Diver Propulsion Vehicles, or dive scooters, can turn every dive into an underwater adventure. Long the domain of James Bond and Jacques Cousteau, DPV and Scooters are rapidly gaining acceptance as an essential addition to every dive locker. Whether your dive plan includes exploring a deep wreck or a leisurely cruise along a reef, scooters allow you to maximize every moment you spend beneath the seas.
Out on a coral reef or deep in a cave, a scooter allows you to cover vast amounts of territory- much more than swimming would allow. Not only do you cover more distance, because the scooter is doing the work of swimming for you, you are able to relax and better focus on the environment. You see more, but you also notice more when you are scooter diving. Without the work of kicking, your breathing rate (and gas consumption!) decreases, resulting in longer dives. Reduced stress = a safer dive with more quality time spent enjoying your time underwater. Moderate to strong currents are no match for a scooter like the Submerge or Gavin. Experienced cave divers are able to transport more than eight 80 cf. stage bottles at once using their scooters.
Because you are not exerting yourself at depth, you decrease your odds of decompression-related sickness. While the health and safety benefits of the DPV are apparent when you are diving below 100′ on mixed gas, the reduction of CO2 buildup at any depth means that you emerge from your dive without feeling any of the physiological impact that overexertion can induce. Variable pitch propellers allow you to dial in the speed appropriate to the dive you have planned. Because the scooter attaches with a leash to your crotch-strap D-ring, you are pulled along from the center of your body. The scooter is operated (and steered) by the touch of one finger on the trigger. With experience, you don’t even notice your scooter as it pulls you through the water; it becomes a “natural” extension of your body. You literally feel like you can fly through the water.
In addition to the standard scooter designs, Brownie’s can modify Submerge or Gavin scooters to your specifications to include such features as forward-mounted HID video lighting systems and video camera housings. Such scooters have been used by Global Underwater Explorers to document the Britannic 99 and Bimini Deep Reef exploration projects, as well as by the Woodville Karst Plain Project to document the world record setting dives at Wakulla Springs and in the Leon Sinks geologic area. Such modifications only hint at the DPV’s versatility as a tool for underwater work.
Scooter diving, especially at depths requiring mixed gasses, is an advanced diving skill. You should not attempt scooter diving without proper certification and in-water experience. Just as a scooter can be the heart of any DIR exploration team’s dive plan, proper “Doing it Right” diving skills should always be practiced ensuring safe, productive, and enjoyable diving.