diving from center console

[Waterskier1]

I don't know how you all dive from your boats. Or, for that matter, how you boat. If you plan on routinely leaving the boat in the water, unattended overnight, I think a cuddy is the way to go. Otherwise, you'll have to carry all your dive equipment, less you tanks, up the ramp to your car/truck to wherever you are staying and then back down and out to the boat the next morning. Granted, it is not difficult to break into a cuddy. But, few are going to try, and someone is likely to notice, whereas simply snatching a BCD, Mask or computer would be realitavely each to do when it's just sitting out in the open. Manuvering around a cuddy is usually not as easy, but do you need to do that? When I'm patrolling, and coming along side someone, it is nice, but when I'm boating/waterskiing, I have no reason to. The only time is docking. And, the cuddy is a place you can keep things either out of the sun (coolers, snacks, towells) and out of the rain.

 

[Tom Winters]

I like those helm chairs on the Whaler. I have a leaning post on my Century that is ungodly uncomfortable. When I get some time, I'm putting in decent seats and a tank bench right behind them.
When I configured my Hawaii boat for charters, I took out seating for the captain since I didn't want the crew on their cans while I had guests to take care of. Then I started doing Molokai-Oahu canoe escort runs and got to stand for 20 hours at a time. I really started to hate the paddling stuff after a while even though I got $500 a run.

 

[Nemrod]

Tom, I don't either like them and those are not OEM Whaler chairs, I think I got the from Boaters World, not sure I remember. I have the OEM leaning post but only use it in saltwater. The chairs are nice to sit in while lake boating. I got a large marine bean bag for my elderly father, he cannot stand for long and he cannot sit in the chairs either on rough water, the bean bag supports his back. Still, my dad prefers the chairs so whenever I bring them along with me the chairs are in place. Afterall, when I was a child he took me fishing and now it is payback, I take him and he skippers the boat while I dive.

Leaning posts are far superior to chairs on a saltwater boat--yes--I agree fully.

Waterskier--I hear you but just not had that problem. We carry our personal gear we cannot lock in the console and as to tanks, I leave them on the boat, if they steal them I will buy more. If it is my vintage tanks I will take them to the room or campsite or whatever since they cannot be replaced. The house we rented this summer in Florida for example has a slip by the house.

The CG El Diablo is from circa 1966ish and it is the slalom I got "good" on. The CG Big Monster has a custom concave bottom and is sanded to give grip. The Connely Shortline was my favorite, fast and light, it was great to helicopter. I had a Connely Hook before the Shortline, have no idea where it went off to. The picture was taken by an ex girlfriend type, I have just rounded a bouy on shortline (on the Connely Shortline, circa 1976ish) and I am pulling hard.


Ol'Nemrod 31 years later.

N <---Hotdogger

 

[Sandbar]

Tom, I don't either like them and those are not OEM Whaler chairs, I think I got the from Boaters World, not sure I remember. I have the OEM leaning post but only use it in saltwater. The chairs are nice to sit in while lake boating. I got a large marine bean bag for my elderly father, he cannot stand for long and he cannot sit in the chairs either on rough water, the bean bag supports his back. Still, my dad prefers the chairs so whenever I bring them along with me the chairs are in place. Afterall, when I was a child he took me fishing and now it is payback, I take him and he skippers the boat while I dive.

Leaning posts are far superior to chairs on a saltwater boat--yes--I agree fully.

Waterskier--I hear you but just not had that problem. We carry our personal gear we cannot lock in the console and as to tanks, I leave them on the boat, if they steal them I will buy more. If it is my vintage tanks I will take them to the room or campsite or whatever since they cannot be replaced. The house we rented this summer in Florida for example has a slip by the house.

The CG El Diablo is from circa 1966ish and it is the slalom I got "good" on. The CG Big Monster has a custom concave bottom and is sanded to give grip. The Connely Shortline was my favorite, fast and light, it was great to helicopter. I had a Connely Hook before the Shortline, have no idea where it went off to. The picture was taken by an ex girlfriend type, I have just rounded a bouy on shortline (on the Connely Shortline, circa 1976ish) and I am pulling hard.


Ol'Nemrod 31 years later.

N <---Hotdogger

I learned to slolemn on an El Diablo exactly like the one in your picture about 25 years ago. Thanks for the memories!

 

[Sandbar]

I fish and dive, so the CC is the perfect compromise. If I was buying a 20' boat just to dive, I would go with a cabin or a DC. Answer used to build a 20' DC they called the Divemaster. It had a Tuna door on the side for easy entry. That type of hull is great for diving.

 

[Richesb]

We own a 23ft cobia center console, dive 3-5 days a week on our boat. It is too small. We(girlfriend & I) dive 3 tanks a day (6 tanks, gear, ice, spearguns, spare gear).
We make do. If we have additional divers it is "crowded" and we must organize rolling over.

 

[Nemrod]

Yes, it can get crowded. We usually only dive my wife and myself, occasionally a friend or two. We pack light and we don't use a lot of gear. We don't spearfish and don't have photo gear or video etc so two people and four tanks are not especially crowded. You obviously have to be conservative of space.

With fuel costs going through the roof the days of people owning 30 footers, at least ordinary people, is gone. The 17 to 21 foot boats are still semi affordable, fuel efficient and can be towed with ordinary vehicles. We get as much as 5.5 MPG which is awfully good for a boat. Instead of our 5 GPH at crusie could you imagine 15 to 20 GPH and then have to own and drive--every day---the gas hog vehicle required to tow it. Wow, and the boating industry wonders why sales are down. They have created a demand --a wish--for boats people cannot afford to purchase, operate, keep or for that matter tow. It is better to make do than not do at all. There is at least one person here who uses a 17 foot Montauk 20 miles out with several divers--routinely. N

 

[codecruncher]

Nemrod - where did you get that slick white dive ladder for your Whaler that is in the picture?

 

[captain]

Nemrod - where did you get that slick white dive ladder for your Whaler that is in the picture?

That's a Garlik ladder available at most marine stores such as Boaters World or West Marine. I got mine from Boaters World.

 

[Nemrod]

Yes, Garelick, I bought mine from Gander Mountain, closeout here in the Heartland, not much need for diving ladders they found out. It is a three step model. They also have a four step, extra wide versions and a stainless version. I like the stainless but got the white aluminum one because it felt stiffer and it floats. The stainless L bracket mount was special ordered and does not come with the ladder. It was expensive, more than the ladder. But it was cheaper than the other modifications would have been to mount the ladder otherwise. It has a rubber nonskid surface not yet applied in that picture. N