Thinking of Solo with DPV to get to reef?

[MitchFtLaud]

Does anyone have any experience or advice on using a DPV for solo diving.

What I’m thinking about is being able to hit the reefs a distance off of South Florida and have been wrestling on how to get there myself. I’ve ruled out a small light inflatable boat, because I’d have to leave it unattended and either tie it off or tow it from below.

So, what I’ve come up with so far is to get a pair of Torpedo 2500’s in the double mount. Will mount a compass, depth gauge and watch to it for battery management and navigation. This is a setup I can afford and I want a redundant system, I'd love to have a pair of Cuda's but can't coin even a used one. A pair of demo 2500 units should run me about 1500 and I can split them up to dive with a buddy shorter range as well.

check out torpedodpv.com if not familiar with this unit.

Run time is listed as 55min, but with a lead acid battery, it will go for much longer at a slower and slower speed. Two separate units so even if one unit fails I can make it back to shore under power.

Total unit will be about five pounds negative, so easy to float with a bag and tow in a worst case.

With two units it will be quite fast and I’d expect to hit the reef in no more than twenty minutes running even if I go at a 45 degree angle from shore up current so I can drift back to my exit point.

Not sure what to do about a dive flag, I’m fairly sure I don’t want to be dragging one while going to or from the reef, but could inflate and send up a SMB if I want. Might just dangle the DPV off the marker and let it float above me while I drift. I have a Carter 10’ SMB with 50# lift, so the DPV would keep it upright in the water and make it large enough to see. Would put a strobe light on the top of it even during the day for more attention and would rig a section of cord to break between the DPV and SMB just in case a boat tries to drag off the SMB.

So, anyone doing this or thought about it?

 

[Peter_C]

Never scooter further than you can swim!!!

For me I consider my scooter a safety item. I am not going out far, and it gives me a sense of security that I can more easily pull myself back in if I loose a fin, or cramp really badly.

Not sure I would really trust a scooter that is not of decent quality. Sounds like you are planning on going pretty far offshore in current. That is not a dive I would do solo.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I see no problem with the plan. If you are decent in the water, the most dangerous thing by far is getting run over by a boat.

I dive from shore in South Florida and this type of float is EXTREMELY easy to tow due to steamlining (much better than a flag with a float). The hard float is what lifeguards use and has enough bouyancy to support you and a dead scooter for a long swim to shore if that becomes necessary.

I highy recommend this weight and flag option.

MAKO Spearguns - Mako Hawaiian Hard Float

 

[MitchFtLaud]

Never scooter further than you can swim!!!

For me I consider my scooter a safety item. I am not going out far, and it gives me a sense of security that I can more easily pull myself back in if I loose a fin, or cramp really badly.

Not sure I would really trust a scooter that is not of decent quality. Sounds like you are planning on going pretty far offshore in current. That is not a dive I would do solo.

Thanks for the response. The reefs I'm going to run out to are no more than half a mile off the shore. Here is my back yard for an idea of what I'm talking about.

https://www.dixiediver.com/shopping/shopcontent.asp?type=reefdive

These are dives that I'd comfortably swim out to with a buddy, but are farther than I want to do solo.

My basic max dive plan would be a twenty minute ride on a 2mph scooter at 45 degrees from shore. That is about .7 miles total distance, or .5 miles out and .5 miles up current.

I'd start with some of the closer reefs in the 300-500 yard range and if it goes well work my way out, but I don't see towing a scooter half a mile as beyond my limits. We have some nice reefs up close to shore, but visability is much better if you get out a bit further.

Not sure why you say the Torpedo's are not of decent quality. Is this from experience? I've been checking them out and would love to hear from anyone who's had trouble with one, before I make a purchase.

From my resarch I have yet to hear anyone who owns one have issue with their reliality. They seem to be a super simple design and for the money I could get two of them or a single used Mako, but the twin Torpedo's gives me some redundancy and lets me split them for buddy diving. Also, I'd perfer to stick with the lead acid batteries as the oldest and most reliable of the battery technologies.

Anyway, thank you for your wise advice, I'll not go out farther than I can swim, and will put some real world testing into making sure I understand my abilities. I'm guessing the distances off shore is probably short enough some divers here are doing it already with no scooter.

Thanks,

Mitch

 

[MitchFtLaud]

I see no problem with the plan. If you are decent in the water, the most dangerous thing by far is getting run over by a boat.

I dive from shore in South Florida and this type of float is EXTREMELY easy to tow due to steamlining (much better than a flag with a float). The hard float is what lifeguards use and has enough bouyancy to support you and a dead scooter for a long swim to shore if that becomes necessary.

I highy recommend this weight and flag option.

MAKO Spearguns - Mako Hawaiian Hard Float

Thanks, they look very close to the inflatable speargun floats, are they close or is the hard version much better?

 

[DennisS]

I take my Mako to dives on the first reef (20-25 ft) on a regular basis. My float is big enough to hold it up if it floods. The second reef would be doable but the thought of towing a flooded scooter back keeps me from doing it.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Okay, what I do is a little different and requires completely different planning, but I solo scooter in caves on a regular basis. I've been as far back as just under a mile from the entrance on a scooter. Granted, I don't have cross currents or boats to deal with, but I do have a 4800'+ swim if the scooter dies. I bring enough air to swim out from that distance if that happens. If you're dealing with lots of boat traffic, you might consider additional air to get you back to shore under water.

 

[MitchFtLaud]

Okay, what I do is a little different and requires completely different planning, but I solo scooter in caves on a regular basis. I've been as far back as just under a mile from the entrance on a scooter. Granted, I don't have cross currents or boats to deal with, but I do have a 4800'+ swim if the scooter dies. I bring enough air to swim out from that distance if that happens. If you're dealing with lots of boat traffic, you might consider additional air to get you back to shore under water.

Wow, that is way beyond my comfort zone right now, but wow! My solo set up is a HP120 and 19cf pony so without doing much math and assuming less air used going in on a scooter I'm probably good. I could easily bump up to a 30cf or 40cf pony, but I'll be quite heavy walking across the sand as is, so I hope I don't need to. Not sure of what depth I'd be at going in and out at either, I'd try to stay shallow but have to have visability of the bottom so much testing is needed to know what to expect.

I've never put much thought into doing what you are doing, but I would of assumed a towed spare scooter. Thanks for your response, it says alot to what is possible.

 

[MitchFtLaud]

I take my Mako to dives on the first reef (20-25 ft) on a regular basis. My float is big enough to hold it up if it floods. The second reef would be doable but the thought of towing a flooded scooter back keeps me from doing it.

Thank you for your response. Are you drifting your dive once you get there or moving around? Part of the reason I'm planning on the go up current and drift back is the currents are predictable and that makes navigation easy without the risk of ending up close to shore but far off from my exit point. I'm guessing at 20 feet it's easier to pop up to check your bearings, but I was hoping to go to the second reef line and didn't want to have to plan for any surface checks.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Wow, that is way beyond my comfort zone right now, but wow! My solo set up is a HP120 and 19cf pony so without doing much math and assuming less air used going in on a scooter I'm probably good. I could easily bump up to a 30cf or 40cf pony, but I'll be quite heavy walking across the sand as is, so I hope I don't need to. Not sure of what depth I'd be at going in and out at either, I'd try to stay shallow but have to have visability of the bottom so much testing is needed to know what to expect.

I've never put much thought into doing what you are doing, but I would of assumed a towed spare scooter. Thanks for your response, it says alot to what is possible.

Even with a towed scooter, there's no guarantee that it will work, so you have to plan on enough air to swim out. Mechanical things break. Even $6500 scooters!