I dive with a Hollis H-160. There is very little, if any, torque-iness. It ramps up to speed gradually for a very smooth take- off. The only bad thing with that, is it takes a moment before you realize you're actually moving. I have dove with some friends' Mako's & also noticed the it tends to jerk you a bit on the take-off. That is one of the things I really like about the H-160. Here is my take on the H-160 from a reply I made on the Deco Stop forum about the scooter:
"I am the owner of the Hollis H-160 DPV that crpntr133 borrowed. All he has stated was true. The problem I had with the light was some condensation got into the light. It caused a short that caused the light to remain on, even when in the off position. As he stated, Hollis took care of the problem quickly & without any cost to me. The light was very easy to remove & replace. I've had the scooter since June. Here is my take on it:
Pros:
-It is easy to handle. It is very negatively buoyant (freshwater- have never had it in salt water) when not being operated, but once in motion, it "planes out" neutral.
- It steers easly- well balanced
- The molded weights are screwed into the top of the battery which is nice for balancing the scooter, overall
- I really like the way it ramps up to speed. It is not torquey & doesn't jerk me on the start.
- Even though this is my first DPV, it seems to have ample power for a DPV of its size. At the lowest power setting, it is comprable to a Mako speed & power- wise. It has no problem towing 2 divers in full technical equipment
- The weight is not too bad on it & I like the carry strap, but I can not carry it when I'm in doubles, just too much for me.
- The light option is cool. I have not used the scooter at night or in a cave, yet, so I don't know how well it really works, but I've had others that said it made me very easy to identify, when I used it during the daytime.
- I personally like the handle, but wish the "T" was a little longer on the left, as I like to switch hands to relieve fatigue. Its adequate, but kind of small for my left hand.
- I like the screw on hull easy to put on & align.
- it is a very quiet scooter, at least compared to my friends' Makos. I can sneak up on them
-Hollis took care of my problem light quickly & at no cost to me. Good customer service
Cons:
- Scratches easy- had mine since June Used it only about 30 times in a quarry, so far, & it looks like I've beat it up in a cave. No compromise of the hull, just cosmetic
- The negative buoyancy in freshwater. It may be near neutral in salt water, I don't know. I recently e-mailed Hollis about it & they replied that they have never realized this & that they were going to look into it & see if lighter, molded weights can be made for fresh water that would not sacrifice the balance. I would like the scooter to only be barely negative when not in use
-To get good control of the scooter ((but then I do not have very strong wrists), it seems I must keep the tow rope rather short, which puts me more on top of the scooter than it seems I should be for streamlining.
- When screwing the hull on, the turning causes the light to come on & blinds me, if I'm standing over top of it
- The lag time from when I let go of the trigger until the motor quits. May bother some. I've learned to time myself to it.
-Not sure about the trigger lock. Hollis claims this can be used for a "cruise control" to hold your speed, I think it may be something that can get you into trouble quickly & easily.
- The trigger is kind of stiff. Wish it didn't take so much strength to keep it pulled tight. Causes some hand fatigue.
Overall I've been impressed with it. I have yet to run the battery all the way down. I have not used any scooters other than the Mako & this one, so I do not have much to compare it to. It seems to be a scooter that will grow with me in time, as I would like to eventually use it in cave diving, when I reach that level. For now I use it only in open water."
