15 replies to this topic

[TraceMalin]

Jeff (Edmdiver),

I tried to PM you or email you, but since you're a basic member I couldn't. So, I'm posting this here. I just got the DVD for the X-Scooter from Dive X-tras and I can see why you like it. Just from the video one can see the superiority of the single handle and the positioning of the handle and the trigger. I'm going to definitely get one this coming year. How long does it take to bring your battery to a full charge? That will help me decide which body to get.

Trace

[EdmDiver]

Jeff (Edmdiver),

I tried to PM you or email you, but since you're a basic member I couldn't. So, I'm posting this here. I just got the DVD for the X-Scooter from Dive X-tras and I can see why you like it. Just from the video one can see the superiority of the single handle and the positioning of the handle and the trigger. I'm going to definitely get one this coming year. How long does it take to bring your battery to a full charge? That will help me decide which body to get.

Trace

Ummmmm..Not 100% sure. I plug it in at night and unplug it in the morning. The charger works the same as most can light chargers. Does a fast charge until a certain voltage is reached and then finishes off with a trickle charge.

Pick your body for required run-time.

45min Standard
90min Long
135min XL

I have the Standard and the XL Hull. The XL Hull uses 3 batteries (each of which can be used with the standard hull). I have a charger for each battery.

So, if you were looking for a wreck scooter that needed a runtime of < 60mins, but were going to do that dive twice, you might like to get a Standard hull with two batteries (and two chargers). Swap batteries in between dives. That night, recharge both batteries.


I use the XL Hull to do 2 hour dives to an underwater townsite in Lake Minniwanka in Banff Alberta. (In fact, I'm more than likely going to do that dive on Sunday)

Hope that helps.

[TraceMalin]

Jeff (Edmdiver),

I tried to PM you or email you, but since you're a basic member I couldn't. So, I'm posting this here. I just got the DVD for the X-Scooter from Dive X-tras and I can see why you like it. Just from the video one can see the superiority of the single handle and the positioning of the handle and the trigger. I'm going to definitely get one this coming year. How long does it take to bring your battery to a full charge? That will help me decide which body to get.

Trace

Ummmmm..Not 100% sure. I plug it in at night and unplug it in the morning. The charger works the same as most can light chargers. Does a fast charge until a certain voltage is reached and then finishes off with a trickle charge.

Pick your body for required run-time.

45min Standard
90min Long
135min XL

I have the Standard and the XL Hull. The XL Hull uses 3 batteries (each of which can be used with the standard hull). I have a charger for each battery.

So, if you were looking for a wreck scooter that needed a runtime of < 60mins, but were going to do that dive twice, you might like to get a Standard hull with two batteries (and two chargers). Swap batteries in between dives. That night, recharge both batteries.


I use the XL Hull to do 2 hour dives to an underwater townsite in Lake Minniwanka in Banff Alberta. (In fact, I'm more than likely going to do that dive on Sunday)

Hope that helps.

Yeah, it does, That's a good strategy regarding the batteries. I think that the long or x-long will be what I'll need for both cave and wreck diving.

Trace

[VADiver]

Just got back from Lake Rawlings and a couple of the guys had the X- out. I didn't get a chance to play but it looked nice and light. I may go with that one if my buddy didn't bring his short body gavin north for me. If he did I should have a short body in a couple days! Either one will be great, the gavin helps out for the caves, the x- is great for the boat.

I hate these choices...they make my head hurt.

[Diverbrian]

Just got back from Lake Rawlings and a couple of the guys had the X- out. I didn't get a chance to play but it looked nice and light. I may go with that one if my buddy didn't bring his short body gavin north for me. If he did I should have a short body in a couple days! Either one will be great, the gavin helps out for the caves, the x- is great for the boat.

I hate these choices...they make my head hurt.

Wouldn't be hard for me if I were in the market.

I do one whole heck of a lot more boat diving than I do caves.

[ScubaDadMiami]

A buddy of mine is testing out his today for the first time. Waiting to see what he has to say.

[EdmDiver]

the gavin helps out for the caves

Why?

[ScubaDadMiami]

My buddy called after his first sea trial of the X yesterday. Says he loves it. Got about an hour of burn time with some juice left over. However, he was wearing a compace 80 and diving wet. Wonder what it will be like with doubles and deco bottles diving dry.

[EdmDiver]

My buddy called after his first sea trial of the X yesterday. Says he loves it. Got about an hour of burn time with some juice left over. However, he was wearing a compace 80 and diving wet. Wonder what it will be like with doubles and deco bottles diving dry.

Well, I just finished a 75 min dive in 41deg water on a Standard Hull X-Scooter with about 60min of trigger time. If it wasn't a lake and we heading back home, I wouldn't of pushed the batteries so hard. But if they did run out, It would of only been a short swim back.

[sea nmf]

HI-JACK

I thought from the title of this thread that this was going to be a politcal conversation . . . .

[VADiver]

Jeff,
The only reason I said the Gavins are better for a cave is that they are bullet proof and have a proven track record for cave exploration. That being said I don't own one but will be getting a scooter soon. Either way I go (X-, gavin, DR or SS) I can't go wrong...its just that the gavin and SS would be a little harder getting back on the boat. But thats why you tip the crew.

Why did you get rid of the gavin and go with the X- and have you had any trouble diving dry with double 130s and stages/deco bottles?

Vinny

[EdmDiver]

Jeff,
The only reason I said the Gavins are better for a cave is that they are bullet proof and have a proven track record for cave exploration. That being said I don't own one but will be getting a scooter soon. Either way I go (X-, gavin, DR or SS) I can't go wrong...its just that the gavin and SS would be a little harder getting back on the boat. But thats why you tip the crew.

Why did you get rid of the gavin and go with the X- and have you had any trouble diving dry with double 130s and stages/deco bottles?

Vinny

Gavins are good for caves if you are a part of the WKPP, other than that, there's nothing. Bullet proof...Hardly. Now the fact that the X's do not have a track record, I will not deny, but it doesn't change the fact....If you go into a cave with a scooter, you must plan for a failure of that scooter and never go farther than the point of swimming back.....be it Gavin, SS or an X. (If you can't swim out, you better have more than 1 scooter)

I got rid of the Gavin because it was heavy and the handles are a very shitty design. (A throwback from being cheap and re-using every part of a Mako after it was gutted) The learning curve for using a Gavin is greater than any of the other scooters, but truthfully after you have gotten used to it, it would be a good performer.

Having Problems diving Dry with 130's and stages?????? WTF does that have to do with anything? (but no I haven't)

[Diverbrian]

Gee, I dive dry with double 130's and stages myself. No problems here and I swim, not ride.

The way that I understand it is much as Jeff says, don't go anywhere that you don't have a way out. Be it a cave or wreck, if you can't swim out from the turn point or have a back-up to your scooter, you are pretty much gone.

I love the math exercises that they had me do for gas management when I was taking my Technical Diver/Normoxic Tri-mix exam. They demonstrated how fast the world can go to you-know-where in a cave if plans aren't followed. If you slow down your swim pace or increase one diver's breathing rate off of a complete OOG (one diver), you are already marginal to have enough gas to survive using the remaining gas. At that is factoring in the turn pressures so that the diver with the lowest breathing rate (and smaller tanks in many cases) has a more restrictive turn pressure. I would think that loss of a scooter would do both.

Now, I am not trusting my neck on something being bulletproof with those odds. I would think that you would turn at the point where you figure that you have enough gas to get out if you have to swim back or have another scooter somewhere if you insist on going that far into your overhead.

[VADiver]

Having Problems diving Dry with 130's and stages?????? WTF does that have to do with anything? (but no I haven't)

WTF...? I ment having the scooter pull you around in this config, not if you have trouble diving in that config. Jeez...


And by bullet proof I didn't mean to take 1x gavin into a cave where you had to rely on it to get you out. I understand gas management and the fact if you can't swim out then have a backup scooter. I have heard from several people the batteries in the X- can be tempermental and that the older technology in the gavin is more reliable (from what people said). As I don't own one I have to rely on what other say.

Edited by Tolly, 11 April 2006 - 11:31 AM.

[EdmDiver]

WTF...? I ment having the scooter pull you around in this config, not if you have trouble diving in that config. Jeez...


And by bullet proof I didn't mean to take 1x gavin into a cave where you had to rely on it to get you out. I understand gas management and the fact if you can't swim out then have a backup scooter. I have heard from several people the batteries in the X- can be tempermental and that the older technology in the gavin is more reliable (from what people said). As I don't own one I have to rely on what other say.

LOL...Don't take it as a bad WTF...but as a "What in gods name are you talking about? I'm confused" WTF

The Prop size/thrust of the SS/Gavin/X's scooters are all the same (close enough for rock n roll). Any difference in speed between the 3 would have more to do with the diver diving the scooter, not the scooters themselves.

So in this regard, You would not see any difference between scooters and I have scootered with double 130's and a 80 stage with my X with no real problem.

As far as the X-Battery goes, that would be the first time I have heard that. The do have the same quirks during charging that some of the NIMH light chargers have. The "intelligent" chargers under very low voltage situations sometimes get confused of when to switch to trickle charge mode, which sometimes leads to not getting a full charge. I'm not sure if this is the source of the rumor, but I have not seen/heard anything else about the batteries.

Gavin...Old Reliable...LOL. Talk to the guy who bought my scooter or any of his buddies (They are all in Ontario) Ask them about burnt out motors, Broken Reed switches....etc etc