New Here, with a question...

Greeting everybody. I've been lurking around here for a week or so, looks like a great place. I'm looking to get into snorkeling and to get back into SCUBA (got certified 4 yrs ago, haven't been on a dive since).

Now that the obligatory introduction is out of the way, on to my question (I searched, and didn't find anything resembling an answer).

I've seen a few threads about diving (more snorkeling in my case) from kayaks. I am intrigued by this idea, for a few reasons.
a) less swimming time for shore entries
b) cheaper than a real boat

However, a kayak seems like a mighty unstable vessel to be diving off of and climbing back into. This weekend, though, I saw something else in a sporting goods store: an apparatus that seems (to my inexperienced mind anyway) like it would be a superior platform....what is known as a "fish cat". A picture below for those who have never seen one.



The two pontoons and high center of gravity make this a much easier craft to board from the water, and more stable in surf if you get caught sideways by a wave (I've used larger versions for whitewater rafting). The oars allow some respectable speed. Plenty of room for storing gear.

So, to make a long story short (TOO LATE!!!): has anyone else tried this? The model I am looking at runs around $500, and the pontoons are 9 ft long. Plenty big to haul me and my snorkeling gear out, yet packs down smaller than a kayak.

Your thoughts? (go easy, I'm a newbie).

first thing I notice is nowhere to secure stuff. A "dive kayak" has a place for just about everything. I'm not sure about PADI, but NAUI has a "Kayak Diver" course and I've also read within the past year an article on kayak diving, probably dive training.

Ikari:

Greeting everybody. I've been lurking around here for a week or so, looks like a great place. I'm looking to get into snorkeling and to get back into SCUBA (got certified 4 yrs ago, haven't been on a dive since).

Now that the obligatory introduction is out of the way, on to my question (I searched, and didn't find anything resembling an answer).

I've seen a few threads about diving (more snorkeling in my case) from kayaks. I am intrigued by this idea, for a few reasons.
a) less swimming time for shore entries
b) cheaper than a real boat

However, a kayak seems like a mighty unstable vessel to be diving off of and climbing back into. This weekend, though, I saw something else in a sporting goods store: an apparatus that seems (to my inexperienced mind anyway) like it would be a superior platform....what is known as a "fish cat". A picture below for those who have never seen one.

The two pontoons and high center of gravity make this a much easier craft to board from the water, and more stable in surf if you get caught sideways by a wave (I've used larger versions for whitewater rafting). The oars allow some respectable speed. Plenty of room for storing gear.

So, to make a long story short (TOO LATE!!!): has anyone else tried this? The model I am looking at runs around $500, and the pontoons are 9 ft long. Plenty big to haul me and my snorkeling gear out, yet packs down smaller than a kayak.

Your thoughts? (go easy, I'm a newbie).

Click to expand...

Consider a "Diveyak". Check out this link: http://www.sevylor.com/kayaks/kayaks2.html
It's designed specifically for diving and can even accommodate a small motor.
Kevin

The Diveyak looks awesome. Has anyone dove off one and if so - how easy or hard was it to get back on the boat and secure all your gear?

ryanarcher:

The Diveyak looks awesome. Has anyone dove off one and if so - how easy or hard was it to get back on the boat and secure all your gear?

Click to expand...

It's easy man, gearup in the water, do your dive pulling the kajak behind you, take your gear off, get on the kayak, take out the weight belts first, pull gear onto kayak. Danger, exercise after the dive..........paddling back to San Diego from the Carribean.

I took a look at this Divyak and it looks pretty cool. It has 20 'D' rings to attach your gear (including up to 2 tanks) and has a glass bottom door so you can actually enter and exit the kayak from the center of the boat and from the bottom. They run around $550 it looked like...and they store easily also...or so the ad said. I think I would be more into buying one of these rather than a scooter - though it doesn't matter since I can't buy either!

ryanarcher:

I took a look at this Divyak and it looks pretty cool. It has 20 'D' rings to attach your gear (including up to 2 tanks) and has a glass bottom door so you can actually enter and exit the kayak from the center of the boat and from the bottom. They run around $550 it looked like...and they store easily also...or so the ad said. I think I would be more into buying one of these rather than a scooter - though it doesn't matter since I can't buy either!

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Very kewl, but I'd prefer one of these......bottom of the page, Yellow one.

http://www.makoinflatablesusa.com/gallery.html

For all things concerning kayak diving, which is pretty easy by the way, check out this website. Mark has been doing this since kayaks were built it seems. He has a great book / CD abaout kayak diving also.

John-Boy

ShakaZulu:

Very kewl, but I'd prefer one of these......bottom of the page, Yellow one.

http://www.makoinflatablesusa.com/gallery.html

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Looked at these. With a Yamaha 400 fuel injected motor it would run me about $21,000. who wants to donate to the cause???

krowsea:

For all things concerning kayak diving, which is pretty easy by the way, check out this website. Mark has been doing this since kayaks were built it seems. He has a great book / CD abaout kayak diving also.

John-Boy

Click to expand...

You mean THIS website??

http://kayakdiving.com/