The thread to end all "are the ebay scooters good?"

[Mr.X]

As in the same vein as Nemrod ... cheap scooters typically give crummy results. Why waste the bucks if you are serious about diving? If it's a pool toy get the kids a small vinyl raft. The kids can climb on it, puncture holes in and hit each other with paddles all day long. Great bargain for under 20.00 bucks!

Having seen some of the cheaper brands it makes very little sense when some divers here defend their purchases as if they were terrific purchases for divers.

In the end, the adage "you get what you pay for" rings true.

X

 

[pdh]

I've got 5 cheap scooters from ebay (use them to teach DPV specialty), 3 are the twin speed type with a two blade prop rated to 30 metres and 2 are the cheaper single speed type with the 3 blade prop rated to 20 metes. The twin speed versions are a bit faster - equiv of the Seadoo GTI I think as they look identical. However they all work fine and have done quite a few dives and will pull divers in twin sets (2 up if you aren't in a hurry) and they go faster than I can swim for very long. I had to modify the battery compartment on the single speed versions to get the removable cover to fit better as it didn't look like it would seal, even though it actually did. I paid a little more than the cost of one Seadoo for the whole lot and I'm very happy with them.

Paul.

 

[Mr.X]

I've got 5 cheap scooters from ebay (use them to teach DPV specialty), 3 are the twin speed type with a two blade prop rated to 30 metres and 2 are the cheaper single speed type with the 3 blade prop rated to 20 metes. The twin speed versions are a bit faster - equiv of the Seadoo GTI I think as they look identical. However they all work fine and have done quite a few dives and will pull divers in twin sets (2 up if you aren't in a hurry) and they go faster than I can swim for very long. I had to modify the battery compartment on the single speed versions to get the removable cover to fit better as it didn't look like it would seal, even though it actually did. I paid a little more than the cost of one Seadoo for the whole lot and I'm very happy with them.

Paul.

Got pics? I'd be interested to see your mods.

Cheers,

X

 

[pdh]

Not easily as I'd need to pull them apart. The battery holder was about 5mm longer than it should have been so the nose cone was hitting the battery before it pushed down fully. The nose cone had two o rings that pushed into the tapered body and the first one sealed but the second one had a gap.

Basically I removed the battery holder compartment by removing the screws in the bottom (they were covered in sealant) and then took the battery compartment out. The controller is also fitted to the battery holder so you need to remove the motor wires from the board as you remove it. The I cut the three mounting legs off the bottom of the battery holder and put it back in, this moved it further into the body of the scooter and allowed the nose cone to fit better.

Note I only had this problem with the three bladed cheaper units, on the twin speed GTI copies the battery compartment fits properly and is sealed and I can't see how it comes out. These also have a moisture sensor to detect flooding and cut out the motor and protect the controller. On the single speed versions the compartment is not sealed and the controller would get wet in a flood. To tell the difference look at a GTI, you'll notice that the handle is a two part molding and the centre is the same colour as the scooter with black handles on the end and it has two blades. The cheaper units have all black handles, are single speed and three blades. The GTI copies are built better and I guess have been ripped off from the original factory in china or wherever - I can't tell the difference, except they are a fraction of the price. However you are right - you get what you pay for and they are not Gavins, but they do a reasonable job for the money and when they go wrong I can just bin them without worrying about the cost.

Paul.

 

[Nemrod]

I simply do not believe those clones will pull two divers in "twin" sets. Since Ihave used a couple of them they would not even pull me alone in a very streamlined rig much less two divers in twin sets. I think such statments are misleading to those who might now run and purchase these things expecting them to pull two divers. They will not. Even a powerfull scooter like the Tekna with 50 to 75 pounds of thrust works to pull doubles divers. Those units make about 5 to 15 pounds of thrust--MAX. The low setting on the Tekna is 15 pounds thrust approximately.

I would like to see pictures and video of these scooters pulling two "twin" set divers.

N

 

[pdh]

I simply do not believe those clones will pull two divers in "twin" sets. Since Ihave used a couple of them they would not even pull me alone in a very streamlined rig much less two divers in twin sets. I think such statments are misleading to those who might now run and purchase these things expecting them to pull two divers. They will not. Even a powerfull scooter like the Tekna with 50 to 75 pounds of thrust works to pull doubles divers. Those units make about 5 to 15 pounds of thrust--MAX. The low setting on the Tekna is 15 pounds thrust approximately.

I would like to see pictures and video of these scooters pulling two "twin" set divers.

N

Sorry if you don't believe me - I don't have pictures or video underwater but see below - but the first one I bought was one of the GTI copies (200 watt motor and metal gearbox) and it pulled me and my buddy, both in twin sets. Admittedly it was only at a leisurely pace but it did do it for 40 minutes. I always dive a twin set and have used both the twin speed and the single speed with it and they can pull me at faster than a normal relaxed fining pace (which is normally quite slow). Having used my first unit 2 up I have two friends who bought the same unit and I bought 2 more. I then bought 2 of the single speed units. There are NOT Teknas or Gavins or even Torpedos and I'm not recommending them for people who want a serious scooter - nobody should expect to get a serious scooter for less than 100 bucks, but they do work and for messing about they are good fun. It's all about expectations, I assumed for the money they would be crap but was surprised, if you expect a Gavin then you will be very disappointed.

I have a picture of an AOW course - that's me on the right in twin 12 litres, with suit inflation (not exactly that streamlined) - that guy on the left is also in twin 12s and the middle diver is in a single 12. We did 3 circuits of the lake behind us. Mine is the twin speed version and the other two are single speed versions. Nobody felt they were too slow and we certainly covered about double the distance we could have done without them.

http://www.cambridgediveandwatersports.co.uk/training/courseimages/aow-04-07a.jpg

The original post said they were all crap and not worth buying, all I'm saying is what my experiences with them are - I've no reason to lie about it. One last comment, a 200 watt motor is probably more power than the average person can generate for very long without getting very tired underwater, you certainly won't do it for more than a few minutes - 750 watt is one horse power I believe.

Paul.

 

[Mr.X]

Sorry if you don't believe me - I don't have pictures or video underwater but see below - but the first one I bought was one of the GTI copies (200 watt motor and metal gearbox) and it pulled me and my buddy, both in twin sets. Admittedly it was only at a leisurely pace but it did do it for 40 minutes. I always dive a twin set and have used both the twin speed and the single speed with it and they can pull me at faster than a normal relaxed fining pace (which is normally quite slow). Having used my first unit 2 up I have two friends who bought the same unit and I bought 2 more. I then bought 2 of the single speed units. There are NOT Teknas or Gavins or even Torpedos and I'm not recommending them for people who want a serious scooter - nobody should expect to get a serious scooter for less than 100 bucks, but they do work and for messing about they are good fun. It's all about expectations, I assumed for the money they would be crap but was surprised, if you expect a Gavin then you will be very disappointed.

I have a picture of an AOW course - that's me on the right in twin 12 litres, with suit inflation (not exactly that streamlined) - that guy on the left is also in twin 12s and the middle diver is in a single 12. We did 3 circuits of the lake behind us. Mine is the twin speed version and the other two are single speed versions. Nobody felt they were too slow and we certainly covered about double the distance we could have done without them.

http://www.cambridgediveandwatersports.co.uk/training/courseimages/aow-04-07a.jpg

The original post said they were all crap and not worth buying, all I'm saying is what my experiences with them are - I've no reason to lie about it. One last comment, a 200 watt motor is probably more power than the average person can generate for very long without getting very tired underwater, you certainly won't do it for more than a few minutes - 750 watt is one horse power I believe.

Paul.

Thanks for posting the picture. If anything, I guess these types of scooters offer a viable (non-technical) alternatives to the high-end scooters that some of us drive. I might have to experiment with one in the very near future. One advantage (as mentioned) is no one would get too bothered if the thing floods, or goes belly-up!

In the end it's probably "Horses for Courses".

Cheers,

X

 

[JES]

.... The original post said they were all crap and not worth buying, all I'm saying is what my experiences with them are - I've no reason to lie about it. One last comment, a 200 watt motor is probably more power than the average person can generate for very long without getting very tired underwater, you certainly won't do it for more than a few minutes - 750 watt is one horse power I believe.

Paul.

One horsepower = 745.699872 watts

Thank you for sharing your experience with these scooters.

I was wondering, have you used any of the technical DPVs? The reason I ask is that I believe your frame of reference is very important, i.e. is it based upon only using these low-end scooters (and not having anything else to compare them with) or is it based upon actually having used both. :14:

 

[pdh]

Never used anything other than the cheap ebay ones, so you are right - my frame of reference is limited to those. However I've seen the videos of Gavins and X's and they are in a different league. The ebay ones are cheap SeaDoos, nothing more.

Paul.

 

[pdh]

Picture mentioned in post above has now moved

http://www.cambridgediveandwaterspo...ourses-07/16_Advanced_Open_Water_April_07.jpg

Paul.