Underwater Scooter/DPV Review - Which one is for me? - Pegasus Thruster & DiveX Piranha P1

Dive X Piranha P1 Scooter Pro Travel Package

Package Includes

• Piranha P1 DPV
• Power Tool Battery Module
• AirLock Vacuum System
• Deluxe Swivel Camera Mount
• Travel Case
• (POWER TOOL BATTERIES / CHARGER NOT INCLUDED)

Dive Xtras Piranha P-1 Underwater DPV Scooter

The Piranha Concept

The Piranha is the lightest, most powerful, dive scooter Dive-X could build, and to maximize utility for both technical and recreational divers Dive-X has made it modular. With neutrally buoyant battery modules you can build and dive the scooter you need.

Designed and Manufactured in the USA.

New Power Tool Battery

Same size, same power, yet uses power tool batteries available anywhere, and you can travel by air. This battery module allows you to take 4 power tool batteries, install them in the tube to create one large battery and dive the Piranha just like you always have. The module contains a safety circuit that protects each battery from damage and will indicate with LED’s if one pack is bad or not fully charged. Batteries are a common size available worldwide and there is no need to purchase them from Dive Xtras, now or in the future when you need to replace them.

Compatible with 5Ah, 20v (USA only) or 18v batteries that fit the DCB interface.

RECOMMENDED BATTERIES:

The Piranha P1 is compatible with many power tool batteries. We recommend the DeWalt DCB205 20V / 5Ah batteries for maximum performance and safety. We also prefer the DeWalt DCB102 Charger as it will charge two batteries at a time in 95 minutes or less. Note that DeWalt chargers are not multi-voltage. We recommend US customers to purchase a 110v for home use and a 240V version for international travel. Four batteries and a dual charger cost about $450 and are available almost everywhere. Please contact us if you need assistance in locating batteries and chargers.

Tested with the following batteries:

• 4 x Enegitech 20V 5.0Ah Lithium Battery
• 4 x Batteriol 20V 5.0Ah Lithium Battery
• 4 x Dewalt DCB205 (USA) 20v max 5 Ah (Highest Performance In Testing)
• 4 x Dewalt DCB184 18v XR (Highest Performance In Testing)
• Batteries and chargers not supplied.

NOW Air Travel Approved!

Each Lithium power tool battery is within the size limit allowed for Air travel (100 Wh). By following the relevant travel requirements for Lithium batteries you can travel wherever you like with your Piranha and power tool battery.

Add Batteries For More Runtime

The Piranha is designed out of the gate to be modular. With self-contained neutrally buoyant battery packs and a simple cam-strap securing the modular sections you can easily build the scooter you need for the dive. For every battery you add, your run-time increases respectively and your speed and power stay the same.

GoPro Ready

Dive-X has integrated the most popular video system in the world onto the Piranha Dive scooter. Built into the handle is a GoPro mount that can fit both a camera as well as neutrally buoyant gauge mounts. With your GoPro mounted on the scooter, you’ll always have a steady platform to film your dives.

Lightweight Yet Powerful

The Piranha is the lightest DPV on the market weighing only 25lb/11kg. You no longer need an 85lb scooter to get 2 hours of run time. It’s easy to carry, too with the integrated carry handle. Nothing could be easier.

New Propeller, with “Line Trap”

The Piranha dive scooter has an all-new propeller, Dive-X kept the efficient blades from the CUDA, but removed all the complex pitch adjustment and clutch mechanism, and replaced it with a solid one-piece design. To cope with monofilament fishing line Dive-X built in a line trap that captures the line in a groove at the base of the propeller for easy removal, preventing it reaching the seals, and you have to remove the propeller.

Neutral Buoyancy out of the box

The Piranha DPV is designed to be ready to dive in a neutrally buoyant configuration for both fresh and saltwater, right out of the box. To achieve this, each module is pre-weighted at the factory with lead shot for fresh water, and three stainless steel weight plates are installed with thumbscrews for saltwater. Each weight plate corresponds to a module of the complete DPV (019-7003 – Nose, 019-12009 – Tail, and 019-12010 – Battery). All Piranhas are shipped from the factory with all three weight plates installed, however, please note that both the Battery and Tail weight plate is installed on the battery module. When diving the Piranha in a P2 or larger configuration in saltwater, simply leave both the Tail and Battery weight plate installed on the battery module closest to the tail, and remove the larger Tail weight plate from each subsequent battery module while leaving the smaller Battery weight plate installed on them. To configure for freshwater, remove all of the stainless steel weight plates from the DPV and reinstall the thumbscrews for safekeeping.

Programmable Electronics

All Piranha scooters are fitted with programmable electronics, allowing you to fully customize the number of gears, the speed of each gear, the start gear and the acceleration ramp. Also included is a data-logger that allows you to capture all your key electronics data like power consumption on an actual dive. To unlock these features you will need the optional programming interface and a windows computer.

Ergonomic Handle And Trigger

To make the Piranha dive scooter better than everything else Dive-X looked outside the industry for inspiration. Leveraging the huge R&D effort the bicycle industry has put in over the years Dive-X created a design based on an ergonomic bike grip with a trigger that emulates a gear shift. The handle is standard to fit most diver grips and the trigger is reversible to suit different trigger finger lengths.

Smooth & Quiet Belt Drive

To give you the best possible power and efficiency the 2016 Piranha dive scooter uses a Gates belt drive for optimum performance. Quieter and smoother than traditional gears Gates belt drives are great

Specification

• Depth Rating: 600ft; 180m
• Weight: 24.6lbs; 11kg
• Thrust: 63lbs;29kg
• Max Speed: 233ft/min; 71m/min
• Range at Max Speed/Max Drag: 1.9 miles; 3km
• Run Time at Max Speed/Max Drag: 50 min
• Cruise Range (150ft/min; 45m/min): 3.4 miles; 5.6km
• Run Time at Cruise Speed: 150 min
• Battery Specifications:
• Battery Chemistry: Lithium
• Battery Voltage: 36v from (2S2P) 4 x Power tool batteries, individually 20v Max (USA) 18v
• Battery Capacity: 400Wh 10Ah from (2S2P) 4 x Power tool batteries, individually 100Wh 5Ah
• Charger: See Power Tool Battery Charger: Typically 110/240V
• Charge Time: See Power Tool Battery Charger: Typically 1-3 hours

Dive Xtras Smart Slice

All The Features

Dive-X combined all the features people have asked for over the years, and created the Smart Slice….

• Fuel Gauge, How much battery have you used
• Vacuum Leak Detector
• 12v Power Outlet
• Emergency Cutoff
• Compatable with all Piranha scooters.
• Depth rated to 600ft, 180m

Fuel Gauge

The fuel gauge measures how much energy you have used on your dive in Amp Hours (Ah). During the dive, you can use this number to monitor how much battery you have. The system is comparable with all Piranha batteries. For example, a new P1 has approx. 10Ah of battery capacity, if you dive and the fuel gauge displays 5Ah, you know you have consumed approximately half your battery. The gauge allows you to monitor the capacity of your batteries as they age. If you want to measure exactly how much battery capacity you have, you can simply dive until the battery is exhausted, and record the final number.

Vacuum Leak Detector

The leak detector system consists of a quick release vacuum fitting, a pump, and an electronic pressure monitor. Before the dive, you can use the pump to suck a vacuum on the scooter. The level of vacuum is indicated on the display unit by the bar along the bottom. When the bar has stopped flashing and has extended all the way to the right, the vacuum level is approx. 5in Hg. If you see no deterioration in the vacuum after ten min, which would be indicated by the bar dropping and flashing, you can safely assume your scooter is leak tight and go diving.

12v Power Outlet

A standard EO connection provides 12v DC power, 50w max. This power can be used for lights, suit heaters or any other application that uses 12v. The EO plug is live at all times so you will want to keep the connector covered at all times. It is supplied with a dummy plug for this purpose.

Emergency Cuttoff

The emergency cutoff is for those rare situations where you want to kill the scooter. Pulling the red marked plug will disconnect all power to the scooter motor and electronics, stopping it instantly.

The plug has a tether to prevent accidental loss.