Inflatable Diving Boat - which motor Should I go with - 2 stroke vs. 4 stroke?

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LoriP

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My husband and I live in Northern California and frequently dive the Pacific from Monterey north. We purchased a 10' Rib inflatable dive boat but are not sure what type of motor to go with, so I thought I'd get some feedback from fellow Scuba divers.

We're going to be hand launching this boat mostly (for Ab diving), so a 2 stoke is lighter (by 40-50 pounds), but you can't purchase a new 2 stroke in California.

Now a 4 stroke is very nice with no oil mixing, starts with one or two pulls, and is environmentally friendly and can be used anywhere in California (even Lake Tahoe), but it's so heavy, and will make hand launching difficult.

Some friends of ours have a 4 stroke, but him and his wife manage the hand launching. For re-sale though, which would be the best option? Cost is not an issue for us. I know the 4-strokes cost more.

I'd like some opinions. Thanks.

:D
 
4 Stroke motors are FAR superior to 2 strokes in every way... of course you pay out the ying-yang for that. One thing to keep in mind that a four stroke will provide a longer life and therefor a higher resale value. You also need a slightly smaller horsepower 4 stroke to get the job done, so a 50 4-stroke is about equivelent to a 65 HP 2-stroke.

Besides - they are just plain quiet.
 
zboss once bubbled... You also need a slightly smaller horsepower 4 stroke to get the job done, so a 50 4-stroke is about equivelent to a 65 HP 2-stroke.
I agree with just about everything here accept for the above statement. The 4-stroke is going to have a broader though lower rpm torque curve, which will allow it to pull a higher pitched prop in the lower rpm range thus giving it more bottom end and this also makes it better suited for heavy loads. Simply saying that you need less horsepower with a 4-stroke is not exactly true for every application, although I think in LoriP's situation the 4-stroke would be the best choice if they can lug it around. I am not a fan of 2-stroke eegbeaters, but pound for pound they can't be beat.
 
LoriP once bubbled...
We purchased a 10' Rib inflatable dive boat but are not sure what type of motor to go with,

so a 2 stoke is lighter (by 40-50 pounds),

:D

Just cutious, how big of a OB are you putting on a 10ft boat? My 50 hp 2 stroke with TT does not weigh much more than 225 lbs and my 1968 6 hp is in the 40lb range. Must be a big one to save 40-50 lbs.
 
Let's face it, when you look at the ocean, it is hard not to care about the stuff that lives in it. The amount of oil that a single two stroke puts in the water is not much, but it does add up. We all have to suck it up and do the right thing if we want the planet to last.

Chuck Donaldson
Emergency Response Manager
Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality:maniac: :maniac:
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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