Underwater diver propellors thingies

[Valiant]

I wanna buy some of those cool underwater propellor things that divers use, anyone know what they are called and a price range?

[numbnuts]

here, but have a look on e-bay, I have one and there great fun
more here

[Valiant]

Are they really that slow? Seem to go about walking pace

[rae]

Price range is from a few hundred quid to several grand.   How deep do you need?   Something that goes to say 60m is going to be big money, however, they can go a lot fast than walking speed.   "Underwater scooter" is the thing to search for.

[Polar Bear]

I think the best swimmers in the world swim a mile in around 16 minutes - quick walking pace.

1500m record from the nineties .   

[numbnuts]

Are they really that slow? Seem to go about walking pace

If they were faster you would miss all there is to see

[Regulator]

You can get these from Ocean Leisure in Northumberland Avenue (under the Arches by Embankment station).

However, I should caution against using these unless you are a qualified diver.  They are not toys.  There have been reported cases of people being killed/seriously hurt using them.  Even experienced divers should get proper training in their use.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Is that because of the potential to get towed very rapidly to lethal depths?

[Regulator]

Is that because of the potential to get towed very rapidly to lethal depths?

In part... but also because they encourage people to go beyond their training/capabilities.

10 or 20 metres aren't dangerous depths for diver - they can be for snorkellers, who hold their breath and don't release on ascent.

[Hot Flatus]

Is that because of the potential to get towed very rapidly to lethal depths?

10 or 20 metres aren't dangerous depths for diver - they can be for snorkellers, who hold their breath and don't release on ascent.

I've done it loads of times and not died yet.  Not exhaling when ascending isn't an issue with snorkelling as the air in your lungs will just expand to the size it was when you first inhaled, unlike taking a lug of air from a regulator (!) and then ascending without exhaling, in which case you'd burst your lungs if you did it from a sufficient dept.

I'd personally not want to bother with those scooters.  They are the sort of thing knobheads would use. (no offence to you intended)

[Regulator]

Is that because of the potential to get towed very rapidly to lethal depths?

10 or 20 metres aren't dangerous depths for diver - they can be for snorkellers, who hold their breath and don't release on ascent.

I've done it loads of times and not died yet.  Not exhaling when ascending isn't an issue with snorkelling as the air in your lungs will just expand to the size it was when you first inhaled, unlike taking a lug of air from a regulator (!) and then ascending without exhaling, in which case you'd burst your lungs if you did it from a sufficient dept.

I'd personally not want to bother with those scooters.  They are the sort of thing knobheads would use. (no offence to you intended)

Actually, those who regularly snorkel at depth will tell you that you should exhale as you ascend.  Although you do not have the same risks as divers breathing compressed air (or mixed gas) failing to exhale on ascent can cause damage to the diaphragm.

I agree with you about the scooters though - they're only really useful for hauling loads (I've used them for taking spare tanks to ascent stages).

[Hot Flatus]

You must wear one hell of a weight belt to get you down 

[Valiant]

I'm not worried about depth, 10m is about what I need. I just need straight line speed and power! Budget of £1.5k.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll go a bit of googling later

[Regulator]

You must wear one hell of a weight belt to get you down 

Only 'cos I is a fat bugger... plus I have a larger than normal lung capacity.  My lung capacity was measured at about 7.2L when I was at college.  Even after 25 years smoking my tidal volume is about 600ml and my vital capacity is about 4L.

[rae]

I think the best swimmers in the world swim a mile in around 16 minutes - quick walking pace. 

It isn't really about speed, it is about minimising exertion.   With a decent pair of fins, I could probably out run the average scooter for 100 meters - but I would have ripped through a tank of air in so doing and totally shafted my saturation calculations. 

They are incredibly useful in situations where you have a respectable distance to travel and/or crap loads of kit to haul.   I've used one once in open water, I think they are more popular with cavers at the like to haul bottles.   I would second the "not a toy" argument, but you'll struggle to really damage yourself if you don't have air with you.  Snorkellers and compressed air don't mix well, seen the pictures, nasty. 

[numbnuts]

this is the one I been using for a few years now and it's great fun for snorkelling and no way does it drag you down as it is slightly buoyant

[Regulator]

this is the one I been using for a few years now and it's great fun for snorkelling and no way does it drag you down as it is slightly buoyant

Sorry - but any web-site that advertises them as suitable for children should be shut down.   

[Adrian]

this is the one I been using for a few years now and it's great fun for snorkelling and no way does it drag you down as it is slightly buoyant

Sorry - but any web-site that advertises them as suitable for children should be shut down.   

You are right. What it should say is "Suitable for James Bond wannabies"

[numbnuts]

Sorry - but any web-site that advertises them as suitable for children should be shut down

so what do you think is wrong with them
and have you used the SAME ONE as I have

[PaulF]

Sorry - but any web-site that advertises them as suitable for children should be shut down

so what do you think is wrong with them
and have you used the SAME ONE as I have

My view is that whilst their rated to 20m they could easily take you much deeper than that. PADI (let's not debate the rights and wrongs of PADI ) guidelines consider any dive deeper than 18m to be a 'deep' dive requiring safety stops, furthermore they only qualify under 16s (from memory) to 12m (again from memory).

In my view any machine that is capable of taking an inexperienced (and I don't believe that generally children have the maturity to be experienced divers) diver rapidly to a depth below which they are qualified or experienced to dive at is a potentially lethal combination.

I've one too many missing diver searches and don't want to add to that number.

[numbnuts]

Sorry, but has any of you actually used one
and I'm not talking about the expensive ones

[Regulator]

Sorry - but any web-site that advertises them as suitable for children should be shut down

so what do you think is wrong with them
and have you used the SAME ONE as I have

My view is that whilst their rated to 20m they could easily take you much deeper than that. PADI (let's not debate the rights and wrongs of PADI ) guidelines consider any dive deeper than 18m to be a 'deep' dive requiring safety stops, furthermore they only qualify under 16s (from memory) to 12m (again from memory).

In my view any machine that is capable of taking an inexperienced (and I don't believe that generally children have the maturity to be experienced divers) diver rapidly to a depth below which they are qualified or experienced to dive at is a potentially lethal combination.

I've one too many missing diver searches and don't want to add to that number.

Couldn't agree more!

(BSAC qualified diver)

[Regulator]

Sorry, but has any of you actually used one
and I'm not talking about the expensive ones

Yes - both the expensive type and the cheap compressed air drive type.

Neither are suitable for children - they are not toys.

[PaulF]

Sorry, but has any of you actually used one
and I'm not talking about the expensive ones

No, but I have enough experience as a diver* to know that, in inexperienced hands, they are not a good idea.

*although probably not as much as Regulator

[numbnuts]

and the cheap compressed air drive type

and who was talking about these???
and when did children come into the argument, I thought "Valiant" was a lot older than that