What types of sites do you use DPVs at?

Hi,

I am intrigued by the idea of dive propulsion vehicles. They look like a lot of fun. I am curious as to what types of locations they are appropriate for. Most of the reef diving I have done has been in the Caribbean (with a little bit in other locations), and I guess that I would worry about getting too close to the coral and doing some damage. I suspect that the people on this board use them on specific types of sites where you want to cover a lot of ground (so to speak), and where they will not harm anything. So where have you used them?

On a related note, are there any dive operators that anyone can recommend that rents them (particularly in the Caribbean, but really any nice destinations are of interest)?

Just curious.

There are a couple of specific situations where DPVs come in handy.

(Aside from the fact that divers enjoy screwing around with them under most any circumstances,...)

In open water DPVs are used at great depths when diving on trimix to reduce the level of diver exertion. While decompression is imperfectly understood, a high level of exertion when diving at extreme depth on mixed gasses is unwise.

When diving in caves, time is limited due to the natural parameters of overhead environments. The diver's allowable time is limited (to whatever extent) by the breathing gas available. DPVs allow the diver to explore deeper into the cave within the allowable time (and simultaneously reduce respiratory rates by reducing exertion). (Of course, if the DPV fails inside the cave, the diver should incorporate planning so as to allow for a safe exit...like other technologies, DPVs also allow you to get into trouble much more quickly...)

When diving in open water from shore entry locations, DPVs can be helpful to allow divers to more quickly access offshore dive sites; reefs, wrecks, other locations of interest - allowing the diver more time at the dive site than would be the case if the diver had to swim out and back. They are also useful when wreck diving off charter boats in regions where there are strong currents. While DPVs certainly add another level of complexity to a dive, they also allow the diver to deal with some adverse circumstances more efficiently. Like most technology, they can either be helpful or a PITA, it all depends on who is using them and for what purpose.

Clearly there are other specialty situations: searching for items within grids, tasks involving covering significant distances while UW, etc. where DPVs would come in handy, but these are more specialized applications than most sport divers encounter.

I know of no dive operators who rent the more expensive DPVs, although there certainly may be some somewhere. While more expensive DPVs are not highly complex items, they nevertheless demand maintenance and care to function properly when you need them. IMHO you would be ill-advised to depend on any rental DPV in an environment where you needed it for anything more than recreational enjoyment.

Best of luck,

Doc

So where have you used them?

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Grand Cayman and Maui. Although pricewise they're about the same as a boat ride, it's a lot more fun!!

The best thing is that your air consumption really decreases when you're not kicking constantly. So you usually run out of battery before air.

On a related note, are there any dive operators that anyone can recommend that rents them (particularly in the Caribbean, but really any nice destinations are of interest)?

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Divetech on Grand Cayman. They have a dive called the West Bay Express, you scooter between their two locations. They follow with a boat overhead in case you need assistance. DiveBVI on Virgin Gorda does also. They teach a PADI DPV specialty course.

On Maui either Maui Dreams Dive Co. or Pacific Dive in Lahaina. We dove old Airport Beach with PD, the DPV's allowed us to get out into deeper water - it's shallow there for a long way. Although we had as much fun tooling around in the shallows the 2nd dive. They rent Apollo's, they're fast enough to tear your mask off if you turn your head running on the highest speed.

The latest fun thing to do with a DPV is Monkey Diving.

Thanks a lot for the information. Maybe I can give them a try.

We use them everywhere. Monterey, Lake Tahoe, boat diving, flying to faraway places for vacation diving. Everywhere.

Here's a 20 minute video, The Endless Scooter.


All the best, James

If i had a DPV i'd never dive without it!
Now... someone lend me some money

Chasing bugs around the jetty on a Seadoo Seascooter

As long as you can get your DPV to your dive spot there really are no restrictions.

edpdiver:

Hi,

I am intrigued by the idea of dive propulsion vehicles. They look like a lot of fun. I am curious as to what types of locations they are appropriate for. Most of the reef diving I have done has been in the Caribbean (with a little bit in other locations), and I guess that I would worry about getting too close to the coral and doing some damage. I suspect that the people on this board use them on specific types of sites where you want to cover a lot of ground (so to speak), and where they will not harm anything. So where have you used them?

On a related note, are there any dive operators that anyone can recommend that rents them (particularly in the Caribbean, but really any nice destinations are of interest)?

Just curious.

Click to expand...

Red Sea Explorers - Home

redseaexplorers.com:

... Scooters and underwater video and imaging equipment makes every dive an exploration. These tools give you the ability to expand your dive and document your experience. We have some of the most sophisticated exploration gear available for you. Our DPVs or scooters are X-scooters from Dive X-tras . We have a total of 4 scooters on board and one of them has the built-in video camera also known as the x-view. ...

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Scooters can be fun . . . We used them to hunt crabs today, and it was a blast. They make getting to dive sites that are long surface swims much easier. We did the Valiant outside the Catalina dive park last Friday. It's a 14 minute surface swim to the drop point without a scooter; it was about four minutes on the trigger with one.

Scooters can also help with current, although one has to be careful about depending on them too much. We circumnavigated Ship Rock off Catalina in one dive, because the scooters allowed us to make the turn around the final point, which we pretty much could not have done kicking because of the current. Scooters can also enliven a dive where you just aren't finding very much -- We did lots of scooterbatics in less rewarding sections of coral on Maui.

Where I don't like the scooters is where the life is small and takes careful, slow diving and good eyes to spot it. But you CAN use a scooter to get to such a place, and then clip it off and kick the actual site. It's just that nobody I know who has a scooter does this. Once you begin to zoom, it seems as though you just continue to do it . . .

All of them.

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Ken