GEAR TESTS: Pegasus Thruster Scooter Underwater Review

CRISTIAN DIMITRIUS Professional Filmmaker

As an underwater cinematographer, I am always looking for new tools to materialize my ideas and because of that, the Pegasus Thruster is now an essential part of my arsenal. It provides the stability I need for some nice movement shots over the reef and especially when I need to keep up with some fast wildlife like turtles, sharks and blue water fish, where I believe it is almost impossible to get very steady shots when kicking our fins heavily. During the Digital Shootout in Bonaire, I used it for most of my diving and I missed every time I didn't have it with me. It's very easy to assemble and use, and for divers who are always with a camera, like myself, it is perfect! 

The Pegasus Thruster also allows me to cover a larger portion of the reef when looking for new subjects and this also saves air. During one of the dives in Bonaire, I found a young turtle eating in the blue and stayed with her for a long time drifting. When I realized I had to go back to the boat, that was quite far, I only drifted with the Thruster enjoying every moment of this return. Basically, flying above the reef. I got back on the boat safely and was not exhausted to jump back in for a second dive and get more images. It was perfect also on the Hilma Hooker, the biggest wreck in Bonaire, where I could move faster between shots, save air, and increase bottom time at the deepest parts, allowing me more time to dedicate to the shots I wanted. The battery has more than 40 minutes continuous run time so even using every time I needed, and I used a lot, I never needed to exchange batteries between the two morning dives.

There is nothing like this on the market. The Pegasus Thruster has definitely added a lot to my professional repertoire and made my dives much more fun.

ERIN QUIGLEY Owner of Go Ask Erin

I love this thing. It wasn't long after my first dive wearing a Pegasus Thruster that I bought one for my own arsenal. Not only is it an amazingly easy, endlessly fun way to zip around the reef – it's a useful hands-free tool for anyone wanting to cover more ground, reduce fatigue, or keep up with marine life. Even with my giant camera rig, I feel like Supergirl flying through the water, and much like Supergirl, you just point your head and shoulders to control direction. The Pegasus Thruster is hardly noticeable when attached to your tank, but surprisingly powerful for such a small device. A single OFF/ON button controls the propulsion, and the battery life is quite good – running the motor full-on gets you about 45-50 minutes of juice, but it'll easily last for an hour or more when used intermittently. As a big bonus, especially for someone like me who travels with a ton of gear, the Pegasus Thruster is airline-friendly. It uses a NiMH battery and comes with its own customized Pelican case. It's compact, convenient, and just plain cool.