The Scuba Gear Lab

Yamaha 350Li vs TUSA SAV-7: Technical Dive Scooter Comparison

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Choosing between the Yamaha 350Li and the TUSA SAV-7 dive scooter isn't about which one is "better"—it's about which one matches the kind of diving you actually do. This episode breaks down the real performance differences between these two underwater scooters based on 200 dives across wrecks, caves, and open water. We cover depth ratings, battery life, travel weight, build quality, and maintenance costs so you can figure out which scooter is worth your money.

  • The Yamaha 350Li is built for serious technical diving with a 100-meter depth rating and 90 minutes of runtime, but it weighs nearly 10 kilograms—that extra weight adds up fast when you're traveling with dive gear and trying to stay under airline baggage limits.
    • The TUSA SAV-7 is much lighter at just over 6 kilograms and fits in a standard dive bag, making it way easier to travel with, but it's only rated to 60 meters depth and runs for 60 minutes at full speed—perfectly fine for recreational diving but not enough for deep technical work.
      • Battery capacity makes a huge difference in how far you can actually go underwater: the Yamaha's bigger 500 watt-hour battery can cover about 6 to 7 kilometers at cruise speed, while the TUSA's 350 watt-hour battery gets you around 4 to 5 kilometers—and cold water cuts both those ranges by about 20 to 25 percent.
        • Long-term ownership costs add up differently: the Yamaha needs full service every 100 dives at around $200 per service, while the TUSA goes 150 dives between services at about $120 each—over five years that's nearly double the maintenance expense for the Yamaha.
          • Control systems work completely differently between these two: the Yamaha uses a pistol-grip trigger that lets you smoothly adjust speed anywhere from slow to fast, while the TUSA has a thumb lever with five preset speeds—the Yamaha gives you finer control in tight spaces, but the TUSA's preset speeds mean less hand fatigue on long dives.

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            Full article

            Yamaha 350Li Underwater Scooter

            TUSA SAV-7 EVO2 Dive Scooter

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