I want your opinions!

[Randy43068]

I think he want's a "real" scooter. Those others are toys and are hard to swim back.

Some are for sale on eBay for less than 200$.

If you want to use during an exotic location on vacation, consider shipping it directly to the dive shop there, and leaving it behind.

IOW, if you have real bad knees or ankles, but still want to dive, a 120$ model is "cheap" to leave behind. Perhaps get a free boat dive in exchange to leaving it behind.

 

[Peter_C]

3. most common problem areas.

One thing I did not think about is..You will not use it if you are the only person you know that has one.
Also big ones are hard to carry over rough terrain or long distances to shore.​

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Not sure I will agree with the statement your friends must have one. I have towed many people, and been towed before I got a scooter. My partner now insists we either take the boat or the scooter, but long surface swims are a no go.

Big scooters, as in something like a Gavin Long Body, are really easy to move if you make a two wheeled dolly for it. Total cost would be under $20, and you just roll it across the beach up to the water edge.

 

[LiveBait]

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Not sure I will agree with the statement your friends must have one. I have towed many people, and been towed before I got a scooter. My partner now insists we either take the boat or the scooter, but long surface swims are a no go.

Big scooters, as in something like a Gavin Long Body, are really easy to move if you make a two wheeled dolly for it. Total cost would be under $20, and you just roll it across the beach up to the water edge.

Hah! Yup that is one thing about diving... its not the same for everyone. And almost every problem has a solution..

 

[HBDiveGirl]

I currently have a DiveXtras mini-cuda with a DeepSeaSupply lithium ion battery.
(My first scooter was a DiveXtras Sierra, which I put about 400 dives on before upgrading.)

I've had the pleasure of putting 210 dives on the mini-Cuda in the two years I've owned it.
Most SoCal, but also Monterey, Seattle and God's Pocket Resort in Canada.
I take it on almost every dive when I have a buddy who also has a scooter.
I'll often take it if my buddy doesn't have a scooter because I can easily tow another diver.

I love my scooter because it:

• extends our range,
• saves our dive when the current rips,
• lowers our gas consumption (which allows longer dives),
• is more fun than 10 barrels of caffienated monkeys,
• and makes all our usual dive sites a little smaller.
  Well, the mini cuda with the DSS battery makes them A LOT smaller.

It's 44 pounds, and I can carry it on my shoulder to the water's edge when shore diving.
It is welcomed on all the commercial dive boats I go on as the weight is modest and its size is compact.

Maintenance:
Annually, I replace all the o-rings and prop shaft seal, as recommended by the manufacturer. I do this myself, easily.
DiveXtras has fantastic instructional videos on line so anyone can learn this.
I disassemble and clean the propeller assembly every 3 or 4 months as I use it so frequently in salt water.
After each dive, I run the scooter in a basin of fresh water, towel it dry and store it disassembled.

Problems:
Seating the battery takes getting used to, and it's a pain when it comes loose while diving.
I use rubber bands on the "cir-clip" to help it stay in place.
I sand and silicone lubricate the sides of the battery to ease insertion and lock-down.
If sand gets in the trigger rod assembly it can stick. It's easy to blast clean with a hose.


As someone mentioned earlier, use caution before trying a real scooter (one that tows your body by a tow cord and requires only one hand to control and steer it.)
The first taste may be free, but the addiction is a bit pricey.

It's worth every penny.

~~~~
Claudette

(Check out the Tahoe Benchmark research project for information about the actual performance of many models of DPVs)

 

[MitchFtLaud]

I've got a small fleet of DPV's and they are a blast. But to answer any of your questons I'd have to ask you what you had in mind. Not all DPV's are created equal and some are little more than over marketed pool toys. Here is a link I did a while back talking about the pros and cons of some of the common starter DPV's. I've got to say that the more you spend the more you will enjoy it and the more spoiled you will be. My first DPV was a Torpedo 3500 and I thought is was amazing, It's also lame compaired to an Apollo or stock Macko. The low end tech scooters are fairly close in performance with the high end ones being another step up. The Tec models have build quality, depth ratings and run times that far exceed the Apollo and Mako, although once you get to the Apollo/Mako class I think they are good for 95% of what a rec diver will want to do.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-propulsion-vehicles/392653-dpv-new-used-under-1000-a.html

 

[BlackDiamondD]

Anyone ever use one of the scooters made by "Torpedo" (the white one's with the straight grab bars down each side)? How are they?

 

[tstormdiver]

I use a Hollis H-160 DPV.
1. how you currently employ it.- Currently Open Water, soon to be cave.

2. how difficult it is to maintain it.- Keep battery charged & keep O-rings cleaned & lubed.

3. most common problem areas.- Only problem I've ever had is condensation getting into the headlights. I've had to send the headlight assembly back twice. Hollis replaced it immediately.