Best smallcraft for diving

[Hank49]

Darn, I wish I could remember the boat, it was a glass cat with twin 150 Mercs, it had a small cuddy and head with a lot of deck space and about 24 feet long. I liked that thing, we dove off of it and I enjoyed the fast smooth ride.

I'd heard a lot of good things about the cats. Then I rode in a 24...or 26' Glacier Bay (I believe that's the name). It was great going straight into or, with the wind and sliced through the waves to where you hardly could feel them. But if you were in any kind of choppy side sea, especially a following/side, it jerked pretty hard from side to side. In my limited experience with them, I like the ride of a deep V monohull better overall. Plus for the length, it took a lot of power to move it. Twin 150s getting 1.5 mpg at 4000 rpms.

 

[Nemrod]

Hank, if I were to move up, which I am not going to, I think your right, for all around use the deep vee monohulls are the best bet but that cat sure was smooth in the chop. I don't know enough to say what the negatives are, your points certainly make good sense. BTW, I get about 5 plus(actually close to 5.5 MPG) with my rig. I think with tabs I could get more by slowing down. I think 6 MPG is possible or very close. N

 

[ScubaMilo]

ur all strokes

 

[Hank49]

ur all strokes

Not all strokes...... just two strokes....Love the smell of synthetic oil burning in the morning....

 

[Nemrod]

"ur all strokes
Drink the kool aid!! If something is worth doing. Its worth Doing It Right! "

And that is a very informative post. So there is a DIR boat configuration, what does the guru recommend for the guys in black? I suppose you have to have a special long hose storage rack so the hoses don't get all tangled up. Is there a correct length for fuel lines, do we clip them with non metallic connections? How long should the cutoff switch lanyard be? Is red acceptable, do I have to clip it to a chest d ring or to my can light D ring? Do I have to paint my boat black? N

 

[matt_unique]

What's resale value on your Bayliner? I had to run the numbers on my whaler about a
year ago -- It's worth 80+% of what I paid for it new, eight and a half years ago.

Chuck

Don't know, don't care, the price allows me to upgrade without having to worry about recovering an outrageous initial payment for a spartan utility boat with limited use and capabilities.

How many times have you capsized your boat or had a maniac at your marina with a chainsaw cutting your boat in half? Most Whaler owners boast about that ability and of course never realize any of those benefits. I'm able to realize all the benefits of what I paid for.

--Matt

 

[matt_unique]

What model is that? I haven't looked at the Bayliners, but that sounds like it fits my wish list to a tee.

FD

The latest model name for the 24' is the Classic 242. It comes standard with a 5.0L but with dive gear and heavier seas I prefer more HP. You can opt for shore power and everything else.

--Matt

 

[matt_unique]

Chuck, it is a useless argument. Rotting naugahyde and carpet rule the day. We got a rain suit and we have the Mills curtains so we can stay completely dry and weather most anything that comes our way short of a hurricane. But it is true, center consoles are at their very best in warmer climates such as I prefer. If I lived further north and wanted to boat year around I would certainly look at a cuddy like the BW Conquest or similar type boats. I don't think I would look at an I/O powered Larson or Bayliner though.
Darn, I wish I could remember the boat, it was a glass cat with twin 150 Mercs, it had a small cuddy and head with a lot of deck space and about 24 feet long. I liked that thing, we dove off of it and I enjoyed the fast smooth ride. It was fully glass lined and bonded and built to hang together, entirely different from those plywood lined things. There is something about a boat that does not rattle or shake or vibrate no matter how hard you push it. N

Keep the myth alive, keeps the prices more reasonable for the rest of us!

--Matt

 

[Nemrod]

You know Matt, your constant bashing of known quality boats is kind of funny. Everyone who knows anything about boats knows a Bayliner is a very limited boat with very limited capabilities so the myth that they are a capable and seaworthy boat for use in the ocean is--well--a myth. I think I will just have to finally dissagree with you. The only thing that really limits the capabilities of any boat is it's ability to absorb punishment and stay afloat, something a Bayliner is not known for. Your boat has very limited capabilities, mine has very adequate capabilities for my needs. This must be why we see Navy Seals, Coast Guard and marine patrols using so many Bayliners. In fact, visit Birbarie Marine website for actual videos of a Whaler being run over by a Bull dozer with no deformation and then a Bayliner type being crushed like an egg. There is a difference. N

 

[matt_unique]

You know Matt, your constant bashing of known quality boats is kind of funny. Everyone who knows anything about boats knows a Bayliner is a very limited boat with very limited capabilities so the myth that they are a capable and seaworthy boat for use in the ocean is--well--a myth. I think I will just have to finally dissagree with you. The only thing that really limits the capabilities of any boat is it's ability to absorb punishment and stay afloat, something a Bayliner is not known for. Your boat has very limited capabilities, mine has very adequate capabilities for my needs. This must be why we see Navy Seals, Coast Guard and marine patrols using so many Bayliners. In fact, visit Birbarie Marine website for actual videos of a Whaler being run over by a Bull dozer with no deformation and then a Bayliner type being crushed like an egg. There is a difference and your denial of it as myth is ignorant. N

I have never said a Whaler is a bad boat. You are the one who is constantly bashing a boat you obviously know nothing about. You deny reality if you think a center console is anything beyond a very limited use utility boat. No real protection from the elements, no comforts, no head, and almost no ability for dry storage. Especially if you operate in the conditions you boast about your boat handling. I doubt you operate in the conditions that would take advantage of the design qualities you paid for. These conditions would throw you and all your gear out of your boat for one. If yes, regale me with your tales of flipping your boat on your way out to dive in 20' breaking swells. But hey, your boat can handle it! You paid too much for something you will never take advantage of. Which one of us is ignorant again?

Boaters who pay triple for their boat compared to other brands quite commonly bash other boats to try to rationalize the outrageous purchase price. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of thousands of Bayliner owners doing the same dives and enjoying the same ocean passages as those who paid 3 times as much. Your bashing of Bayliner will not change that reality.

--Matt