In a pretty frisky surf, with no viz, on the way back in from an aborted dive (also no viz...) - my beloved fixed-pitch Aluminum Prop came off of my Cuda in the surf zone.
I must have hundreds and hundreds of dives on that.... maybe more. I just serviced this scooter a few dives ago.
The surf was pretty rough, and I got the tow rope tangled in the prop on the way out (hasn't happened in eons....) so I unwound it... and things were great. Towed all the way out to the reef, dropped into a cloud... scooted for a bit, literally saw nothing and aborted the dive.
On the way back in, stopped outside the surf zone, removed and clipped off fins, shortened the tow rope, waited for my moment, punched it to get in between waves - and in slow motion, I watched it fall into the clouds of sand. I dropped to grab it... missed. Came back up, quickly put the fins back on, dropped again and after some fumbling around in the muck (and getting tossed around and rolled several times) I had to abandon the search.
I'm sad. SUPER SAD. Loved that thing, as it matched so well with my Hot Rod Deep Sea Supply Mega Batt....
So unless one of you kind people have one of these from a retired scooter you'd be willing to part with, seems my only option is to go back to the plastic stock prop... I haven't dived that for ages. Don't think I've ever dived it since I upgraded the battery in this back in, what, 2010? 2011?
So bummed. Not a good morning.
Gutted.
I must have hundreds and hundreds of dives on that.... maybe more. I just serviced this scooter a few dives ago.
The surf was pretty rough, and I got the tow rope tangled in the prop on the way out (hasn't happened in eons....) so I unwound it... and things were great. Towed all the way out to the reef, dropped into a cloud... scooted for a bit, literally saw nothing and aborted the dive.
On the way back in, stopped outside the surf zone, removed and clipped off fins, shortened the tow rope, waited for my moment, punched it to get in between waves - and in slow motion, I watched it fall into the clouds of sand. I dropped to grab it... missed. Came back up, quickly put the fins back on, dropped again and after some fumbling around in the muck (and getting tossed around and rolled several times) I had to abandon the search.
I'm sad. SUPER SAD. Loved that thing, as it matched so well with my Hot Rod Deep Sea Supply Mega Batt....
So unless one of you kind people have one of these from a retired scooter you'd be willing to part with, seems my only option is to go back to the plastic stock prop... I haven't dived that for ages. Don't think I've ever dived it since I upgraded the battery in this back in, what, 2010? 2011?
So bummed. Not a good morning.
Gutted.
