Subnado Underwater Scooter, Sea Scooter with Thumb Control for SUP Paddle Board, Pool, Diving & Snorkeling, Compact & Portable Water Scooter for Adults & Kids, Gray/Red

My initial impressions of the Subnado was that it's solidly built and is made of great-quality material. Taking it out of the box, it had a good heft to it and definitely gave a "tech unboxing" vibe over an "outdoor accessory/toy" feeling. Which is a good thing (to me). Bare-bones assembly was pretty straight-forward, as I didn't have any interest in messing with the (many) accessories this comes with just yet. Just snap on the handle and link up the controller connector (wire running out of the handles) to the contacts on the Subnado. There's some greasing that needs to be done, but I'll get into that later. I was pleasantly surprised at the softness and ergonomics of the handle. It felt good to hold and the grip was comfortable. The trigger placement is great too - the trigger itself is just a tad small, but that may be because this is advertised for use by children as well. I briefly switched it on just to make sure it was in working order, and all looked good, so I set it up to charge. Near the back of the Subnado body is a safety label - it has a few good reminders, which I always welcome on consumer-grade tech… especially expensive and potentially risky (self-injury) tech like this Subnado. Warnings/pictorials include a reminder to ensure to turn off the device before servicing (charging) it, the meaning behind a couple of the non-typical battery indicator patterns, and general safety stuff (e.g. not letting long hair get near the propellers). I originally thought this label was meant to come off before use, but it seems it is meant to stay on. A small thing, but worth noting. As mentioned earlier, there's a good amount of accessories included with this, though to be honest, I haven't felt a strong desire to get into them yet. Some nice ones worth noting include the wrist-mount with hand grip (if you wanted to one-arm it and do a 'superman' across the pool), optional tether, and mounting adapter for attaching this to a pool float. So on grease, I felt it necessary to briefly go over its importance: do NOT skip this step or skimp on the application. There's plenty provided to get a good coat on the necessary areas. Coming from an industry that necessitates some level of gasket or O-ring greasing to help with maintaining a proper seal, I cannot stress the importance of it here. To an extent, the grease helps to cover any tiny openings or voids that could allow water in within the gasket or O-rings, but its main reason is to ensure those things do not get sheared out of position during tightening or mounting. Think of how a rubber band would rub between your hands, bare, vs. being coated in a semi-slippery grease. In one, it'll twist in on itself multiple times, and on the other, it'll almost want to stay completely neutral. In short: use the grease; get good seals. There's only two areas (the port cover for the USB-C port and the controller connector interface), so it doesn't take long to do. With this device costing what it does, the last thing you want is water ingress damaging or ruining it. No manufacturer will cover user-inflicted damage, whether due to an accident or simply neglect. On that note, it would have been helpful for Waydoo to provide more grease. The tube provided is a bit small, and would have been ideal if it was larger (think of a Neosporin tube). Because best practice would be to replace the grease on frequent-access areas (like the charge port cover) every time it is removed, at minimum. Still, the tube is at least good for long-term storage, and preferable to those tearable 'grease packets' that I've seen some other brands provide. Now, on usage: I started off using the Subnado in a relatively small swimming pool, and this thing has more than enough power to zip me across quickly. Probably not a great representation of what it can do "full send," but it's the experience I've had with it by this point (~a week in). It's a lot of fun, has a good kick, and so far, pretty good battery life. I've put it through two rounds of use (probably 15-20min each, but closer to maybe 8-10min of actual, continuous runtime) and it's down to 7 of 8 cells on the battery indicator. If it's like any other type of device with a battery indicator, I take this to just mean that it is working on depleting the current cell. So to recap - the build quality is there, a healthy number of accessories are included, and the functionality is great (so far). Time will tell on the long-term durability. The price is a tad steep at the $500 MSRP, but if you can get it on sale for $400 or so, it will sting a little less.

If you are considering spending the 400 bucks or so to get one and are weighing the pros and the cons, let me help you. If you are over 60 and still like doing this stuff, BUY IT! (if you buy direct from Waydoo its only 350 & free FAST shipping & no tax!) Thank me later! I bought these for us in April(I am NOT a free stuff-receiver/reviewer) for a June trip to Jamaica and I wondered "will they pull my 185lbs around and down in the saltwater ocean with the increased buoyancy?" I mean, the 105lb girl is cute but not representative of a man my size, right? The answer was YES, one machine will take you anywhere you want to go and in 3rd gear & that includes going straight down in the ocean if that’s your thing. These 2 Subnado's, one for me and one for my sweetheart made all the difference in the real world choppy conditions off Negril. They were life-changing for me. For her in-shape self, it was fun but I am older w/compromised breathing……I was never out of breath, they made that much of a difference for me. What used to be a test of endurance, became fun again! It’s stupid fun! Wearing two machines( per arm) will turn you into Aquaman! You will get a stupid grin on your face! I promise you, if you are over 50 it won’t go away! My sweetheart also wore both at once and she came up laughing her heart out! Charging them; I bought a $30 charger that will pump out 100W from one USB C port and it gets toasty, now I know why the “double-chargers” really only one have 1 @ full-rate. I used the heck out of it charging both machines multiple times some days…it still works. - Eleanos USB C Charger, 100W 4 Port USB C Charging Station, Charges from empty in less than an hour. ½ refills in 20 minutes. Cool way of charging too so you can see it building…..you’ll see. 1st gear- will tote you around the pool was underpowered for the Ocean so pop into 2nd gear by dbl-tapping the trigger....in 2nd gear a single machine will let you run rings around the rest of the group on the ocean. Triple-tapping the trigger will put it in 3rd gear. In 3rd gear you are a master of direction, pivot and spin on a dime, turn and let it jet you straight down too or outrun Michael Phelps, your call! I also learned that by letting a member or 2 of the crew of the Snorkel boat try it, they let you go off on your own and didn't have to stay "on the rope" when over a reef like the others in the group did (Pro-tip; Never touch or take from any reef, be cool when you do cool stuff)! Machine summary; Great quality build, everyone is impressed by the execution; I own machines, all kinds.....you guys know what I mean....and these are very well-built with a lot more guts than I thought they would have! The specs are evident and the only “risk” is the non-replaceable batteries. I see it this way, if the Battery solution is executed with the same QC the rest of the machine seems to be, this should last for years. If it isn’t and they “shortcutted”, we’ll all find out together. Bad point; The Safety strap is 90% correct but one of the quick-connect round tabs(male side) broke off and was lost while trying to reconnect while using it. Maybe a change in materials? The rest of the safety strap is Excellent, it’s strong, easy to use with the “keeper tab” of material and it’s easy to see. Pro tip; Watch the line between anchor-point and strap, it can reach the prop and get sucked in. Special K There's MORE; Check out the 4x4!

I bought 2 of these scooters, plus the double handle to run both motors at once. This scooter worked great the first couple times i used it. Now, it's complete junk. If I could give 0 stars I would. I want my refund ir my scooters replaced! Ive used my scooter maybe 5 times, and now it wont charge above half full, and the battery only lasts about 3-5 mins at the most, and that's if I run it on the lowest speed. Complete junk! I cant believe I fell for this product. Save yourself the headache. I'm so upset, I have $1500 into this scooter set up and now its wasted. SUBNADO- Please give me my refund! Please!

Gifted to my 11 fish of a son for Christmas, who took it with him to Florida next day. This was plenty light enough for him to use in the pool. It has different speeds to adjust to his comfort. Battery lasted closed to 45 mins and charged with a generic charger quickly. My 9 year old also loved it, but it was too heavy and tricky for my tiny 5 year old. That said, she rode on her brothers backs as they used it and basically had dolphin rides all week. I’d say great for kids, but our larger (225+ lb) relative didn’t cruise terrible fast-more of a leisurely putter. Might need more power if primarily for adult use. Was not too big or fast for a normal backyard pool (a pleasant surprise) and worked equally well on small/large pools and the ocean. Can’t wait to take it snorkeling!

If you intend to use this scooter for snorkeling in the ocean, plan on purchasing two, along with the twin engine handle bracket. I initially purchased one of these scooters, and while it was fun to use in the pool, it was not nearly powerful enough to drag me, a grown man, through the ocean at any speed greater than I could swim myself. Now that I have two, with the dual twin engine handle, I'm able to move with good speed, even against the waves. I'm also able to point the scooter downward and have it pull me under the water and along the bottom. This ability to move effortlessly at speed while submerged is a game-changer for snorkeling. I can get much closer to the coral and fish, and because I'm not actively swimming, I can hold my breath and stay submerged for 30-60 seconds or longer, enough time to feel like I'm part of the environment. This is very different from taking a breath and trying to swim down, an intense aerobic activity that forces your body to use its stored oxygen much faster. Overall, I am pleased with this purchase. Is it worth $1k for two scooters and the necessary hardware? I'm not sure, but it is a blast to use, and definitely enhances snorkeling, allowing you to go faster and see more. A few points of caution when using the scooter to snorkel. First, it is only safe to use this produce when visibility is excellent, and you can see at least 10-20 feet clearly. You do not want to be zooming through the murk and suddenly come into contact with a rock, a boat hull, or someone's legs. Second, it would be very easy, when allowing the scooter to pull you along the bottom, to wind up 40-plus feet deep, without realizing it. If you go deeper than intended, and especially if you use the scooter to shoot back up to the surface, you could give yourself a mild case of the bends. You have to careful to monitor your depth when using this scooter, as it its very easy to lose track. Finally, you need to closely monitor the battery usage by periodically tipping the scooters up and looking at the lights on the front ends. If you run out of battery while far away from shore, you will have to drag the scooter along while swimming with one hand, a dicey proposition for most people, especially in waves or currents.

I don't normally write reviews, but this product deserves one! I am a certified SCUBA diver, but I purchased this more for recreational use and as a birthday present to myself. I have a condo on the Gulf of Mexico that also has a large pool, so I had the opportunity to put it to the test recently. I am 6'2" and weight 190 pounds and this thing propelled me with ease. The pool is 40 yards long and it took me 20 seconds to go from one end to the other, so that equates to 6 feet per second in the high thrust mode. That's enough to put a little pressure strain on your eyes, so I threw on some goggles and it was great! After I got used to controlling the various speeds and "steering' it, I headed out to the Gulf and had some fun coming out of nowhere and startling some swimmers! I even unintentionally drove it thru some seaweed, and it chewed it up nicely. The battery lasts longer than you may want to be using it at a shot, so all good there also. The design and quality of this "scooter" is exceptional. Very solid material and well-engineered, and comes with some fun accessories, like a water canon attachment! It will even "reverse" charge your cell phone and other devices thru its charging port. Lastly, don't think you have to be some SCUBA diver or the like to want this scooter, but rather I bought it to cruise around, do some scooter diving, enjoy the sea life and just to have something different to have fun! Highly recommend it!

Definitely impressed me for it's size. Pros: very small but powerful, good battery life-interment use while snorkeling (scoot around find a jellyfish and just float and watch for a few minutes then move on) the battery will last at least an hr. The "turbo mode" three clicks is very impressive. Cons: really only one. The turbo mode previously mentioned will not engage when the battery is less than 4 bars (approximately 50%) so I was about 100ft from the boat going against the current wanting to get out of the water after a hr and all the 2 click (medium) speed was capable of was keeping me still against the current. High speed would have gotten me there. Still had 3 out of 8 bars of battery life. Just let me use it when I want to use it! If it runs out so be it.

I’m an avid scuba diver, and the Subnado is a game changer. Mounted with the (optional, extra cost) tank bracket, it’s an awesome—and powerful—tool. And fun! BUT, they’ve got an issue with the thumb controllers. I have four Subnados, and the thumb controllers on all of them have failed. The unit itself has a one-year warranty, but the thumb controller’s warranty is only six months. It seems like they haven’t perfected the seal on the controller plug, and despite greasing the o-rings regularly, the little connector pins keep getting green oxidation, and then the controller stops working. It’s just a matter of time. Their warranty service is pretty good (Arts is super friendly and responsive), but lately their auto-reply e-mail says it’ll take some time, since they’re very busy with after-sales warranty work. Probably not a great sign…. In summary, great product with a seeming defect that requires regularly buying $35 replacement controllers. Hopefully they can fix it soon. Seems like they must be aware of it since for the new Subnado Plus, they advertise it as having better waterproof connectors.

The product is fantastic and user-friendly, featuring three speed settings. However, I wish it offered a bit more speed. The charger lasts for about 15 minutes, which is adequate.

Galet stark för att vara så liten orkar dra mig med full dykutrustning på utan några större bekymmer . Jag är väldigt imponerad Batteriet verkar hålla okej men jag har bara kört den i nån halvtimme då det va väldigt kallt i vattnet . Bra att veta är att den kräver en bra batteriladdare /snabb laddare för telefon fungerar fint men vanlig laddare orkade inte fylla batteriet för mig . Rekommenderas starkt

I ordered 2 of these. My wife and I had a blast with them snorkeling in Mexico. We won't be using them again until September, so I am hoping there won't be any issues on our next trip to Mexico.

Je mets une étoile car j’étais très content au debut mais après quelques mois , 6, avec une utilisation très épisodique l as batterie ne tient absolument pas la charge , autonomie divisée par 4

ダイビングに使用したいと思って買いましたが、とりあえずSUPに取り付けてみたら 快適快適 きっかり６０分程度で充電切れ 次回はダイビングに持っていきます たのしみ