I have the info. I was tired of reading several threads of chit-chat with no real hands-on experience, so i bought one. I have a Sea-Doo RS1. Before this I owned an Explorer X. All my friends that I dive with have the Explorer X. So this will be a comparison of the two. They have been used in 82 degree saltwater with no current. I am a 200 lb diver with a streamlined gear setup, diving a single 80 cuft. It has been taken to a depth of 45 meters.
Performance - The RS1 has plenty of speed and power over the X. I usually run in 1st gear, while the X diver (same gear setup as me) is running in 2nd. The X slowly pulls away. Kick it up to 2nd gear for 20 seconds and I am caught back up again. This prolongs the battery life. It is much more manuverable in the water. I can easily throw it around and change directions. The big problem with the RS1 is the battery life. It just doesn't have the stamina of the lead acid. My friends have gotten 2 - 1 hour dives out of their X, running mostly in 2nd gear for both dives. I can get 1 hour of battery life while in 2nd gear when running continuously, then its exhausted. I haven't tested it yet while running continuously in 1st gear only, but I imagine that is how they get their 90 minutes of run time (as advertised). The LED lights do give an accurate account of how much battery is left. I have found out that if I run till the first light turns off, then stop for 5 minutes, then continue...I will get that 3rd light back for another 10 minutes. I don't fully understand the inner-workings of a LION, but I wonder if it gets too hot causing it to lose power faster. It has a higher pitched whine, but is much quieter than the X.
Out of the water - The light weight is a dream. Everyone with their X is jealous as we walk up the beach during a low tide. Charging it is a breeze. Less chance of a failure as the battery cover is not removed like the X.
Is it worth the $1300 price tag? Eeeeerrr....uummmmm. Depends on the type of diving you do. Long dives, bulky diver, currents, all of these scenarios would make this not the right purchase. It works for me and my type of diving. Not sure if it was worth the $500 extra over the Explorer X.
Any questions, feel free to ask.