scSCUBA once bubbled...
I'll talk to him.
He want to know about the area.
I've got tons of information on the site... If you point him there, tell him to click on "Dive" and then "Places to Dive." There's so many GPS coordinates I can't count. It's been a project of mine ongoing for more than three years.
If he's asking about depths, tell him that there are some shallow areas offshore that extend out a mile or more, and can be dangerous, especially at low tide. Of course, the intercoastal is the same way, too. I'm sure that he's got plenty of charts. Most people with a boat that size have charts built right into their GPS's, and we've found them to be dependable.
We know offshore Charleston and Beaufort both well. Our furthest dive site is 30 miles offshore of Charleston, but we've never been there - we've simply never bothered to go offshore that far, since there's so much great stuff closer. Our furthest dive site here in Beaufort is 17 miles from land.
Currents in the area inland can be fierce... Offshore, I've never seen more than 1/2 knot.
Seas are typically about 3 feet or less, but we've dived in 6 foot swells in smaller boats with no problems.
The max depth of our favorite dive sites here is about 120'... With most of the best dive sites being in the 70' range. Water temps in the summer can be in the mid-90's, and in the wintertime can be as low as 50*. Most of the year, though, water temperature hovers between 70* and 75*.
Needs info for anchor (how long).
The boats we've been on before typically have 300' of line on a single anchor, but I've never seen them deploy more than 200' of line. With light currents and a sandy bottom offshore, just about any anchor will do.
When we're done diving, I always use a lift bag on the anchor - it not only saves someone a lot of hard work pulling it up from those depths (or saves the wear and tear on the machine that does it) but also prevents the possibility of a snag on the wreck on the way up.
I don't think he's got a ladder though. It's been a couple months since I've been on it. I'll check to see if he's got a ladder.
It's a non-issue. We've climbed onboard a boat many times walking up the outdrive. Or... We'll buy him a ladder.
Charter boats, for a half day around here run in the $600 range. If he's cool enough to do us the favor of taking some of us out, I will make darn sure that he's taken care of.
Unless he's got a professional charter's license, the law prevents us from being able to pay him... But we can show our appreciation in other ways.
We could probably take 5 or 6 at most. The only thing I'm worried about is the tanks getting loose and breaking fiberglass. He's going to sell this boat this spring and get a 43' cat. THat could be interesting diving. At least from a cost point of view...no fuel. Or at least minimal fuel
Wow. I hope I'm not sounding desperate, but... Man, we really would love to do what we can to ensure that he's taken care of.
Re: Breaking fiberglass: What we've found is a good thing to do on a boat with no facilities for tanks is to bring with us your standard, everyday tie-down straps. We build a "pyramid" of tanks on their sides, three high, and secure them in that configuration with a pair of tie-downs. They don't move and are safe for both the boat and passengers.
