Diving with a motorized underwater tug is a real adventure. Devices of this category give not only a significant gain in speed of movement. During one dive you can see much more than what happens with a standard set of equipment.
A brief excursion into history
The underwater tug was developed in the 60s of the last century. The idea belongs to the Italian military engineers Elios Toski and Theseo Theseo. The first samples of underwater scooters were considered as means that allowed individual soldiers to discreetly approach enemy ships that were on the roadstead or stood at the pier.
Initially, an underwater tug was known by the definition of “slow-speed torpedo”. However, due to insufficiently unstable buoyancy in the water column and difficulties with management, the development was called by the military nothing more than a “pig”.
The prototype was a rather bulky design, which had the form of a torpedo with several crew seats. The latter was delivered to the place where the military operation began on the ship, after which it was submerged under water. The driver and the miner, dressed in wetsuits, mounted on such a craft on horseback, got to an enemy ship, secured explosives on board and committed sabotage. Quite often, the military had to leave such a tug in place and swim to the shore.
What are modern diving towers?
The underwater tug has the appearance of a miniature torpedo. Such a watercraft is driven by an electric motor. At the rear of the structure there is a propeller. On both sides of the housing there are handles. They have buttons for starting and stopping the motor, as well as controllers for changing the speed of movement. Buttons in the form of plates are made, which are convenient to press even if the hands are dressed in rather thick rubber gloves.
How to travel by submarine towing vehicle?
Swimmer puts diving equipment under water. Then it takes a horizontal position and grabs the handles of the device. Next, the engine starts by pressing the appropriate button. The device starts towing a diver. Changing the direction of movement is carried out by traction for all the same handles.
Benefits
What are the benefits of an underwater tug while diving? First of all, the scooter will make it possible to swim for longer distances without the expense of physical strength. Even if there is no desire to move far from the dive point, with such equipment you can see more interesting things on the seabed.
Underwater scooter towing gives you the opportunity to explore large areas. Its use will allow you to find any object of interest in a specific area. In particular, if the object of interest is a sunken ship, the scooter will save a lot of time and effort that will be spent on its inspection.
The diving tug is the perfect solution for people with physical disabilities. If limited opportunities prevent you from swimming freely, an underwater scooter will always come to the rescue, providing movement.
Such diving equipment contributes to a longer stay under water. Due to the lack of physical stress on the body during such swims, oxygen from cylinders is consumed much more slowly.
What dangers await divers that towers use?
There are several potential dangers when operating an underwater scooter. One of the main ones is the risk of decompression sickness during the development of a significant speed in the water column or as a result of too rapid rise from depth to surface.
Another problem is the limited battery power. Having sailed too far, the diver may face the problem of stopping the engine as a result of a lack of energy. At the same time, it will be quite difficult to return back with heavy equipment.
Some modern tugboats are capable of speeds up to 6 km / h. When moving at this pace, the diver can tear off the mask under the influence of oncoming water flows. Therefore, when using an underwater scooter, care must be taken and act judiciously.
Fields of application
Underwater towing can be used both as a useful and entertaining vehicle. Initially, such devices were operated exclusively by professional divers. Currently, they are actively used by the military, who quietly overcome considerable distances with their help, transport ammunition, heavy equipment and large items under water.
For peaceful purposes, underwater scooters are used by archaeologists who conduct work on the seabed. Speleologists who study underwater caves resort to their exploitation.
The popular underwater tugboat sea doo is often used during filming. It enables operators to move heavy equipment, in particular underwater cameras, while maintaining a stable speed.
In the entertainment industry, tugboats are operated by divers. Such equipment allows scuba diving enthusiasts to enjoy diving in the scenic reefs without the need for their own energy.