Sea Scooter History

Sea Scooters

• Sea Scooters are a type of diver propulsion vehicle, a piece of equipment known by the acronym DPV. DPVs are designed to assist scuba divers and snorkelers in their pursuits by minimizing the time and physical effort involved in reaching desired dive sites. This swift and effortless transit conserves air by approximately 50 percent during transit, allowing for longer stays at the site. Sea Scooters are designed with positive buoyancy so as to rise to the surface if lost. All are operated from a battery, and all should have a safety cage around the propeller. All models have side-mounted handles so the diver travels in the machine’s slipstream; this is much more efficient than travel in models that locate the diver above the machine.

Types of DPVs

• DPVs unofficially fall into two classes, recreational and expedition. Recreational machines are designed for use in relatively shallow open water, in environments where failure will not precipitate an emergency situation. Expedition-grade DPVs are designed for use in enclosed dive environments or where depths are greater and dive times longer. Sea Scooters fall into the first category.

Background and Development

• The world saw a prototype submersible diver propulsion vehicle in the 1957 Jacques Cousteau film “The Silent World.” As a response to perceived Cold War threats, in 1962 the U.S. Navy experimented with a large, heavy submersible engine-propeller combination called the Arojet. Four were built, but whether they ever saw operational use is unknown. A swimmer propulsion device called Pegasus was first made specifically for U.S. military use in 1963; testing did not impress the Department of Defense.

  By 1965, early recreational units such as the Aqua Lung diver’s scooter had become available, and a decade later the size, shape and operational capacities of the machines still in production today had been fairly well established. SeaDoo entered the DPV marketplace in 2001, aiming to provide the lightest-weight equipment available. Initially marketed with an eye toward the James Bond audience, the Sea Scooter range was never intended for heavy professional or military use. The brand’s appeal soon broadened to the hobbyist and serious scuba diver, and within a decade of introduction the Sea Scooter had evolved into a market leader.

Sea Scooter’s 2012 Model Year

• The VS Supercharged Plus is designed for use in potentially rough environments. The nose cone is heavily reinforced; the machine has two levels of thrust and reaches a maximum 3 mph, at which speed the battery will last for approximately one and a half hours. Its maximum suggested depth is 100 feet. Explorer X is SeaDoo’s top-of-the-line leisure-use offering for the 2012 model year. Its waterproof integrity is ensured by a three-stage seal, and a new-for-the-year pressure valve allows the interior of the machine to depressurize safely as it returns to the surface. It has a three-stage speed control capable of 3.3 mph and performs at that speed for approximately two hours. It is rated for use down to 130 feet. The Aqua Ranger is at the other end of SeaDoo’s scale -- its entry-level model. It is depth rated to 30 feet and cruises at approximately 2.5 mph; expected battery life between charges is one hour. The Sea Scooter Dolphin is designed with children in mind, or for lake and pool use, weighing in at only 12 lb. It will run for one and a half hours of typical use, reaching 2 mph.