Scooters & DPVs

Two makes, and why only two

This page is SUEX and Bonex, and that is deliberate. SUEX has been building diver propulsion vehicles since the 1990s and comes at the problem through modularity and electronics. Bonex comes at it through redundancy and carbon. Between them they cover the snorkeller in a warm bay and the cave diver on a long push, and we would rather stock two ranges properly than a shelf full of makes we cannot speak for.

Choosing by the diving you actually do

Recreational, freediving and snorkelling

The SUEX VR Nemo is the entry point of the VR series and is built for recreational divers, freedivers and snorkellers, people who want propulsion without a technical rig to hang it on. The Bonex Aquaprop Travel Scooter is the lightest unit here and is equally at home in the sea, a lake or a pool, which is why swimmers and snorkellers tend to gravitate towards it.

Wreck, cave and technical

The Bonex ECOS Universal Scooter is the wreck diver's pick: light in the hand, easy to manoeuvre in awkward spaces, and with enough motor to help against current. The ECOS S Universal Scooter steps up to a carbon tube, stepless speed regulation and emergency controls with a back-up circuit. Above those sit the Discovery RS and the Infinity RS, both with switchable battery packs and an emergency drive switch that keeps the scooter running if the electronics fail, which is the reason cave divers ask for them by name. From SUEX, the Goldfinder XJ and Goldfinder XK are the long-range, aluminium-bodied options for technical and professional work.

Divers who travel

The SUEX VR Voyager is the one built around airports. Its battery pack complies with IATA UN38.3 so it can travel in cabin luggage, and the unit is sized to be handled on boats and between dives. The Bonex Aquaprop Travel Scooter is the other travel answer, light enough to pack and offered with either NiMH or lithium cells depending on how much run time you want.

What actually separates them

Redundancy

This is the line between a recreational scooter and an expedition one. The Bonex Infinity RS carries four independent lithium-manganese packs that you select manually at the main switch; the Discovery RS carries two. Both add an emergency drive switch on its own circuit, so an electronics fault does not leave you swimming a heavy object home. If you dive overheads or long ranges, this matters more than speed.

Control and data

The SUEX VR series uses an ergonomic handle with an eight-level speed regulator that doubles as the power switch, with SPORT and ECO modes and cruise control for long legs. All three VR models pair with the SUEX Calypso app for battery status, cell health and motor acceleration settings, and carry a Picatinny mount for a torch or camera. The Goldfinder models integrate with the SUEX DRIVe system for dive planning and data, take the PropLock propeller that comes off without tools, and accept the Gemini frame if you need two units coupled together.

Weight and hull

Weight decides whether a scooter actually gets used. The Aquaprop is the lightest here. The ECOS pair sit in the middle, the ECOS Universal in PVC and the ECOS S in carbon. The Discovery RS and Infinity RS use carbon hulls and shrouds, and the Goldfinders are aluminium. Heavier, harder hulls buy you depth capability and durability, and cost you in the car park.

Try one at our lake before you commit

We keep a couple of SUEX DPVs at our lake near Redhill for hire. Book a session, take one in the water, and find out whether you like being towed before you spend anything. Trim, grip and handling are personal, and no description settles it. If you buy a scooter through us afterwards, we will deduct the cost of the hire. Call the team to arrange a slot.

Living with a DPV

A DPV is a battery, a motor and a seal, and it rewards routine. The SUEX VR models charge externally, so you are not opening the hull every time, and the LED indicator shows green in use and red when the battery is low; the Calypso app will show you cell health before a trip rather than after it. The Bonex units ship with their own chargers and include total discharge protection, temperature control and a protective propeller cut-off as standard. Rinse in fresh water, follow the manufacturer's charging guidance, and store the batteries the way the manual tells you to.