Looking to have more fun in the water and enhance your scuba diving experience? Then you should consider using a Yamaha sea scooter. They are a reputable brand known for their high-quality products, and their diver propulsion vehicles are worth checking out. Below, we have reviewed their selection of sea scooters to help you find one that will meet your diving needs.
Our Top Picks:
Top Yamaha Underwater Sea Scooters Review
Yamaha Seal
- YAMAHA SEAL SCOOTER - Designed for family fun in the pool, packs a thrust speed of up to 2mph / 3. 2km/h, rated for 15ft / 4. 6m running depths with a...
- SAFETY FEATURES – Include an auto shutoff, dual-trigger control, caged propeller casing the Seal is a must for every child, or child at heart
- WATERPROOF – Construction, positive buoyancy, meaning the Seal Scooter will float, total weight 12 lbs. Scooter size: 11. 25x 11. 25 x 19 inch
- Max Speed: 2 mph (3.2 km/h)
- Max Depth: 15 ft (5 m)
- Weight: 11.5 lbs (5.4 kg)
- Battery Life: 90 minutes
The Yamaha Seal is a family-friendly scooter that can be even used by children 8 years of age and older. Since it was designed with kids in mind, Yamaha made the Seal compact and lightweight. It is small enough that even a child can easily carry it around, which also means it’s easy to pack in your bags and bring along to a vacation.
That’s not to say that adults can’t use it, however keep in mind that it’s not the most powerful scooter to make it safer for children to use. It can travel at a top speed of 2 mph, which is a safe speed that children can handle.
The Seal even has a fine protective mesh covering around the propeller to keep small fingers, fishing lines, or debris from reaching the sharp blades. Note that long hair can still find its way in, so make sure it is tied up around the propeller.
Should your child accidentally let go of the Seal, thanks to its positive buoyancy, it will simply float by the surface in saltwater. You can also use the Seal in freshwater or in a pool, however it will not be as buoyant. This entry level device boasts a long battery life as well, and at its price, the Seal has plenty to offer.
Yamaha Explorer
- Product Note: Max speed and range per charge vary based on several factors, including: rider weight, riding surface, incline, ambient temperature,...
- YAMAHA EXPLORER SEASCOOTER- This is an entry-level model Sea scooter with cruising at speeds up to 2. 5mph (4km/h) with a depth rating of 30ft (10m)...
- POSITIVE BUOYANCY - The Sea scooter is designed for use in salt water and will have less buoyancy in fresh water and may slowly sink if used in fresh...
- Max Speed: 2.5 mph (4 km/h)
- Max Depth: 33 ft (10 m)
- Weight: 11.5 lbs (5.4 kg)
- Battery Life: 60 minutes
Think of the Yamaha Explorer as the next step up from the Yamaha Seal. It is a great entry-level sea scooter with a top speed of 2.5 mph and a depth rating of 10 m. Like the Seal, it has a durable and compact body that is designed to float in saltwater and be neutrally buoyant in freshwater. It has two speeds which you can adjust to on the fly.
The Explorer uses a lead-acid battery that can provide an hour of playtime during normal use, 20 minutes of continuous use. This scooter also has a camera mount for you to attach your GoPro or underwater camera to.
Safety is a top concern, and the Explorer includes an auto-shutoff feature, a safety grille which keeps fingers and debris away from the propeller, and dual speed triggers. Much like the Seal, the explorer is a fantastic scooter to bring along while traveling due to how light and small it is. Where it falls short is its limited battery life. However, if you use it sparingly, you can still make it last a long time.
Yamaha RDS250
- YAMAHA RDS250 SEASCOOTER – Delivers a perfect balance of run time and speed. Rated to a depth of 100ft (30m) the RDS250 will cruise at speeds up to...
- FEATURING – A run time up to 2 hours and the RDS250 is perfect vehicle for back to back dive days
- WATERPROOF CONSTRUCTION - Prevents accidental flooding is impact resistant heavy duty rubber hull protection
- Max Speed: 2.5 mph (4 km/h)
- Max Depth: 100 ft (30 m)
- Weight: 18 lbs (8.2 kg)
- Battery Life: 120 min
The Yamaha RDS series of sea scooters are designed with recreational users in mind, particularly those in their teenage years and older. This specific model, the RDS250, is the middle child between two products in the same lineup: the RDS300 and RDS200. The way it is named, you would think an increasingly higher number is better, but that is not necessarily the case.
While the RDS300 can reach speeds of 5 km/h, which is slightly faster than the RDS250’s 4 km/h, it only has a 90 minute run time compared to the RDS250’s 120 minute run time. In other words, compared to the higher model, the RDS250 has its tradeoffs. When compared to the RDS200, the 250 is basically better in every way.
Thus, the RDS250 is a solid choice if you want a sea scooter from Yamaha’s RDS line of products. Each model from this lineup offers similar features: a universal camera mount, a removable buoyancy control chamber, speed adjustments, and so on. If you want a good mix of battery duration and speed, then you can’t go wrong with the Yamaha RDS250.
Yamaha 500Li
- Max Speed: 4.35 mph (7 km/h)
- Max Depth: 130 ft (40 m)
- Weight: 21 lbs (9.5 kg)
- Battery Life: 90 min
Unlike the other sea scooters in this review, this one is designed for adults. That’s because it is a heavy-duty and powerful scooter that can even pull an 85kg diver at an incredible speed of 4.35 miles per hour. It also has a depth rating of 130 feet for the most adventurous divers who want to explore deep underwater.
The 500Li can operate at three speeds for more precise control. It has a respectable battery life of 90 minutes before it needs to be recharged. When you release the speed triggers, this scooter will automatically shut down as a precaution. The protective grilles keep fingers and other objects from entering the propeller’s path. You can also attach a GoPro to it using its camera mount.
Unfortunately, you will have to quite literally pay the price for a scooter this powerful. Furthermore, due to its durable construction and powerful motor, it is too bulky and heavy to fit in a carry-on bag for travel. You will have to put it into checked luggage. The battery is a sealed-valve, lead-acid battery that is safe to bring on an airplane.
If you want a powerful sea scooter that can keep up with you no matter what, and you have the budget to afford it, then consider the Yamaha 500Li.
Yamaha Seawing II
- Max Speed: 5 mph (8 km/h)
- Max Depth: 100 ft (30 m)
- Weight: 8 lbs (3.6 kg)
- Battery Life: 40 min
The Yamaha Seawing II is the fastest sea scooter on this list. With its dual motors and propellers, it can reach a maximum speed of 5 miles per hour. The Seawing II is very power hungry; it uses a lithium-ion battery which provides 40 minutes of operation and requires 3 hours to recharge.
Next, the Seawing II can be used at a respectable depth of up to 100 feet, and is neutrally buoyant in saltwater so you do not need to attach any ballasts to it. This device comes with other useful features such as a speed control switch to adjust between low gear and high gear, a battery level indicator, an OLED screen, and a universal camera mount to attach a GoPro to.
What we found very impressive about the Seawing II is how lightweight it is despite how much power it packs. Unlike the Yamaha 500Li which is also quite fast with a 4.35 miles per hour top speed, the Seawing II is faster and weighs only about one-third of the 500Li’s weight. Unfortunately, it seems the compromise was a significantly shorter run time which is only about half of the 500Li’s.
With that said, if you want to go fast underwater and need a scooter that is easy to pack for the flight to your next scuba destination, then the Seawing II is your best bet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are underwater scooters safe for kids to use?
Some, but not all! The Yamaha Seal and Explorer are excellent scooters that are safe for kids to use. In order for a scooter to be safe for kids to use, it must meet certain safety criteria. For one, it should be lightweight enough for them to easily handle. Second, it should not go too fast; speeds of 2 to 2.5 miles per hour is more than adequate.
Third, it should have an automatic shutoff function as well as a protective covering over the propeller that can keep fingers out. Fourth, it should be positively buoyant. The buoyancy will ensure that the scooter will not sink to the bottom if your child loses his/her grip on it; you should not rely on it to keep your child afloat as that is what a personal flotation device is for.
If a scooter meets all of these criteria, then it should be relatively safe for kids to use.
How should I store my Yamaha sea scooter?
Before you store your sea scooter for the offseason, there are a few crucial steps you should follow. First, and you should be doing this after every dive, you must rinse off any salt residue from your Yamaha scooter. Salt and moisture can easily corrode your scooter and cause mold growth.
Make sure you thoroughly clean your scooter with freshwater by cleaning every nook and cranny. If your scooter can be disassembled, doing so makes it easier to clean and store.
Second, after thoroughly drying your scooter, you should make sure the battery is drained from your scooter. Also make sure that you are storing it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Batteries will degrade and possibly leak when they are exposed to heat, especially if they are fully charged.
The next time you take the scooter out from storage, check that the battery has not leaked and remember to fully charge it before you take it out for a dive.
Does my Yamaha scooter come with any warranty?
Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not offer any warranty. With that said, Yamaha claims to stand behind their products. Assuming you purchased it from their website, they state “if your order is not complete, if your product is not suitable, or if your order is not correct in any way”, you have a 30-day window to return your product.
However, you must also meet these criteria:
- The product must be in an unused condition.
- All accessories, tags, and instructions that came in the shipment must be included in the return.
- Products must be shipped back in its original packaging.
Yamaha also states they will not cover the shipping cost for returning the item, and that you can track your return and refund status in your Yamaha account.
On the other hand, if you have purchased your product from Amazon, you also have a 30-day window to return your Yamaha product. Thankfully, Amazon’s return policy is a lot more lenient; for almost any reason they will take your product back so long as it is within the 30-day window. Amazon also covers your shipping cost and they process refunds extremely fast.
With that said, we are disappointed that Yamaha does not offer any warranty for their sea scooter products. If your credit card has extended warranty benefits, then perhaps you can take advantage of that as well. We also recommend you purchase a Yamaha scooter from Amazon to take advantage of their excellent return policy.
Can I buy extra batteries for my Yamaha scooter?
Yes. If you would like to keep the fun going for longer, then you can purchase an additional battery for your Yamaha sea scooter. Due to how power hungry sea scooters are, you may find that your scooter quickly dies on you. Hopefully you are not too deep underwater and are keeping close watch at the battery indicator to ensure this doesn’t happen. By having spare batteries on hand, you can quickly do a swap and continue diving.
How does Yamaha compare to other scooter brands?
Yamaha are well-known for their motorcycle and off-road equipment, but how do their aquatic products fare against the rest? Based on user impressions, the reviews for Yamaha sea scooters are generally favorable. Their entry-level recreational diver series models, particularly the Seal and the Explorer, are well-received as family and kid-friendly products to bring on your next vacation.
Their higher-end sea scooters are also quite good and hold up to similar models from different brands. At the end of the day, there are not many unique differences between what each model can do aside from their performance in terms of speed, depth, and run time.
You can expect most models across all brands to have features like a universal camera mount, automatic shut off when speed triggers are not pressed down, and a battery life indicator. As such, your decision to purchase a Yamaha sea scooter will most likely depend on whether you can get a good price or not. With that said, Yamaha is a reputable company and their products are solid.
Yamaha Sea Scooter Review: Parting Words
Whether you are in the ocean or just swimming around in a pool, underwater scooters are exceptionally fun for both kids and adults. These powerful units are not only fun but they are very practical. You can use them for snorkeling, freediving, and also scuba diving.
The high-end Yamaha underwater scooters can be used over a hundred feet underwater with a battery life of over an hour. You can rely on a scooter to tow you around and get you from point A to B while conserving most of your energy and oxygen.
Yamaha is responsible for manufacturing some popular sea scooters, particularly their entry-level Seal and Explorer models, so that you can have more fun in the water. If you are not sure where to start when searching for a scooter, you can’t go wrong with a Yamaha sea scooter.
Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API