking it into a place like double lines then presumably you will be using it when you are outside of it. I'm not sure where that would be coming out of that passage, but as the youths say, b*tches be cray.... It's not that much swimming back there so dpv to the jump, leave everything there, and come back and get it. I will say it is possible to safely use a DPV back there though, if you are in OC sidemount or a really well trimmed sidemount CCR AND have the skills to do it, but something tells me the video in question wasn't from one of those people....

 

[Manatee Diver]

I will say it is possible to safely use a DPV back there though, if you are in OC sidemount or a really well trimmed sidemount CCR AND have the skills to do it, but something tells me the video in question wasn't from one of those people....

No idea what the person holding the camera was using, but his buddy had a Revo with SM BO.

 

[Whitrzac]

It been awhile since I've been up that line, but we were pushing past the hinkle last winter using scooters. The passages are small enough I could touch all 4 walls at once.

Using the scooter at a swimming pace made less mess than trying to swim or pull and glide.


Like everything else, it boils down to operator skill.

 

[mr_v]

DPV in Sherwood Split will be interesting to say the least. I'd like to see the video.