Are there reliable underwater scooters?

I've found the BladeFish units reliable.

I can't help you on the underwater scooter, but I do have a question. You indicate too much trouble to get the dinghy running and I just found that curious. Is it something about your specific situation? Is there a way you could remedy that, making it easier and getting more use out of your dinghy.

I ask because we made the decision early that we liked to explore and were never going to not launch the dinghy simply because it involved effort. On the other hand we did charter one boat on which the task took an exceptional amount of time and effort. In that case the lift was half the problem as it didn't raise as high as we would have preferred and it's extension really didn't reach as far away from the side as we would have liked. The other half of the problem was the lifting set up of the dinghy left it very poorly balanced and bow high and stern low so to get over you had to balance it by hand. Had we owned that boat we certainly would have changed it.

I've tried the Seadoo Pro, it was Ok for an adult but died after one season.

Amazon.com: Sea Doo Pro Sea Scooter: Sports & Outdoors

I definitely understand now. No way to add a crane to lift it to where you already store it? Do you have a swim platform of any type that could accommodate a lift or mechanism or would that throw your balance too far off? I'm assuming the bridge doesn't have space and/or the other equipment blocks using a crane.

Thanks for your response. I do certainly understand your quest now for the scooter. I had no idea the Bladefish weighed as little as it does until just looking it up. Certainly does look easy to carry a couple of them.

Yeah, reliability is the problem with those toys. I think I'll try one of the Bladefish for this summer, they look much more compact than the Seadoo.

A boat I was on had bought a couple. I used them for a couple of months or so. They still have them and it's been a couple of years now and they are still working fine the last I heard. I could double check with them if you want.

I love them. Good power, easy to deal with size wise and a lot of fun. Turn them around and they also make great fans for blowing away sand and stones when you are hunting for bottles or other treasures.

As with any scooter, you just have to be careful of how fast they can move you up and down the water column.

I have a love hate relationship with these underwater scooters.

They are great fun but also spoil you, and can seriously injure. Using with a snorkel is great fun and as a swimming aid great... with some warnings. But using with scuba takes care or should I say knowledgeable qualified care.

Used as a swimming aid or in free diving you really cannot get into trouble and the fun factor is wonderful if you are in shape. You have to be careful about getting too far to swim back on your own if they break down or run out of charge. If you cannot swim out and back as far as they will go... be very careful... wear some kind of flotation device. Going up and down is usually pretty safe and most recreational swimmers/free divers will find the discomfort limiting. Starting out don't go deeper than 2 meters / 6 feet or less until you get familiar but I would consider absolute deepest you should go is about 7 meters / 20 feet once you are experienced. Kids under 12 should be carefully instructed and if irresponsible... no go. Old people or those out of shape that cannot swim 300m should be darn careful too. If you have trouble swimming 100m its a no go. By swim I mean swim continuous at a good pace...

Used as a scuba diving aid... extreme care and diving proficiency is needed. NEVER if you are not a qualified diver to the limit of recreational diving 40m/130 feet. The US Navy diving tables, even 2008, are not safe if you are not in excellent shape as there are no margins... if you think there are you are foolish. The worse shape or older you are the more dangerous... young kids I would say never allow. These things can result in problems that you would never encounter in human powered diving. And, they borrow trouble due to speed, ease and exhilaration distractions.

I would not use if the water temperature is at all cold enough to fatigue you.

I would say unless you are responsible and very water safe do not use on you own without oversight.

http://www.usu.edu/scuba/navy_manual6.pdf

Wow! I'm going to smash my scooters tomorrow before they kill me!

And then I'm going to burn those Navy tables that I dove by all those times years ago.

Speaking of the so called "130 foot recreational dive limit", some might find this an interesting read.

http://www.oseh.umich.edu/articles/abolish.pdf

Wouldnt the Sea bobs deserve any mention? At least to say how unreliable they are? (No personal experience, I've heard a couple of rants but not experienced first hand)... I hear they are very fun, extremely expensive (fact - at least comparing to sea doos and others mentioned here), but much faster...

We used to have a couple of gas powered scooters. I seemed to be the only one who ever used them, no one else seemed to trust them.

They were ok if treated correctly.

Aqua Scooter - Home

I am a poor one to recommend this brand or that one or this type. Those are personal choices and its up to the user in my book. If you have the interest and desire to own you will find out all that stuff on your own... just not from me... there are better sources. I really do not like to recommend... its like arguing over brands of boat or types... or even national origin of equipment. One never can in business or pleasure really judge by such generalizations because it it limiting... and in business is a money mistake... so you will hardly ever draw me into such where I take sides... don't happen.

The reason for my post being totally on the safety aspects is that the fun factor, ease of use, performance and potential for swimming or diving injury are all great. Why is too often people using them are not really up to the challenges they present went they break down or operators go too far beyond their personal envelope of safety... particularly with people who are not in shape, don't really know how to swim (meaning are water safe to a high level), are not qualified experienced divers, are on vacation to have fun and / or devil make error types.
I don't see any real training or qualifications really as to use like with scuba diving on these things.

Usually the crew learns pretty well because they get to play will the toys and learn the limits... at least that is an important part of the job. The crew needs to be the experts at play time. One might say it is strange to say that but the boat's crew needs to be the caretakers of all the toys for there use and guest instruction/supervision... so they need to know how to use them properly, know the limits and have interest in them. If the crew doesn't it makes the time on the boat for guests limited as to a good or relaxing time.

My personal issue is when I was young I had great physical and mental stamina and did a lot of rather intense things. The world was pretty boundless. But now I still think I can... but know I cannot... and I have to be careful not to let the former overcome the later inclination... in the water for me that can happen easily. I love these things but find myself going too far or doing too much. Example, bobbing up and down the water column (without scuba and just breath holding) can be at the time fun but extremely fatiguing at the end of the day. I know what I am doing most don't. Doing so with scuba is simply beyond me now... and I was at one time a qualified Navy driver long ago for a little while, something I great interest in but found out I did not like... count me basically a skin diver. [The reason for my comments on the dive tables... I had personal friends and colleagues that did the grunt work on those, i.e. the test subjects. Those are based on young highly trained, very smart and in shape men... not some fat butt or smart butt guest who has trouble swimming a short distance or knows nothing really on diving and has not clue to how the body works.]

Most users of these, particularly charter guests can get into real trouble. With charter guests you really have no information on personal guests usually you know them somewhat but maybe not at all to their limitations and long time friends well that is a different matter.

My reply to you was pretty much tongue in cheek. Your safety concerns with underwater scooters are valid. As are your comments about crew needing to be well versed in the safe use and operation of any toys on board that owners and guests may want to play with.

I had a good first hand reminder of that when I tried riding one of the off road Segway x2 we have on the boat for the first time without any instruction. I had never used one before and ended up going ass over tea kettle on it. LOL But they are quite fun once you get the hang of it.

As to the Navy dive tables, I remember being taught that they were built around Navy divers in top physical shape. But I also believe they were built around Navy divers engaged in strenuous activity underwater. And that may have added a built in safety factor for those of us who just used them for low stress recreational diving. The incidents of recreational divers getting bent using the Navy tables even before safety stops came in was pretty low as I recall.

Stay away from the blade fish, we've had them and the batteries do not hold a charge well, there is no service available. We had a charger go bad and could never get a new one. They are coming out with a new model this spring and will take the old ones in trade towards new ones. I would wait.
Now if you have big pockets get the Sea Bob!

Ok... up in the middle of the night... and on the forum... either I am old as dirt of its diving symptom

This is what I am talking about... a few videos... and can be really tiring at the end of the day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbIAwL-iC8k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVspTPcpVZ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmF3Vcclo4g