Best scooter ever made

[roastbeef]

The thing that impresses me is that after almost 37 years the older Farallon scooters such as the 3.4.5 and 6 are still out there being used. Those General electric 24/36 volt motors are bullet proof, parts are cheap and like my 20 year old Timex watch they keep on ticking. Yes! James Farallon is still in business and doing fine but I don't think its necessary to be involved in your test because as you know the US navy does there own testing in house and thus far are still pleased with the Farallon product.



Roastbeef

 

[Mr.X]

This is what I extrapolate - Farallon is a military DPV and as such evaluated by exclusive criteria (military). If it's such as wonderful piece of equipment (as a producer of retail goods - Farallon) I'd be would be more than willing to have it evaluated (against peers) by a comprehensive real-world regimen as witnessed in the Tahoe benchmarks*. http://tahoebenchmark.com/

My take - I've seen more than my share of Farallons sitting in various lockers & sheds (police) slowly corroding away as professional divers prefer to use alternate methods of propulsion vs. the labor intensive, oft-forgotten Farallon. If you don't use it day in and day out chances are it will still be working 37 years later. Additionally, if you have privy to the Navy criteria/data - please share. I'd love to know why they think the Farallon is such a great product.

X

* the best objective data on scooters out there!!! Bravo!

 

[skdvr]

I know nothing about scooters, but I do know somethings about the military. There are often civilian equivalent pieces of gear that are far superior to what the military is using. The military does not like to change suppliers until things are way out dated, and hopefully then the same supplier will come up with something new. Lots of craziness that goes along with government contracts that some companies do not want to deal with. Why do you think that so many military members buy their own goggles for helmets, own body armour, boots, gloves, etc....

Dont get me wrong. Not everything that the military has is junk... BUT, there are plenty of things that should have been replaced many years ago that were not, and have not. I am also not saying that the Farallons scooter is junk, because I have no idea... All I am saying is that just because the military uses it does not mean that it is the best of the best....

Phil

 

[cool_hardware52]

I know nothing about scooters, but I do know somethings about the military. There are often civilian equivalent pieces of gear that are far superior to what the military is using. The military does not like to change suppliers until things are way out dated, and hopefully then the same supplier will come up with something new. Lots of craziness that goes along with government contracts that some companies do not want to deal with. Why do you think that so many military members buy their own goggles for helmets, own body armour, boots, gloves, etc....

Dont get me wrong. Not everything that the military has is junk... BUT, there are plenty of things that should have been replaced many years ago that were not, and have not. I am also not saying that the Farallons scooter is junk, because I have no idea... All I am saying is that just because the military uses it does not mean that it is the best of the best....

This is spot on. Inertia, conservatism and the distance between the "decision makers" and end users often conspire to impede the rate at which new technology is adopted by the DOD.

Having said that the DOD can have requirements that are quite different from civilian users, and they may value certain design features such as reliability, interchangeability, long shelf life, etc. etc. far more than civilian users might.

Tobin

 

[lowridersvt]

Of all the scooters i have used i think the Gavin is the best.Not due that it does anything the best just the fact that is the go to scooter for any expedition it is cheep dependable and its compleatly modular so i can be used for any diving. It can be repaired with parts from the hardware store and is just rock solid.

As for the farallon i have used them couple times there to big hard to manover and diving them with stages is a pain

So i cant see my gavin going anywere for a long time

 

[JeffG]

Of all the scooters i have used i think the Gavin is the best.Not due that it does anything the best just the fact that is the go to scooter for any expedition it is cheep dependable and its compleatly modular so i can be used for any diving. It can be repaired with parts from the hardware store and is just rock solid.

As for the farallon i have used them couple times there to big hard to manover and diving them with stages is a pain

So i cant see my gavin going anywere for a long time

and I was so happy to dump my Gavin and get an X-Scooter. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but still don't understand the love people have of their Galaxy 500 type scooters.

 

[cool_hardware52]

i cant see my gavin going anywere for a long time

That's a common sentiment for diver's who own both a Gavin and a X Scooter

Tobin

 

[Mr.X]

I have a Gavin. I have been trying to unload it for a few years. She's dependable, but heavy and slow. Click, click, click in the cave. Since the X scooter, Gavin sits on her little trolley collecting dust. Nice scooter, but eclipsed by a better design.

As per the best scooter ever - I have yet to see a Farallon in a cave. I know a few people took Zepps...and those things are beastly.

X

 

[lowridersvt]

I have tried the x scooter and i love it if i could afford 2 scooters i would have one in a second .Down side is the technology required to make the x run you cant just go to homedepo and radioshack to repair your x lol.And we do allot of remote scooter dives with x dealers in the region.

And most of the guys i dive with have gavins or ss's so there is no reasont to change.but for those long boat dives they would be so nice.

but one of my friends has just picked up the new hollis scooter and its a blast to ride but its not a refined as the x.

 

[sunspot11]

Hi Post

This seems to be the most active site on dvp so I have a question. The voltige on my farallon is 48 volts, the controler board is fried. Since Farallon is having its troubles for now
getting anything from them is not going to happen. Do you think the Dive X controler from the cudi would work on the mk 8 Thanks Sunspot