Will this boat work? And additional questions.

[BeachJunkie]

Hello,
I will be moving to Key West in a few months and I'm hoping to get a boat that I can use for diving. I have a number of constraints on what I can get based on money and space. I was looking into RIBs or even more so the inflatable rollaway boats with the removable floors. Are these decent dive platforms? I really wish I had the money to get something nicer but right now I think the most economical decision for me would be something like this. It wouldn't be too much of an issue if there was shore diving in Key West but there isn't. I don't want to pay 85 dollars every time I want to go diving. Here is what I'm looking at or something close to it.

15' SATURN SD470 is a heavy-duty inflatable boat.

*Will this type of boat hold up to the conditions around key west and other keys areas?

*It would most likely be for 2 divers but would it be possible to get 4 on it? it says up to 8 people or 2000 lbs.

* What size outboard would you suggest? It says the max is 40. What would you suggest and how much should I expect to spend?

* What additional items should I purchase along with the boat to make it a good diving platform?

If anyone has any photos or experience with this type of boat please post up some pictures so I can get an idea of a layout for it. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Nemrod]

No, look for a similar boat made from Dupont Hypalon.

The capacity ratings for persons and weight do not include comfort ot other practical considerations, fur divers will be a terrible crowd on that boat, I know because I have a similar size "rubber" boat.

You need at least a 25 with two persons and with four or five you will need 35 plus.

You need, radio, sonar, anchor rode, straps, ladder, lights, flags.

There are numerous threads in the archives, also on Spearboard Spearfishing Community - Powered by vBulletin

Please don't kill the reef with your anchor, the most important thing you cannot buy is the knowledge to operate the boat safely without harm to you, your friends and the environment.

Also Iboats.com has a forum with info and Boating & Fishing Forum - The Hull Truth has a forum for such things. Only a handful of scuba board people have a boat, they are to worried about color coordinating their VIP stickers, boat ownership would put them on Prozac.

N

 

[oly5050user]

Agree with Nemrod.I had a 14' zodiac with a 35 hp and it was great even with 4 divers on it.Took it out of key largo to hit same spots as charters did.Get a handheld radio/dry bag it,anchor rode,flag/float..No need for ladder,just remove tank onsurface and hopin.Hypalon material is the way to go..I have yet to see anything hold up as well.

 

[BeachJunkie]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I couldn't understand why this boat was so much cheaper than the zodiac and achilles I had looked at. I guess you get what you pay for. Is it just that particular model of 15 footer that would be horrible for 4 divers or just that length in general? I'm looking at the zodiac 14'9" as an alternatice. It looks to be a much higher quality boat but it is approching my price limit already without the engine. Are these type boats fairly common used? I checked ebay and boat trader and couldn't find anything. Thanks again for your time!

 

[Nemrod]

Well, just for your info, Zodiac is not Hypalon but at least it comes from a well known company with a possible warranty. Still, I prefer genuine Hypalon fabric.

Inflatables are small inside due to the width of the tubes which takes up interior space, dude, four divers on my 19 foot Boston Whaler is a big crowd, much less in a little rubber boat. Once you get the gear loaded, ice box, safety stuff, dry bags, flags, anchor rode and bucket or mooring hook (they use a lot of balls in the Keys to keep people off the reef) and whatever else, where you planning on putting eight people, sure it will float them, no, it is not practical.

In this engine size range, four stroke engines are heavy and under powered, you need five more horsepower over an equal two stroke or more. These boats need a good deal of power to plane, if you have a 15 foot boat, four divers and watchman, fuel and all that other stuff, 50 horsepower is not to little and certainly no less than a strong running 35.

No, rubber boats are not common here, in Aemurika, people think of them as pool toys, they are wrong of course. They hold resale about equal to an air mattress from K-Mart also for the same reason.

My 1984 Novurania Cancuro 420. I have run 25 to 50 horses on this boat with up to five divers. I have a steering helm you can see. I have not had this boat in the water since getting a new camera and we mostly play with the Boston Whaler these days, my wife much prefers it to the rubber pool toy. I am shopping (with empty pockets) for a used Yamaha or Mercury two stroke 25. This boat runs good with two people, one tank each, ice box etc for a day playing around with just a 25 Merc. When we dove 4 divers, it needed the 35 I used to have to get going. With a 25 Merc, two divers, loaded, it will run about 25 water conditions allowing

N

 

[BeachJunkie]

I don't know much about the jet style engines. Would something like this be doable for two divers or would I want something more rugged with less of the "bells and whistles"?

12FT Zodiac Rib Inflatable Like new - Yamaha Jet

 

[Tom Winters]

Cute little boat. Be tough for two people to dive from though.

 

[divinginn]

Too much complication,4 strokes and turbos,I would stick with a simple two stroke motor,my favorites are yamaha,johnson,evinrude and mercurys,the mercs are more complicated but are good running motors.I used to a own a boat rental on the lake here and those were the best motors I used.Those jet pump motors are very inefficent,loosing about 40 percent of the motors power through the jet pump. The biggest seceret to buying a boat is to not get in a hurry to buy one,take your time and look around and make sure it fits your needs.

 

[BeachJunkie]

I'm not in any hurry. I won't be home from Afghanistan for another couple months. I just wanted to get the info on what to be looking for now so that when I get back I will have it narrowed down and maybe even have found something that will suit me. Thanks again everyone.

 

[deeper thoughts]

I have a 23 foot boat with a 250 hp engine and it can feel really small 4-6 miles offshore on the reef when the seas start getting sporty.