Apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment

An apparatus for propelling a person in an underwater environment, comprising:

• (a) a hull assembly for maintaining the apparatus at the desired level of buoyancy, said hull assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• (b) a rotatable shaft assembly rotatably mounted to said hull assembly and extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said rotatable shaft assembly for supporting thruster means;
• (c) said thruster means including a left thruster and a right thruster, each securely attached to a respective end of said rotatable shaft assembly, each of said thrusters being oriented along parallel thruster axes;
• (d) gripping means being securely attached to said rotatable shaft assembly for allowing the person to control the relative angle between said longitudinal axis and said parallel thruster axes;
• (e) arm restraint means securely connected to said hull assembly, said arm restraint means being constructed and arranged so as to allow said person to pass his arms therethrough and to grip said gripping means, thereby allowing the person to control the relative angle of the hull assembly with respect to himself, the wrist action thereof providing control of the relative angle between the longitudinal axis and said parallel thruster axes;
• and
• (f) control means for controlling the power to said thrusters.

An apparatus for propelling a person in an underwater environment, comprising:

• (a) a hull assembly having a central longitudinal axis;
• (b) a rotatable shaft assembly rotatably mounted to said hull assembly, extending substantially perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis, said shaft assembly having a first end and a second end;
• (c) first thruster means and second thruster means, each securely attached to a respective end of said shaft assembly, said thruster means for propelling said apparatus through the water;
• (d) first handling means and second handling means, each connected to said shaft assembly for providing user directed angular positioning of said shaft assembly relative to said hull assembly;
• (e) control means for activating said thruster means;
• and
• (f) first and second arm restraints securely connected to said hull assembly for providing user directed positioning of the direction of said hull assembly.