Buying a boat, needing suggestions

[scubadude79]

I am interested in researching what would make a good boat for recreational use. I am wanting to know from other diver experiences what features makes a boat good for diving. For the size of boat, I am interested in 18' to 25'.

All suggestions are greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

-Chris

 

[--tom--]

Just for fun, you might check out the "Boats and Boating" section under the Equipment of Diving heading.

I have learned a lot about boats there & have learned that I have ZERO interest in owning one.

There are a lot of good ideas for boats and accessories there....

 

[Mattleycrue76]

You're really going to have to give us some more information such as:

Where do you plan to use this boat mainly?

How many diver do you wish to acommodate?

What kind of tow vehicle (if trailered) will you be using?

What is your budget range?

Besides diving what else do you want to use the boat for?


Generally speaking sportfisher type boats such as grady white, boston whaler, trophy, and such make good dive platforms because of the large deckspace in the back and they're generally built to handle some rougher water.

Another great choice can be a RIB like a Zodiac. They're light and thus easy to trailer and launch, can handle lots of weight and some seriously rough water if need be. OTOH they're a little harder to get in to from the water and usually don't come with creature comforts like a head.

 

[coldwaterdufus]

I own a 19ft Glastron, open bow. At the time of purchase, I wasn't diving, so that wasn't a factor in the purchase. It was more for waterskiing etc. I really can't dive with it as Al or steel tanks don't mix well with fiberglass. The fiberglass will always lose out. Sort of obvious. My ladder is great for swimmers etc, but loaded down with scuba gear, drysuit, weights tanks, I'd never be able to get back into the boat with the current , crappy ( for diving ) ladder . If this was strictly for diving, my criteria would be a metal hull, good open stern platform ( able to close off if necessary ), great wide ladder with hand holds a necessity, bench seating along each side with room for tanks and gearing up, you know the routine.

I'm currently looking at the inflatable types of boats. I don't know your needs or where you'll be using it, but look into these also. Stable as hell, just roll entry into the water, ( don't get caught on an attached line ) room to gear up, cheap compared to other types of boats, little storage and transportation costs, no moorage fees, just trailer it. I'm looking at inland lakes for my usage, that may not be yours. Google Canadian Seabright for info. I don't own one but testimonials appear to be good.
16' $2500.00 and that's Canadian dollars Eh! + outboard motor would add to this price.

An add - on: I have seen ladders advertised that you can buy for inflatables

 

[rstofer]

An add - on: I have seen ladders advertised that you can buy for inflatables

When I dove from inflatables, I would tie my gear off to tag lines and climb in over the stern using the output motor lower unit as a step. Then I would haul the gear aboard.

At the time I was using a weight belt so hooking it to a tag line before unbuckling was simple and I was still wearing my BC for flotation. I'm not sure what I would do with my current weight harness because I haven't tested floating on the surface with a somewhat compressed wet suit, wearing the harness with no BC. It would be inconvenient if I were negatively bouyant. Still, I should be positive; it just needs to be tested in shallow water.

Richard

 

[orm]

From a diver's perspective: Easy to get in and out of, lots of stowage, stable comfortable seats. Cover for the sun/wind/rain. Place for water and food. Fast and stable in the water. Oh and unsinkable

I kind of like the skiffs with the controls elevated to give a better aspect to look for [-]lost [/-]waiting divers.

 

[diver 85]

get one with twins if you're heading over 15 miles out constantly...

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

scubadude79,

Ocean or inland waters? I see your location is Kansas....

And be aware of the A Boat = Black Hole To Throw Money Into Law .... don't ask how know

Good luck, and have fun (boats are fun, but the "Black Hole" comment is true )

Best wishes.

 

[smellzlikefish]

Inflatables are nice because they are tough to damage and fairly easy to repair. There's always plenty of seating on the gunwales and generally plenty of room for gear. The downside is they tend to be a bit bouncy which is torture on a bad back.

 

[phil8diver]

I own a 06 Seadoo Islandia. I do use this boat for my scuba diving and find it pretty good. The ladder is small but given my weight, I am able to climb back in even with waves. Its a 22 ft and I would say maximum 4 divers. We were able to hold 15 tanks total on the boat. To prevent any scratches on the floor, I installed 3M mats which comes out pretty nice. It has a platform on the back for easy giant stride entry. Hope this helps.