SeaNXT’s Elite is the world’s first carbon-fiber underwater scooter. Elite scooters ($13,000) come in black, blue, green, gold or red, and are driven by twin 4.4-kilowatt electric motors with enclosed propellers. The motors offer four operating modes—Shark, Sport, Cruise and Eco—that deliver top speeds of 11.3 knots. Depending on the mode, the 24-amp-hour lithium-ion battery yields run times of 27 minutes to two-plus hours. The scooters have a 5.5-inch LCD screen for offline navigation and LED bow lights; they also have 6.6 pounds of positive buoyancy, and the modular design allows them to be serviced out in the field.
The biggest challenges faced when creating the Elite scooters were finding the balance among weight, speed and autonomy, as well as blending in technology. The solution required repeated sea trials to ensure that the scooters performed up to expectations.
The Specs
SeaNXT Elite scooters weigh about 50 pounds and can operate at depths down to 130 feet. Elite scooters ship with a 10-amp charger, which has a recharge time of about two hours. However, users can add SeaNXT’s Elite Variable Charger ($845), which has an adjustable output of 1 to 15 amps. For safety, the scooters come with fireproof aluminum cases.
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