Jackie
Contributor
What are the pro's and cons ?
"Fast Boats"
- Thread starter Jackie
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Scram Bulleggs
Contributor
Normally smaller not cattle boat style. get to the diving faster.
Cons, less leg room no head
Cons, less leg room no head
halocline
Contributor
Ummmm, lets see, fast boats are...what's the word I'm looking for....oh yeah, fast!
caseybird
Contributor
Fast boats get you to the dive site faster, you can get to the remote sites the slow boats won't go to.
Fast boats don't have heads.
This may or may not be a problem for you.
On cattle boats you waddle to the stern and step off like a sack of ... potatoes.
On a fast boat you backroll like a DIVER.
(On really cool boats everyone rolls in at once. Like tough-as-nails marines. You know what I'm talking about, SHAMU.)
I :ezpi_hear fast boats.
Fast boats don't have heads.
This may or may not be a problem for you.
On cattle boats you waddle to the stern and step off like a sack of ... potatoes.
On a fast boat you backroll like a DIVER.
(On really cool boats everyone rolls in at once. Like tough-as-nails marines. You know what I'm talking about, SHAMU.)
I :ezpi_hear fast boats.
Charlie99
Contributor
- Messages
- 7,966
- Reaction score
- 166
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
I avoid both cattleboats and the fast open speedboats.
I prefer to kick back and enjoy my ride to the dive site, so I avoid boats that don't have shade, don't have heads, are noisy, or have a rough wet ride.
I don't like crowds, so I avoid the cattleboats. They are often filled with big groups from a LDS so that's another reason to avoid them.
What's in between are the 12 passenger boats with a head, with plenty of shade, and a good dry ride. These are a bit slower than the open speedboats, but it just means 1/2 hour less in the hammock before my afternoon shore dive.
Charlie Allen
I prefer to kick back and enjoy my ride to the dive site, so I avoid boats that don't have shade, don't have heads, are noisy, or have a rough wet ride.
I don't like crowds, so I avoid the cattleboats. They are often filled with big groups from a LDS so that's another reason to avoid them.
What's in between are the 12 passenger boats with a head, with plenty of shade, and a good dry ride. These are a bit slower than the open speedboats, but it just means 1/2 hour less in the hammock before my afternoon shore dive.
Charlie Allen
yak
Contributor
How about the utimate oxymoron:
I like the fast boats but I also like a covering overhead. I like the 'fall backwards off the side' aspect too. I think the fast, choppy ride and salt spray is fun. But a couple of times I signed up with my favorite outfit in Key Largo, Horizon Divers, and rode out on their 'large' boat for a change. I've never had more than 6 or 8 companion divers on the ride. No head is a problem with the small boats if you aren't willing to pee in your wetsuit if you can't hold it for a couple of hours. Personally if it gets the best of me I just lett'er go, head into the current and flush out. No problemo. Like the old addage says: "There are those who do and those who lie about it."
Hooked4Life
Guest
I love the fast boats. As others have said it will let you beat the larger boats to the dive site and it also gives the captain time to make a dive site change if needed.
Who doesnt love the back roll?
Who doesnt love the back roll?
Namchief
Contributor
For me I see the big cattle boats leave the pier 15-20 minutes before I get to the pier(looking off balcony) we stop at hotels to pick up other 4 divers and still get to dive site before they do. As for the Shamu comment about everyone doing a back roll at once. I have over 25 dives from the Shamu and that has never happened. Always 1 per side till clear and ok sign, including getting cameras.
parrotheaddiver
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,925
- Reaction score
- 93
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
Pros small 6pax
remote sites less drive time
longer surface intervals or pee breaks as I like to call them
longer bottom times....don't have to come up with the group when the first air hog hits 700psi
smaller groups 6 max for me...
great snacks
windbreakers if it rains BlueXT
Cons on fast boats I don't have any
Pros/Cons on slow boats...everything mention in the other posts
remote sites less drive time
longer surface intervals or pee breaks as I like to call them
longer bottom times....don't have to come up with the group when the first air hog hits 700psi
smaller groups 6 max for me...
great snacks
windbreakers if it rains
BlueXT Cons on fast boats I don't have any
Pros/Cons on slow boats...everything mention in the other posts
Similar threads
