Um... Is That A Technology Solution To A Skills Based Problem I See?

[TMHeimer]

I finally got around to reading some of these posts. Lots of funny ones. It's a weird looking thing. Looks like it's not very much fun and possibly more difficult to maneuver at times than scuba. It's got, like, an astronaut helmet. Just too weird.

 

[Colliam7]

That's one of the most obscene pictures I've ever seen. It's just naaaasty.

Probably not the BEST advertisement for the units.

At the risk of sounding contrary, maybe this is a good way to begin to separate the underwater tourists from divers. The UWTs get a chance to go underwater, check the box on the list, and move on to the next piece of candy in their Whitman Sampler box of 'been there, done that, got the t-shirt' experiences. The potential DIVERS get even more excited by what they see underwater, and actually do decide to pursue dive training, or at least schedule a DSD for the next port stop. This seems more benign than jet skis. And, if they are restricted by the floats, they (presumably) aren't crashing into the reef.

 

[Neilwood]

Probably not the BEST advertisement for the units.

At the risk of sounding contrary, maybe this is a good way to begin to separate the underwater tourists from divers. The UWTs get a chance to go underwater, check the box on the list, and move on to the next piece of candy in their Whitman Sampler box of 'been there, done that, got the t-shirt' experiences. The potential DIVERS get even more excited by what they see underwater, and actually do decide to pursue dive training, or at least schedule a DSD for the next port stop. This seems more benign than jet skis. And, if they are restricted by the floats, they (presumably) aren't crashing into the reef.

Can we restrict some divers with floats to prevent them crashing into the reefs?

 

[KevinNM]

It's OK to have fun. Jet skis are fun too. The one time I rented one I was wondering why they had all this focus on you having the key attached to wrist, then I turned wrong, went flying and had to swim back to it. But it was a blast.

 

[EFX]

What happens if your lower body fell off the scooter and you were dangling by your neck from the helmet?!!! I hope that can't actually happen....

And if you can slip out....going to the surface holding your breath = AGE.

 

[KevinNM]

And if you can slip out....going to the surface holding your breath = AGE.

You could trip crossing the street, bang your head, get a brain bleed and die.

 

[kelemvor]

You could trip crossing the street, bang your head, get a brain bleed and die.

I'd bet the statistics would show this is MUCH more likely than getting injured in the contraption this thread is about. Just as walking on a beach is far more dangerous than using these contraptions. Seriously, falling coconuts cause 150 human deaths every year on average. Watch out for those things!

I'd also bet far more people are injured on SCUBA than these things.

 

[eelnoraa]

The picture is out of context. The truth is they are in about 15-20 ft of water only. There is a huge float linked with rope of cable to the top of this device. The link is about 15ft. So at anytime, it is impossible to go below about 15ft. Also, at all time top side people know exactly where you are. I have dived nearby them, basically on the same boat trip. Knowing how to dive, I prefer to dive. But these are fun and safe

 

[JohnnyC]

There is a huge float linked with rope of cable to the top of this device. The link is about 15ft. So at anytime, it is impossible to go below about 15ft.

I could fix that problem right quick and easy.....

 

[TMHeimer]

The picture is out of context. The truth is they are in about 15-20 ft of water only. There is a huge float linked with rope of cable to the top of this device. The link is about 15ft. So at anytime, it is impossible to go below about 15ft. Also, at all time top side people know exactly where you are. I have dived nearby them, basically on the same boat trip. Knowing how to dive, I prefer to dive. But these are fun and safe

OK. This is about where I do most of my solo shore diving though to maybe 30'+. Don't want to hear of people dying in 20' of water. It's probably more of a rarity that shark attacks (the usual statistics).

Colliam7 makes very good points.
I wouldn't do any of this stuff before or shortly after OW certified. But hey, my wife said "no way"--Klaustraphobia as stated.