diving from center console

[Nemrod]

No, not all 18/19/20 footers are the same, not at all.

That is a nice looking boat Trickie, what is it and where was that picture taken?

N

 

[Trickie Dickie 99]

No, not all 18/19/20 footers are the same, not at all.

That is a nice looking boat Trickie, what is it and where was that picture taken?

N

To be honest, I've forgotten the make but I think it's manufactured locally here in Tasmania, I know the motor is an Optimax, 115HP, I think. The cockpit on it is huge, like being in the back of an F250, loads of room to chuck your gear around.

The photo was taken at Isle de Phoques off the East Coast of Tasmania, I mentioned it in another post here, it's also where my avatar was taken, all by another member on here :

http://www.scubaboard.com./showthread.php?t=175771

If you look at the GoogleEarth photo below, it's a speck of rock, maybe 500 metres x 200 metres lying between Maria Island and Schouten Island.

 

[reeldive]

We dive 4 comfortably off my Triumph 190Bay cc.. two tank dives 5mi out in <4ft seas. when the small craft advisories are in affect I don't go out!!! but hey one of my dive buddies has a 27ft Baha Crusier "Cuddy" and is limited to 5 divers and about the same seas. He has a 350hp IO drive and I have a 115 yamaha 4s. On the same route he'll burn 20 gal to my 6 gal of fuel, also somthing else to consider.

check it out at http://www.triumphowners.net/photos/showphoto.php/photo/1085/cat/500/ppuser/67

 

[highlandfarmwv]

Our center console has a little door on it, and we keep a portapotty (lined with several kitchen-sized garbage bags with crystal kitty-litter between each one) in it for "emergencies". We've never tried diving off it, but hope to this summer.

 

[Nemrod]

Well, now that the last snows are gone the Whaler emerges from hibernation. It will not fit in and out without pulling the windscreen and console grab rail. Darn that, I would put it down in the shop but I hate it being in the shop in the way and underfoot. Here my wife supervises the operation. The hydrualic muscle comes in handy. Hopefully she will be on the salt in a few weeks.

 

[Waterskier1]

I have owned boats for 30 years, but never dove off one....yet. The main purpose is general boating and waterskiing. I have had 14' runabouts, 16' "go fasts", a 22' Cuddy cabin, and now I have a 20' Open Bow Crownline. I have only once slept overnight (not napped) on a boat, since I have a motorhome. But, I do miss my cuddy cabin. If you ever expect to leave the boat in the water, unattended for any lenght of time (like slipping it overnight, when you are not on board), the cuddy is great to store gear. With my open bow, now I have to take the GPS, and some of the other electronics, along with my ski's and expensive water toys, with me when I leave the boat. And if we get an afternoon shower (often welcome) almost everything is wet. For the security of locking things out of sight and out of the elements, if for no other reason, I would consider a cuddy. The center consoles are great when I patrol, you can easily approach and transfer personnel and gear to/from another vessel, but everything is out in the elements, save a T-Top covering the console. Just something else, not specifically diving related, to consider. I guess most of you pull your boats every night. I often don't, since that means packing up the motorhome from the campsite to make the trip down the launch ramp. In Colorado, we generally have to drive far enough to get to good water, that we don't always return the same day.

 

[Nemrod]

Well, I know it happens but I have never had anything taken from a boat. I have had my camping gear stolen in Wisconsin and I have had my wallet stolen in Florida and my Swiss Army knife in Jamaica and an SLR stolen from my airplane at Oshkosh and on and on--lol. I figure on always having lot's of insurance, if they want it that bad a little cuddy door will not stop them, heck, they will just take the whole boat---lol.

We usually travel a great distance to water also and once the boat goes in it stays for several days to several weeks at a time, slipped or once on a lift at a marina. Once we even left it down in Florida at said marina in dry storage.

I love center consoles, simple, efficient, purposeful. Great for diving, exploring, even fishing--imagine that!! But your right and you make good points, a nice cuddy is a wonderful boat though I don't think we would ever spend much time below deck so it is just wasted space for us--but yes I understand their appeal. We have full canvas, Mills forward shelter, porti potti for the Admiral even. We have been diving off of small boats of various sorts for decades, I cannot imagine owning a boat and not diving from it or having a boat from which diving is not possible. Do divers actually have boats not suited for diving--holy cow?

Eh, Waterskier, I used to ski bunches, do you remember the old Connely Shortline from around 1976ish, I still ski mine behind the Whaler but I also bought one of those jumbo old man skies. I have run four at 38 off on my Connelly at 36 MPH boat speed. I used to barefoot a lot also. The Whaler could do it but I fear I lack the muscle now for that. I have a ski pylon (afeter market) for the Whaler but have not cut it to make it fit yet, I just use the tow bridle--not in competition anymore--so it is good enough for play.

Wife aboard the Whaler Nemrod:

View forward showing Garelick three step ladder stowed and Roll Control tank storage:

Ladder bracket on platform:

N

 

[Nemrod]

Not a center console but a classic speed boat with diver scanned from the cover of Skin Diver before it became a travel journal. People used to dive from their own boats, now they dive from cattle barges.

N

 

[matt_unique]

....I have run four at 38 off on my Connelly at 36 MPH boat speed....

N

4 at 38 off at 36 mph is at the professional level...I competed in the Southern Conference in college and no one was running those numbers....this conference has the best collegiate skiiers in the world. Are you sure on those speeds and line lengths? Were you sponsored and earning a living in competition? I was never anywhere near this....

Dude you're talking Bob LaPoint performance here...either you are full of it, you were pictured in magazines making a living, or you were an undiscovered talent!

--Matt

 

[OceanObsessed]

I have owned both a 20 foot center console and a 20 foot cuddy cabin. I used both boats primarily for diving and fishing. Having owned both for a number of years I prefer the center console over a cuddy cabin because it is roomier and I found it easier get around on the boat. Most of the time I found the cabin to be a waste of space. The only time that I really appreciated having a cuddy cabin were the few times that I slept in the cuddy cabin otherwise I just always used the cabin for gear storage. If you are going to be cruising for fun your guests might appreciate the cuddy cabin because you can have a head down below and a bit of privacy.

In SE Florida if we get in bad weather we just put on foul weather gear and deal with it. I see you are from MA so you might find the cabin more useful than I found it in SE Florida. It really just depends on how you are going to use the boat.