Scooter Questions

I have a new Seadoo Explorer coming next week and hope to use it on a wreck. Can someone tell me the best way to rig a harness for using it and also getting it up and down the anchor line when not in use. I've heard different ideas including rigging it to a crotch strap which I don't currently use. Thanks.

It works best to use 1/4" nylon rope looped or attached to each handle to form a harness. That then allows you to operate the scooter with one hand and with little effort. In the event it does not have any means to attach a rope, you can just loop or tie the rope around the base of the handle on each side of the scooter.

The bolt snap on the harness then attaches to a D-ring on a crotch strap. If you use a back plate, a crotch strap is easy to install. The same is true with most BC's with some type of hard pack - if it has a slot for 1 or 2" webbing you are pretty much in business.

The lenght of the harness is easy to adjust using a pursik knot (a larks nead with another wrap.) It slides easily with no load but will hold once a load is applied. The idea is to adjust the lenght so that you have a comfortable extension of your arm to the handle with the scooter in front and just below you. The handle with the trigger will be on top and the scooter will basically be running on it's side.

Ideally you add weight to the scooter so that it is neutrally bouyant. I am pretty sure the Sea Doo Explorer comes with ballast weights. When you neutral bouyancy with the scooter you can keep the scooter attached to the harness when not using it, route the harness through the carry handle on the nose, "hop" over it and tow it behind you above your legs (works better with a frog kick than a flutter kick).

DA Aquamaster:

The lenght of the harness is easy to adjust using a pursik knot (a larks nead with another wrap.) It slides easily with no load but will hold once a load is applied.

Click to expand...

-Prusik- (and "lark's head.") It's easier to google for a picture and directions without the typos.

What you actually want, though, is a line knot called a "taut line hitch," which is what you tie when putting up a tent, on its guidelines. It serves the needed function of sliding easily when not strained, and locking under load. Sadly, the Eagle Scout in me finally realized that those awkwad teen years might have taught me something useful

The bolt snap itself just slides completely free on the loop of the tow cord, which is what I'm sure DA Aquamaster meant to indicate; his photos show it, but he didn't say it explicitly. The taut line hitch knot is strictly to adjust the tow cord length, not to couple the blot snap to the cord, or to the diver.

There's a really good photo set here (Dive Xtras - Makers of the X-Scooter (underwater scuba scooter DPV) - info@dive-xtras.com - 425 493 9600 - Tow Cord) of how to rig a tow cord on a technical quality DPV. You might find it helpful. (You might also find yourself with scooter envy, too, but that's a natural occurrence, and nothing to be alarmed about.)

Bottom line, though - to do it correctly, you must dive with a crotch strap; one-inch widths are okay, but two-inches will be a lot more comfortable and more secure. Crotch straps are very cheap to make -- webbing is available at REI, online http://www.seattlefabrics.com, or through your LDS, and you just need to sew a little and add the triglide/d-ring...or just buy a kit. If you spend more than $5-7 on the strap/hardware if you go the DIY route, you're doing it wrong.

Here is more information on scooters and there are a couple of links on how to build the harness.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-propulsion-vehicles/212540-mako-dpv.html

Camerone:

-Prusik- (and "lark's head.") It's easier to google for a picture and directions without the typos.

What you actually want, though, is a line knot called a "taut line hitch," which is what you tie when putting up a tent, on its guidelines. It serves the needed function of sliding easily when not strained, and locking under load.

Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing out the dyslexic typing. Realizing people have better things to do than double check spelling and grammer in internet posts, I won't comment, on the, exessive use of, commas.

I still differ with you though on the knot you want to use and restate that it makes mores sense to use a prusik knot (although you have to thread it by hand as you are not working with a loop). It offers more than enough friction (and even more friction can be gained if you add yet another wrap) but easily slides either way when pushed or pulled by the barrel making adjustment easier. It is also a very easy knot to dress and there is no doubt about whether it has been properly executed. Perhaps most importantly the friction of the prusik knot is not dependent on how tightly it is tied as it is self adjusting, which is not the case with variants of the rolling hitch like the taut line hitch.

DA Aquamaster:

Thanks for pointing out the dyslexic typing. Realizing people have better things to do than double check spelling and grammer in internet posts, I won't comment, on the, exessive use of, commas.

Click to expand...

Wasn't my intent to critique your typing, but rather to help him google clear step by step directions to tie what he wanted. Not everyone paid attention in the Boy Scouts, rock climbs or mountaineers, or has crewed on a boat. Some of us have, though

I think I put one too many commas in, for what it's worth. I tend to go by an old version of the AP Style Guide, as it's just what I grew up with.

I still differ with you though on the knot you want to use and restate that it makes mores sense to use a prusik knot (although you have to thread it by hand as you are not working with a loop).

Click to expand...

Either will work. If you know neither, however, the prusik may take a slight bit longer to figure out in this case. While it's an easy knot, its primary uses are for things like ascenders, so most instructions have you tie it on a bight.

I find my X Scooter's metal tab-bracket thing actually provides enough friction on the rope that the knot is redundant. The rope simply stays in position. I may enlarge the hole somewhat to make adjustments easier, but it's so low on the priority list that I doubt I'll get there.

The interesting thing here we haven't really discussed is how to attach the rope to the handles. With the Sea Doo, we're discussing modifying the usage of a scooter never engineered to be a serious tow-behind DPV with proper attach points for the tow cord. I'm not sure the flimsy looking plastic handles on the SeaDoo can take the stress of pulling a diver along by a tow cord. You'd also have to make sure that the attach points didn't slide around.

If it were me, I'd just be a bit careful so as not to break the thing by cracking it at the rope attachment points if it you're not sure it can handle the stress.

there is no need to drill out the metal side on your X. I'm not quite sure why this would even come up as an issue to 'solve'. I've dove probably 8-10 different X's, with differing rope and at I DO have to use the slip knot EVERY time. My arms are shorter than my buddies by about a mile, so when we are testing scoots and swap out a quick slide and it's all good. That is also nice thing about standard length tow cord, I "know" how far I need to slide it so can have the adjustment completed almost instantaneously. you only need it on one side. The bolt snap slides over it just fine.

I was a skeptic at first of the knot that comes standard on the X scooter but with more use i really like it. Mainly because when you stop to futz with other stuff, the loop that you threw around the handle (a la gavin style) doesn't decide to come off and have to be redone. I find it inefficient to have to redo something. the knot really just stays put.

If you are replacing your tow cord, all cord is not created equal. You want something 'soft' enough to be able to knot etc... but not so soft that it finds fun in wrapping itself around your trigger for a nice little case of "auto-start' when you reach around to grab said scoot, when you've just let go of it for a min and not actually stowed it w/trigger lock and nose clip.

I would be more concerned about how you are going to comfortably trigger the unit than the tow cord concerns at this point. The handles are designed to be held on to and pull you along in a rather inefficient position, and the seedoo home page shows divers carrying the unit by one handle. I can't see it having a problem with a tow cord if you just loop it around and tie it.

Thanks for the info. and pictures. This is all very helpful.