With underwater scooters, divers often fall into two camps: they own zero, or they own nine. This isn't just a joke. The "nine-scooter" diver finds them so indispensable they'll stash them at key dive spots to explore massive wrecks in a single tank. This highlights the central debate: are these machines game-changing tools, or are they—as the "zero-scooter" camp implicitly believes—just expensive, high-maintenance burdens? The real question is, how do you determine which camp you'll fall into?

Underwater Scooter Pros: Why Someone Would Own Nine

What transforms a sea scooter from a "high-maintenance burden" into a "game-changing tool" that someone would buy nine of? The answer isn't just "fun." It's a set of powerful, practical advantages that, for the right person, fundamentally alter what's possible on a dive.

1. Drastically Cut Your Air Consumption

This is the single most important benefit for scuba divers. By replacing strenuous finning with a motor, your physical exertion plummets. This directly lowers your air consumption rate (SAC), allowing your tank to last significantly longer and extending your no-decompression bottom time.

2. Combine Two Dive Sites into One Trip

A DPV dramatically expands your effective range. Locations that previously required two separate dives—such as a large shipwreck and a nearby reef system—can often be fully explored on a single tank. This is especially true for shore dives, turning a 300-meter swim to the drop-off from a chore into a two-minute commute.

3. Move Faster with Less Effort

Beyond the simple thrill, a water scooter provides functional speed. You can use a slow, 1 m/s (2.2 mph) cruise setting to carefully scan a reef or shift to a higher gear (like the Sublue Navbow's 2 m/s, or 4.5 mph) to quickly reach your next point of interest, all while barely exerting yourself.

4. Make Diving Accessible to More People

For individuals with limited stamina, poor swimming strength, or physical mobility challenges, a sea scooter is a powerful equalizer. It provides the necessary propulsion to allow them to comfortably and safely participate in underwater exploration with friends and family.

5. Overcome Exhausting Currents

Swimming against even a mild current drains your energy and your air supply at an alarming rate. A scooter provides the constant, reliable thrust needed to cut through moderate currents, helping you stick to your dive plan and return to your exit point without a grueling fight.

Underwater Scooter Cons: Why They're a "Hard Pass" for Some

The benefits are tempting, but they come with significant, real-world trade-offs. These are the practical burdens and new dangers that cause most divers—the "zero-scooter" camp—to hesitate.

1. High Purchase & Battery Costs

A dependable DPV for open-water diving is expensive, often starting well over $1,000. This doesn't include the high cost of its main consumable: the battery. A few years later, a single official replacement battery can be shockingly expensive, sometimes costing as much as a new entry-level scooter.

2. Air Travel Restrictions & Bulk

This is the biggest logistical deal-breaker. Underwater scooters are heavy and awkward to transport (ranging from 4.5kg to over 8.5kg). Worse, their large lithium-ion batteries are banned from passenger aircraft. This forces you to either find a model with smaller, removable, airline-compliant batteries or leave it at home.

3. Finite Runtimes & Dive Planning

Battery life is finite and plummets at high speeds (e.g., dropping from 60 minutes at low speed to just 18 at high). You must plan your dive around your battery, reserving enough power for the return trip and emergencies. When it dies, it becomes a heavy object you have to tow.

4. Rigorous Daily Maintenance

Like a regulator, a sea scooter requires care. It must be thoroughly rinsed with fresh water after every single dive to prevent salt and sand from destroying the seals and motor.

Who Should Actually Buy an Underwater Scooter?

So, how do you know if you'll fall into the "nine-scooter" fanatic camp or the "zero-scooter" regretful one? It depends entirely on your primary needs. Different users require completely different machines.

The Casual Snorkeler / Family

Primary Need: Safe, easy-to-use fun at the surface.
Key Features: A lower price point, strong propeller guards for safety, simple controls (often a single speed), and positive buoyancy so the device floats if you let it go.

The Recreational Diver & Freediver

Primary Need: Efficiently exploring reefs or wrecks within recreational limits.
Key Features: A good depth rating (e.g., 40m / 131ft), near-neutral buoyancy to hover easily, multiple speed settings, and a reliable battery. This is the balanced "all-rounder" category (e.g., Sublue Navbow).

The Underwater Photographer/Videographer

Primary Need: Smooth, stable movement for steady filming, with a free hand.
Key Features: Perfect neutral buoyancy, integrated camera mounts, and a one-hand control option (like the DTC kit) to free up the other hand for camera adjustments.

The High-Performance Enthusiast

Primary Need: Maximum speed and power.
Key Features: A high-thrust motor (e.g., 21kgf / 46lbf), top speeds of 6+ mph, and advanced features like an LCD screen to display speed and battery data (e.g., Sublue Vapor).

The Technical & Cave Diver

Primary Need: Extreme reliability and long-range capability for hazardous environments.
Key Features: "Work-horse" models with robust metal construction, fault-tolerant designs, extra-long runtimes, and swappable high-capacity batteries. For this group, a DPV is critical mission equipment, not a toy.

Settle Your "0 or 9" Debate!

The "worth it" verdict is not universal. A scooter is a powerful tool, but one that demands a real commitment to its cost, travel logistics, and safety training. For the casual user, it's a fun luxury; for the serious diver, it's a game-changer if the benefits outweigh the significant burdens. The "nine-scooter" owner has simply decided that for their specific needs, the trade-off is worth it. The final decision rests on whether you are truly prepared to do the same.

FAQs about Underwater Scooters

Q1: Are Underwater Scooters Worth to Try? 

Yes, absolutely. For the right person, they are a game-changing tool. For serious divers, they extend bottom time and allow you to explore vast areas you could never reach on fins alone. For casual snorkelers, they add an incredible amount of fun and effortless exploration to a day at the beach. While the logistics of owning one are complex, the experience of using one is almost universally seen as worthwhile.

Q2: Do I need special training to use a DPV for scuba diving? 

Yes. While a sea scooter is simple to use for surface snorkeling, using one at depth introduces new risks and requires new skills. You must learn to manage your buoyancy while in motion, avoid a dangerous rapid ascent, and handle potential failures like a runaway motor. A specialty certification course (like PADI's DPV course) is essential for any scuba diver.

Q3: How can I travel on an airplane with my underwater scooter? 

This is the biggest logistical challenge. Most airlines ban large lithium-ion batteries (typically those over 160Wh) in all baggage. Your only option is to purchase a scooter specifically designed for travel, which features smaller, removable batteries (often under 100Wh) that you must carry in your hand luggage. Always check your specific airline's policy before flying.

Q4: What happens if I let go of my scooter underwater? 

It depends entirely on the model's buoyancy. Scooters designed for casual snorkeling usually have positive buoyancy, meaning they will float to the surface. Most advanced DPVs for scuba diving are designed to be neutral or slightly negative at depth. This allows a diver to "park" the scooter (e.g., by clipping it to a D-ring) so it hovers in place, leaving their hands free.