Dive Xtras is a manufacturer of diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) or dive scooters in Mukilteo, Washington, United States.
Established in 2003 by Ben McGeever and Andrew Georgitsis, Dive Xtras introduced their first DPV in 2005.[1] This DPV was innovative in that it was the first to utilize a brushless motor and electronic speed control. The combination of these features with NiMh battery technology drastically reduced the weight of DPVs at the time.[2][3][4]
In 2017, Dive Xtras introduced the use of Li-ion power tool batteries (PTBs) for their Piranha line,[5] which became standard for their later BlackTip and CudaX scooters.
On December 15, 2011 Dive Xtras filed a patent for a "Device for Operating Touch Screen Devices in a Protective Housing." On March 20, 2012 Dive Xtras announced on their website a depth rated underwater housing for a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus. The housing gives the user full operation of the tablet underwater by using a mouse-like device to interact with a touch screen.
Dive Xtras DPVs are used by various military forces around the world to aid in various maritime interdiction tasks.[6] In addition to the units sold into Canada, various South East Asian navies currently use a modified version of the Dive Xtras CUDA. Military products are primarily distributed by Divex Asia Pacific in southeast Asia.
The product development arm of Dive Xtras, Claroworks, designed and built the camera systems used by the Catlin Seaview Survey[12] and Google to map the Galápagos Islands.[13][14] The camera system, Seaview SVII, shoots 360-degree images, and is mounted on a modified Cuda 650 vehicle. The Seaview SVII also uses Dive Xtras tablet housing for controls.
