Any other opinions on the Sea Doo Seascooter?

[asthar00]

The information about scooters on the web is very limited. I own the yellow SEA DOO sea scooter. For shore diving with the extended battery it is a blast. The standard battery sucks. This scooter will give you 90 minutes of fun. Of course, that is if you use it continuosly for that period of time. In a normal dive, divers stop to check intersting areas or marine life. Therfore, you can spend more time in the water with this scooter.

In a light current it is not very powerful, you will have to use your fins. If you want power go with the Torpedo, Apollo, Voyager etc. On the other hand if you are into cave diving the Gavin will be a nice choice if you can afford it. I am a shore diving guy and to be honest I would not like to have an Apollo or the Torpedo 3000 which will only give me close to 60 minutes of juice. I own the Torpedo 2000 and I can get a lot of juice from the battery up to 80 mins. Besides it is more streamlined than the Apollo.

Before you buy a scooter consider the type of diving you will be doing. If you do a lot of boat diving then the Apollo would be a blast because an hour is enough to enjoy the scooter or the Torpedo 3000. On the other hand, if you do shore dives with the Apollo or Torpedo 3000 make sure you come right back because 60 minutes is not a long time, and this is at the lowest setting.

I have used the Sea Doo and the Torpedo 2000 in the Florida Keys to do shore dives. With these models I can do a one tank dive and have enough juice to go snorkeling. The Aeris or Oceanic Mako claim to have enough juice for 120 minutes. However, with a $2500.00 price tag I would rather buy the Torpedo 2000. I am sure the Aeris /Oceanic is a blast but I refuse to spend that much for shore diving. undefined I find taht one of the drawbacks of scooters is the battery life. I wish this technology could be improved to have a 3 hour battery without getting a second mortgage.

In conclusion, I recommend the Sea Doo sea sooter. I am very happy with mine. (with the extended battery)undefined

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

The information about scooters on the web is very limited. I own the yellow SEA DOO sea scooter. For shore diving with the extended battery it is a blast. The standard battery sucks. This scooter will give you 90 minutes of fun. Of course, that is if you use it continuosly for that period of time. In a normal dive, divers stop to check intersting areas or marine life. Therfore, you can spend more time in the water with this scooter.

In a light current it is not very powerful, you will have to use your fins. If you want power go with the Torpedo, Apollo, Voyager etc. On the other hand if you are into cave diving the Gavin will be a nice choice if you can afford it. I am a shore diving guy and to be honest I would not like to have an Apollo or the Torpedo 3000 which will only give me close to 60 minutes of juice. I own the Torpedo 2000 and I can get a lot of juice from the battery up to 80 mins. Besides it is more streamlined than the Apollo.

Before you buy a scooter consider the type of diving you will be doing. If you do a lot of boat diving then the Apollo would be a blast because an hour is enough to enjoy the scooter or the Torpedo 3000. On the other hand, if you do shore dives with the Apollo or Torpedo 3000 make sure you come right back because 60 minutes is not a long time, and this is at the lowest setting.

I have used the Sea Doo and the Torpedo 2000 in the Florida Keys to do shore dives. With these models I can do a one tank dive and have enough juice to go snorkeling. The Aeris or Oceanic Mako claim to have enough juice for 120 minutes. However, with a $2500.00 price tag I would rather buy the Torpedo 2000. I am sure the Aeris /Oceanic is a blast but I refuse to spend that much for shore diving. undefined I find taht one of the drawbacks of scooters is the battery life. I wish this technology could be improved to have a 3 hour battery without getting a second mortgage.

In conclusion, I recommend the Sea Doo sea sooter. I am very happy with mine. (with the extended battery)undefined

As I see from the website, the only drawback to the yellow one is the 65' depth limit ....... if you're in an area where that's not an issue, it's hard to beat the $399 price I've seen for it. The extended battery is the 11ah one that is standard in the more expensive models. It doesn't last as long in them because it seems the gearing is different and they do have a bit more power.

I'd think if they lasted a couple/three years, you could figure you got your money's worth.

Probably a great way to see if you'll really like scooter diving.


Darlene


Since these things are so new to the market, it will be intersting to see how they hold up over time.

 

[asthar00]

Darlene I found a guy from Maui Hawaii on the net, he has a dive operation there where he uses Apollo scooters. He claims a panasonic battery extends the time in the Apollos, I emailed him and his reply was that he uses a panasonic battery 12V 28 AMP batteries. Do you or someone else has some info on this? I went to panasonic on the web and I found the battery here http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/battery/oem/chem/seal/index.html
This would help a lot of people who have Apollos and have to be exchanging batteries to buy more time. The web site has different models of this batteries. The questions would be: Can we charge them with the Apollo charger? And which model battery should we buy? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

Darlene I found a guy from Maui Hawaii on the net, he has a dive operation there where he uses Apollo scooters. He claims a panasonic battery extends the time in the Apollos, I emailed him and his reply was that he uses a panasonic battery 12V 28 AMP batteries. Do you or someone else has some info on this? I went to panasonic on the web and I found the battery here http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/battery/oem/chem/seal/index.html
This would help a lot of people who have Apollos and have to be exchanging batteries to buy more time. The web site has different models of this batteries. The questions would be: Can we charge them with the Apollo charger? And which model battery should we buy? Any info would be appreciated.

Did he give you an idea of how much increase he was actually getting when *Comparing a New Panasonic* to a *New Brand X* ..... If he replaced aging batteries with new ones (regardless of brand) ... He'd be getting major improvement in burn time just because the batteries were new. Comparing burn times with new batteries to new batteries shouldn't be a great deal different, although there may be some improvement from 1 brand over the other. There is only so much room for energy storage within a given physical size. Newer design should allow for some gains, but for X number of cubic inches of battery size, don't expect vast differences in burn times when comparing the same battery chemestries. (in this case SLA's)

That said: I use the Panasonic 12v/20Ah bateries in an upgraded Tekna (takes 2 in series, as it's the same motor and drive as the Mako) ... I chose the Panasonics because they have a small edge in capacity over the other brands I could research. (look for amps at the 1 hour rate, as that's the best indicator for scooter use) I think the panasonic's edge comes from design change/improvement .. it's a little heavier than the 17 Ah and 18Ah batteries of the same size it replaces.

I routinely get both dives (about 50 mins each before the safety stop) out of the Tekna on a 2 tank boat trip using it at about 80% "on" time. I usually keep the prop pitch at 6 to 7 out of 9 ... that's usually the most efficient setting.

I'd think Panasonic 28Ah would make a fine replacement for the standard battery in the Dacor/Apollo and the original charger should be just fine. I don't recall of the top of my head what connetors the apollo uses, but that should be a small item to deal with.

Good luck,

Darlene

 

[asthar00]

Darlene this is the guy's ad from Hawaii in regards to the Apollo scooters:

Underwater Scooter dives!

"Scooter diving is a blast! I've found longer lasting batteries that give a third more bottom time and much more range than the traditional Apollo scooter batteries. We stay down longer, cover more of the ocean’s floor"

Therfore, the Panasonic batteries will give him a third more bottom time. However, I wrote him an email to find out more info about his new battery and his reply was:

"The slowest speed, three, will give you the most time and longest distance underwater. There is a thermal switch inside the Apollo. If you're using the button constantly going on and off rather than locking it in place, your scooter will heat up and start cutting out. Also, If you want to come out of the water, change batteries and go back in, let the Apollo cool for 30 minutes to an hour before resuming your dive! This will help with the cutting out. I've found that if it cuts out on you out there give it a couple of minutes to cool and you can make your way back in. Cuts out again, let it cool, head back in. etc."


Apparently his referring to the use of the 28 ah panasonic battery, I believe because of the extended capacity of the battery the scooter will overheat if the trigger is used on and off. I called Apollo and they informed me that they have never heard this before. I guess I will have to invest 2 thousand dollars to find out. I want to get me a faster scooter but battery life is a concern. However, if I have to go through all that I would rather stay with my Torpedo.

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

Darlene this is the guy's ad from Hawaii in regards to the Apollo scooters:

Underwater Scooter dives!

"Scooter diving is a blast! I've found longer lasting batteries that give a third more bottom time and much more range than the traditional Apollo scooter batteries. We stay down longer, cover more of the ocean’s floor"

Therfore, the Panasonic batteries will give him a third more bottom time. However, I wrote him an email to find out more info about his new battery and his reply was:

"The slowest speed, three, will give you the most time and longest distance underwater. There is a thermal switch inside the Apollo. If you're using the button constantly going on and off rather than locking it in place, your scooter will heat up and start cutting out. Also, If you want to come out of the water, change batteries and go back in, let the Apollo cool for 30 minutes to an hour before resuming your dive! This will help with the cutting out. I've found that if it cuts out on you out there give it a couple of minutes to cool and you can make your way back in. Cuts out again, let it cool, head back in. etc."


Apparently his referring to the use of the 28 ah panasonic battery, I believe because of the extended capacity of the battery the scooter will overheat if the trigger is used on and off. I called Apollo and they informed me that they have never heard this before. I guess I will have to invest 2 thousand dollars to find out. I want to get me a faster scooter but battery life is a concern. However, if I have to go through all that I would rather stay with my Torpedo.

If you want a better scooter, the entry level of "real scooters" is the Mako, ... about 2 grand if you shop for it, about $2400 retail, and obviously much less used. It's the same *basic* 24v motor the SS and Gavins use. It's the same shroud and prop system as well, 9 speed settings. As I recall it's depth rated to 180' and uses two 12V, 17Ah to 20Ah batteries. For the range and efficiency you gain from a 24 volt scooter, I wouldn't waste money on an Apollo (or any 12V scooter) ... for a bit more you can get a Mako. Your torpedo is about as close to an apollo as you can get .... similar speeds and run times with new batteries. Although torpedo uses a Douglas Guardian battery, rated at 32Ah, it's really only equivalent to a 26Ah at the discharge rate it's used at.

With scooters, like most other things, it's "depth, speed, & runtime, all cost money ...... How deep , fast, long, can you afford to go".

Darlene

 

[asthar00]

Darlene thank you for your information. I am going to stay with my torpedo 2000. The Mako/Voyager is very nice. However, for the kind of diving I do I would rather spend that money to buy me a Zodiac with a nice Mercury outboard. Everybody I talk to about the Apollo is talking about 40 or 50 mins of scootering time, which for me is not enough. Thanks again. I wonder if I could buy a Panasonic battery for my Torpedo and increase time? Take care.

 

[asthar00]

I had a chance to look at one recently on land and the same thing struck me as well about the handles - seems fairly flimsy. I haven't tried one in the water but I wonder how it would hold up....

For the price the sea doo is excellent. So what if the handles are flimsy. That sea doo can tow me a 200 pound guy with full scuba gear and my brother a 325 pound guy. How is that fo flimsy?

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

I had a chance to look at one recently on land and the same thing struck me as well about the handles - seems fairly flimsy. I haven't tried one in the water but I wonder how it would hold up....

That seems to be the common perception when you play with them on land. They are quite flexible, and that seems to be perceived as flimsy. If the scooters were heavier and more powerfull, it would surely be a problem ...... but at 18# you can fling them about with one hand, and the handles seem quite adequate. We may see a redesign in the handle in later production as point of sale and user feedback has time to "kick in". That flexible feeling may well nix some sales as it comes across as flimsy.

When it comes to "bang for the buck" though, ... The little sea doos are top of the heap. ..... You just have to know how much bang you actually need to have ..... don't expect too much bang for short bucks.

Darlene

 

[Warren_L]

For the price the sea doo is excellent. So what if the handles are flimsy. That sea doo can tow me a 200 pound guy with full scuba gear and my brother a 325 pound guy. How is that fo flimsy?

The idea that the handles could snap off and leave me with a long swim back doesn't appeal to me too much. I'm not suggesting that they are bad as I've not used one. My initial perceptions by viewing one dry are probably similar to a lot of potential buyers, who, like me, will see them for the first time dry, on land. So as for "so what?", well, that's what I've been hearing from a lot of people too.