GEAR TESTS: PEGASUS THRUSTER

Chris Millbern 2016 North American Rolex Scholar Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society®

I had a great time using the Pegasus Thruster and I'm pretty sure anyone lucky enough to try one would feel the same.  It sets up quickly and securely, is surprisingly responsive for the size, and within minutes I was literally flying with very simple and intuitive movements.  In addition, there's a certain freedom that exists only with a tank-mounted unit; being able to forget it was there while setting up a good shot was invaluable, and being able to operate the camera with both hands even while travelling was a huge bonus.  The greatest benefit however, is efficiency; covering larger areas in less time meant I could track down the best opportunities at each new location, all while consuming less air than I normally would.  Overall, I highly recommend giving one of these thrusters a try, and look forward to more experiences with them in the future!

Robin Dodd Backscatter Team Member

The Rocketeer. James Bond in Thunderball. Spaceman Spiff from Calvin and Hobbes. Boba Fett, the intergalactic bounty hunter. What do all of these pop culture icons have in common? The answer is a sweet jet pack that allows them to zoom around with ease. The Pegasus Thruster tank-mounted scooter allows you to live out these fantasies and achieve a new level of underwater mobility that is the closest thing I can imagine to zero-G flight. I have never before had such a fun time on a dive than when I was zooming out and over the Bloody Bay Wall, dropping my shoulder to go into a corkscrew, and then zipping back over again while my fellow divers looked on with amazement. I had to keep clearing my mask because my grin was so wide it was compromising the seal!

The Pegasus Thruster only took a minute to install with a simple tank strap, and the control button was just as simple and easy to use. At about 5 pounds negatively buoyant, I only needed to shed a little lead to compensate. After dropping in and checking my surroundings, I gave a push on the single-button control and began to explore. I quickly discovered how intuitively easy it was to steer, simply using my legs and fins as a rudder and adjusting with my upper body to change direction. Once I had the basics of left, right, up, and down covered, the fun really began. There is no other sensation like the freedom of an underwater self-propelled barrel roll and loop-the-loop, all while staying within safety margins and watching my depth and air limits of course.

I can't wait for my next dive with the Pegasus Thruster!

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