Kayak Diving

[Ben Prusinski]

I am looking to get into kayak diving to avoid the high cost of entry to buying a dive boat or sailboat. What is a good model of kayak to get for scuba diving that can also be used for deep sea fishing? How far out can one go to dive in a sea kayak? I would like to find out also how to learn to use one for diving.

[Peter_C]

Kayak diving allows you to get into some incredible spots. Unfortunately it also requires your buddy to have a kayak. Not many people kayak dive, but there are some who do. Abalone divers and other free divers use them heavily, which is more a North Coast thing. I saw a lot of them in Mendo this weekend.

Someone was out diving Ball Buster off a kayak, but that is kinda pushing it. We have dove off Monastery before and you can get out pretty far. Lobos would allow Blue Fish to be done, but learn the breaking wave patterns around the wash rocks cause you have to go way out to get around breaking swells sometimes. We saw an 80 year old man launch his kayak at Carmel River Beach.

Ocean Kayaks Scupper Pro TW (Tank Well) is one of the top kayaks. The Prowler I believe has rod holders built in. No matter what brand, you want something around 13' long, open cockpit, with a tank well. Single seat kayaks paddle better than double kayaks. I prefer to have a large front hatch for storing gear in. There are many other posts on this board with more information about how to set up a kayak.

With all that said...a boat is a better deal. A small inflatable can get you and your buddy out to most any site on a calm day. Can be purchased second hand for a very reasonable price. How much boat you can get depends on storage and vehicle.

[richkeller]

I would recommend a sit on top kayak that is rated to carry 400lbs or more. I use an Ocean Kayak Malibu Two. This is a two man kayak that has a seat in the middle so it can be paddled by one man. It is wider and more stable then a typical kayak making it easier to use for diving but the trade off is that it is a little harder to paddle. The furthest I usually go offshore is about a mile and within five miles of the put in. This allows me to reach about 90% of the shore line of Long Island. The bigger advantage I find by using a kayak is the inshore areas that boaters can not reach.

[Bob DBF]

Check out Hobie Cat Company - About the MirageDrive.

Having two means of propulsion, three with the sailing kyak, you can switch off between paddle and pedal for the longer trips. Also the combination of of the mirage drive and rudder leaves your hands free for some fishing if you are so inclined. A buddy has one an I have used it a lot less than I want to.




Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

[Peter_C]

The Hobie Mirage drive system works great, just not so much in the kelp. I have a Revo and it is a really nice kayak. I will say for the same amount of money you could own an inflatable boat with an outboard and take your buddies with you.

[gnominic]

We dove from yaks in Lauderdale. It's an okay way to get there, even if it sounds too far. Three miles is about the limit for most folks but one mile was usually as far as we went out.

The Hobie yaks are barges! They're a little slower than "fishing" yaks, but they haul a pile of gear and they are much easier to climb back on. So there's a compromise you have to reach. I dove my WS Tarpon 140 and it was great. Carried all the gear I needed and was way faster than the other guys who had Hobies. They had no trouble getting back on top though, and I had to pay attention The drive system is awesome on the Hobies, but they're expensive.

So if you go the Hobie route with a drive system, then Peter_c is correct. It's cheaper to buy a small inflatable and extend your range and lessen your effort with much larger carry capacity. Set up or launch may be an issue. I also have a small inflatable and we took it out of the surf on several trips. The rules were, no engines in the swim-zone, so we paddled out past the buoys and then cranked it up. Never any problems.

So the diving off a yak is cool because you use the yak as your dive float-flag. The obvious advantage is that you never get lost from the boat because you're pulling it around with you. This sounded troublesome to me at first, but it was not. My habit has always been to pull the dive float under (not on purpose), but here that's not going to happen. You're not going to puncture the yak like an inflatable so it's safer to handle fish or spearguns (if that's your thing).

You absolutely don't want a sit inside yak for diving. They also sell electric drive yaks, but the money you spend can get you a much better dive platform. Same goes for the Hobies imo.

There's a lot of discussion of SOT yaks at texaskayakfisherman.com. I know you may not be fishing, but those guys haul alot of gear too and they fall off enough that it's a topic for discussion. They also want to stand up, and if you can stand in a yak you can dive it too.

I've always been a fan of WS, but OK are also top notch. One thing you may forget is that you need a Coast Guard approved lifejacket in the yak at all times. If you have an inflatable pfd you have to wear it for it to count. Your dive gear is not a pfd.

Good luck, fair winds and flat calm seas.

---------- Post added ----------

I've always been a fan of WS, but OK are also top notch. One thing you may forget is that you need a Coast Guard approved lifejacket in the yak at all times. If you have an inflatable pfd you have to wear it for it to count. Your dive gear is not a pfd.

Good luck, fair winds and flat calm seas.

WS == Wilderness Systems

OK == Ocean Kayak

I meant to go back and write it out but forgot...

-dennis

[Peter_C]

The Hobie yaks are barges! They're a little slower than "fishing" yaks, but they haul a pile of gear and they are much easier to climb back on. So there's a compromise you have to reach. I dove my WS Tarpon 140 and it was great. Carried all the gear I needed and was way faster than the other guys who had Hobies.

Depends which Hobie kayak you are talking about. We have a Scupper Pro which is one of the faster SOT's at 14' and the Hobie Revo goes 1/3 faster. The Revo is the fastest SOT kayak I have ever used, but I haven't tried the electric motor on a Scupper Pro or similar design, which would be way cool. I see no reason to get a wide kayak, whether it is paddle or peddled.

Actually for Monterey diving a scooter is probably one of the best options. Super versatile, and you can use it even if your buddy doesn't have one, by towing your buddies in and out from dive sites. Fits in a vehicle, which also equates to better fuel mileage. Unfortunately a decent rebuilt Sierra is $2,500, but well worth it.

[richkeller]

IMG_0545.jpgAn overloaded kayak will feel like you are paddling a barge no matter how good it is empty and it will never track straight. Another thing you might want to consider if you are planning on towing the kayak behind you is to let it carry the tank. I spliced 50' of hose between my first and second stage and made it into a small umbilical so I can leave the tank in the kayak while I am diving. this is good for shallow water dives only as you operation depth will only be around 30' and you will want to have a small bail out bottle with you.

[gnominic]

Depends which Hobie kayak you are talking about. We have a Scupper Pro which is one of the faster SOT's at 14' and the Hobie Revo goes 1/3 faster. The Revo is the fastest SOT kayak I have ever used, but I haven't tried the electric motor on a Scupper Pro or similar design, which would be way cool. I see no reason to get a wide kayak, whether it is paddle or peddled.

Actually for Monterey diving a scooter is probably one of the best options. Super versatile, and you can use it even if your buddy doesn't have one, by towing your buddies in and out from dive sites. Fits in a vehicle, which also equates to better fuel mileage. Unfortunately a decent rebuilt Sierra is $2,500, but well worth it.

Over all, I'd say the entire Hobie line tend toward barges. But I'm not knocking them for it. A barge is handy for diving, and the propulsion systems make life easier too. My friend fishes in Texas from a Scupper Pro (from OK, not Hobie) and, well, it's kinda a barge, too. I would not consider it fast at all.

So, the Hobies are high-platforms that will carry a ton of stuff. They consequently have a lot of sail area and track goofy. The OK line isn't as high, but they flood the seating area. So, while they won't carry as much gear, they do lug around a lot of water that isn't helpful. My friend found that if he plugs up the drains (the scuppers, ironically) and keeps it dry it becomes much faster.

[Peter_C]

Over all, I'd say the entire Hobie line tend toward barges. But I'm not knocking them for it. A barge is handy for diving, and the propulsion systems make life easier too. My friend fishes in Texas from a Scupper Pro (from OK, not Hobie) and, well, it's kinda a barge, too. I would not consider it fast at all.

So, the Hobies are high-platforms that will carry a ton of stuff. They consequently have a lot of sail area and track goofy. The OK line isn't as high, but they flood the seating area. So, while they won't carry as much gear, they do lug around a lot of water that isn't helpful. My friend found that if he plugs up the drains (the scuppers, ironically) and keeps it dry it becomes much faster.

Which kayak do you consider a fast kayak for a sit on top in the 13-14' range which is the most commonly used for scuba diving off of? A 16+ footer is always going to be faster, and of course a sit inside is more stable since you sit on the bottom. The Scupper Pro does get some water in it, but I wouldn't consider a couple cups of water enough to slow it down. Then again we don't weigh much, causing it to sit less deep in the water.