Still Kicking
Contributor
Sound advice. If it can go wrong on a boat, it will go wrong and at the worst time.
Ideal boat design for a solo diver
- Thread starter Cthippo
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I have a 15ft inflatable with a 40 hp motor. The advantage of an inflatable is that they are incredibly stable and can handle rough weather. I use a ladder designed for inflatables which makes it easier to get back on board. I do not dive solo off the boat but will leave the boat unattended when properly tied in to a wreck or anchored in a sheltered location.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Boy, you got that right about the shackle coming loose. I had it happen. Luckily we didn’t lose the boat and we were fairly close in.
I finally settled on using a big grapple anchor that I made out of 1-1/2” rebar, they call them Mexican rock anchors. They work great in rocky places like where I was diving. It’s a lot of welding and heating with a big rose bud torch to make them but ultra satisfying when you finally use something that you’ve made. I never found one commercially available so I made my own. I had 30’ of chain off the anchor for chafe resistance swinging and banging off rocks, then that went to 3/4” rode about 150’ worth for proper scope. I wove the end of the rope back into itself over a stainless chafe loop and then used a stainless shackle wired shut with stainless wire so it wouldn’t come loose. I became very anal about anchors and anchoring ever since that one incident where the pick came loose.
Ana
.
Very similar to what happened to us. Once you go thru a situation tends to produce a strong reaction.
Our anchor, shackle, chain, and line were in good shape. In reality because previous husband's experience on boats we always let way too much scope (so I thought) . Well because if all that scope, that day of the mishap, he was able to grab the anchor as it was being dragged and work it's way along the line back on the boat, and solve the situation.
Husband always kept up with regular maintenance, but the anchor set up tends to gets special attention. When either one finds an anchor during the dive, he looks at the set up again, just because. At this rate we'll end up with an anchor garden.
Since we don't leave the boat anymore, the anchor is no longer used when diving. Makes the dives easier having a boat close by when surfacing.
We do anchor for our picnics, air shows, fireworks and the things they do from shore, in a couple of weeks they'll have a display of hundreds of drones flying in formation and doing tricks.
gcscuba
New
Pretty much identical to this although mine does not have the non slip treads on the rungs.
Boarding Ladder for Inflatable Boats
Three Step LadderWeight Capacity: 400 lbs. , Meets ABYC H-41 requirements
www.marinedepotdirect.com
Another possibility:
rx7diver
rx7diver
Having really good anchor(s) on your boat is necessary, but having a trained boat operator on your boat while you dive is priceless. An anchored boat is not going to come to your rescue if something goes sideways with you or your dive. I am always amazed at the number of people that never think bad things are going to happen to them. If you are going to dive solo, without a qualified boat operator remaining onboard while you dive, I highly recommend you invest in a PLB, and carry it.
ORsolodiver
Registered
I have a 15.5' RIB (Bombard C5) with a 50 hp outboard that I dive off solo. Most of the places I use it have a mooring buoy so I don't have to worry about anchoring it. I am still fairly paranoid and attach multiple lines to the buoy just in case. I check out the buoy line on the way down just to make sure it is still solid. The sites I dive are also less than 200 yds from shore so worst case scenario I can swim in to shore.
What I like about the RIBs is that they are pretty light for their size. I can launch and handle it on my own pretty easily. They are also super stable and have great cargo capacity for all of your gear.
The major downside is that you have to go pretty slow when it is choppy. The thing will just beat you to death when it is rough out.
To get back on I use a ladder like grf88 has. I dive sidemount, so I just take off my tanks and have a few straps with carabiners hung off the side of the boat to clip onto my tanks. Then I can haul them up once I get on the boat.
What I like about the RIBs is that they are pretty light for their size. I can launch and handle it on my own pretty easily. They are also super stable and have great cargo capacity for all of your gear.
The major downside is that you have to go pretty slow when it is choppy. The thing will just beat you to death when it is rough out.
To get back on I use a ladder like grf88 has. I dive sidemount, so I just take off my tanks and have a few straps with carabiners hung off the side of the boat to clip onto my tanks. Then I can haul them up once I get on the boat.
I have dived solo from everything from a small inflatable to a hundred-foot liveaboard. I have friends who dive from a kayak. I don't think the boat makes much difference in how you dive. When diving from my own boat, I always descend along the anchor chain and check the anchor when I reach the bottom. If I'm diving from a commercial dive boat I make sure I know where the anchor is so I don't have to make a free ascent. The only times I make free ascents is when I'm diving from a boat that is following the bubbles. Even then, I worry that they will lose me.
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