Big Boys' Toys

[El Orans]

Until last weekend scooters were something that other people used. So, even though I had seen the Dive Xtras scooters at BOOT in January this year, they really weren't interesting to me.



I visited the BTS Demo Days in Geeste, Germany last weekend to do a try-dive with steel doubles (2x12L).

While we were there discussing all kinds of stuff about diving, one of the BtS guys walked up to us and announced that the scooter workshop was about to begin.

Since it wasn't really crowded and we anticipated that we could do the dive later without any problems, we decided that it wouldn't hurt to have a look at the scooters while we we there anyway.

The scooter workshop was given by Thomas (a BtS employee).

He started out by explaining what issues divers had with other brands of scooters and how Dive Xtras had addressed these issues.

He also went into great detail to explain which safety measures were used to prevent the scooters from going off by themselves. Setting the pitch to zero, making sure the trigger is blocked and tethering yourself to the scooter.

Other items that were discussed:

• How to share air while scootering;
• Gas planning and how scooters influence it;
• Maintaining buoyancy while scootering;
• When and why to switch scooters during the dive.

There also was a possibility to try using a scooter yourself as they had lined up four scooters and two guides (Stefan and his brother) to help you use them. It turned out that there were only five divers who wanted to give it a try so we had the chance to take them out for a second dive.

The first thing I noticed that using a scooter is great fun.

Holding the handle was really tiring for my hand at first so I switched from my right hand to my left hand to holding the handle with both hands during the first dive. It was much easier on the second dive.

The vis wasn't that great so during the second dive I lost sight of my buddy. I knew he still was in the area as I could hear the whirring sound of his scooter but I couldn't see him. Luckily that didn't last long.

Make sure you don't go too low or you may have to spend some time cleaning the propeller shaft from all the plants that mysteriously got there...

Buoyancy is another issue. It's quite easy to control it when scootering. However, when the scooter isn't pulling you forward and you didn't adjust your buoyancy, you may find yourself trashing about on the surface with too much air in your drysuit... :blush:

Do I want one? Definitely!
It was so bloody irritating having to swim underwater after we had returned the scooters.

Will I buy one? EUR 5000 (as was quoted) is a bit much for something I don't really need now.

Here are a few pix from the workshop:

 

[luckydays]

Nice write up El. Sounds like you got a lot of info and had a great time as well.

 

[300bar]

The vis wasn't that great so during the second dive I lost sight of my buddy. I knew he still was in the area as I could hear the whirring sound of his scooter but I couldn't see him.

And now you KNOW why I sing/humm during a dive.

btw great writeup.

 

[maged_mmh]

Mares fins (EUR <100) rocks

 

[El Orans]

Nah, I have a perfectly good pair of Turtle fins.

But even they cannot do what we did on the second dive.

At about 8 meters there's a small tunnel constructed out of corrugated iron. It was just so much fun to fly through that, making a sharp turn at the end to fly back through it again. We spent half of the second dive doing just that. :daydreaming:

Like our guide Stefan said, "When they asked me to guide new scooters divers today, my first question was what the privilege would cost me?".

 

[diversteve]

So the only question seems to be if you're going to get one for Zee also...

By next year? Notice where this was shot:

 

[maged_mmh]

El, I have to say although your words make the experience quite appealing; can't see the fun in just cruising without spending time watching critters - maybe it's just me but I judge by analogy to drift diving which I don't enjoy that much..

 

[ben.mcgeever]

Hey, Im glad you have fun.

Thomas actually owns a fair chunk of BTS so he's a lot more than an employee

Which model did you get to try?

 

[D_B]

Dang! look at the size of those things ... did they just re-lable a Mk4 Torpeedo ???

Great fun!

maged mmh .. scooters can be the dive, but the scooters can and are used to do a dive that would be a long haul without them

 

[El Orans]

So the only question seems to be if you're going to get one for El Zee also...

Well, Team Purple needs matching equipment...

Thomas actually owns a fair chunk of BTS so he's a lot more than an employee

My notes were a little fuzzy on that so I just erred on the side of caution.

Which model did you get to try?

This one.

scooters can be the dive, but the scooters can and are used to do a dive that would be a long haul without them

It was also stated that if you need one to do a specific dive then you really need two...