V. G. McGillicuddy
Contributor
I see.
Thank you very much!
-McGill
Thank you very much!
-McGill
Boarding an RIB
- Thread starter ffde31
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CuriousRambler
Contributor
AHA!! Thanks sasquatch! Rubber Inflatable sounded absolutely dumb to me, but 'rigid' never came to mind...Thanks for the clarification!
There are a few things that you should know. First, and has been mentioned before, is ALWAYS clip your BC/Wing to the boat, then throw your weights in the boat. Then, while keeping your fins on, kick hard enough to get your body over the tube. Once you're in the boat you can roll over and take off your fins. Then grab the clip line with your BC attached and pull it in.
rob_za
Registered
In my part of the world the procedure is as follows (for me anyway). 
Take off weightbelt and pass it to the skipper (or whoever offers to grab it).
Try not to hurl because the swell is making you seasick.
Take off the BC and pass it up to the person on the boat.
Hurling is just a matter of time now.
Kick to get into the boat.
As soon as you're on the boat, hang your head over the side and feed the fish.
Now you can take off your fins, lie down in the boat and wish you were dead.
Cheers
Rob
Take off weightbelt and pass it to the skipper (or whoever offers to grab it).
Try not to hurl because the swell is making you seasick.
Take off the BC and pass it up to the person on the boat.
Hurling is just a matter of time now.
Kick to get into the boat.
As soon as you're on the boat, hang your head over the side and feed the fish.
Now you can take off your fins, lie down in the boat and wish you were dead.
Cheers
Rob
OP
ffde31
Contributor
Thanks for all the helpful hints, doesn't sound like a problem. Now I just need to decide between a fiberglass boat and an inflatable.??.
OP
ffde31
Contributor
Hey guys, I found an inflatable boarding ladder at West Marine. Looks pretty user friendly. http://www.scubaboard.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=34660&stc=1&d=1148816986
01041_f.jpg
01041_f.jpg
Thanks for all the helpful hints, doesn't sound like a problem. Now I just need to decide between a fiberglass boat and an inflatable.??.
Hmmm, I would tell you that if your looking under 16 feet get an inflatible and over that get a glass boat but there are no hard rules. Large RIB inflatibles 18 -25 feet are ocean eating machines and also cost big dollars. Glass traditional boats, be it a cuddy cabin or center console type, are hard to beat though for all around use.
Here we go again but only because these are the boats I know best. I have a 13.5 foot inflatible Novurania I bought in the mid 80s. It has used engines up to 50 horses. I mostly trailered it. I now have a Boston Whaler Outrage 190 (and the Novurania and an OK kayak). OK, here goes, if you were to try and dive from a 13 foot Boston Whaler you would not find it nearly as seaworthy or capable as my 13.5 inflatible but once you get itno a midrange size the advantage of more room and somewhat better durability and resale and comfort swings to the traditional glass boat.
Since I mostly dive with no BC and all the rig-a-ma-doo you guys use I can slither aboard without all the hassle or without removing my tank BUT when I use a wing/BP or similar unit then I will remove it in the water, clip off and then board the boat with a big scissor kick and a heave ho with my scrawny arms. Pretend a shark is after you and you will find it much easier--lol--then turn around and haul your wife or GF aboard because I have found women have ---uh--issues with this boarding method. Now, there are ladders, I made one using two lengths of ski rope and made the rungs out of ply with an aluminum face. I put three rungs on mine, knots hold the rungs in place. The boat end has stainless steel clips that clip into the floor structure that I drilled and stapped for two stainless screw eyes-removable. Then fling the ladder over. I usually toss a towel under it to prevent chaffing. I also often use a small bit of neoprene backed I/O carpet clipped in the same way and tossed over the tube---to sit on and rig out. The seward side has a PVC tube with sand in it to weight it and keep it taught. Oh, on the ladder, the bottom rung has a PVC tube with sand also. Both bits roll up and stow nicely and are partly why my Novurania now 20 plus years old is still a nice looking "rubber" boat.
That said, a rubber boat is not forever, a quality glass boat could last a lifetime and then some.
Just my thoughts and others may differ. N
Hmmm, I would tell you that if your looking under 16 feet get an inflatible and over that get a glass boat but there are no hard rules. Large RIB inflatibles 18 -25 feet are ocean eating machines and also cost big dollars. Glass traditional boats, be it a cuddy cabin or center console type, are hard to beat though for all around use.
Here we go again but only because these are the boats I know best. I have a 13.5 foot inflatible Novurania I bought in the mid 80s. It has used engines up to 50 horses. I mostly trailered it. I now have a Boston Whaler Outrage 190 (and the Novurania and an OK kayak). OK, here goes, if you were to try and dive from a 13 foot Boston Whaler you would not find it nearly as seaworthy or capable as my 13.5 inflatible but once you get itno a midrange size the advantage of more room and somewhat better durability and resale and comfort swings to the traditional glass boat.
Since I mostly dive with no BC and all the rig-a-ma-doo you guys use I can slither aboard without all the hassle or without removing my tank BUT when I use a wing/BP or similar unit then I will remove it in the water, clip off and then board the boat with a big scissor kick and a heave ho with my scrawny arms. Pretend a shark is after you and you will find it much easier--lol--then turn around and haul your wife or GF aboard because I have found women have ---uh--issues with this boarding method. Now, there are ladders, I made one using two lengths of ski rope and made the rungs out of ply with an aluminum face. I put three rungs on mine, knots hold the rungs in place. The boat end has stainless steel clips that clip into the floor structure that I drilled and stapped for two stainless screw eyes-removable. Then fling the ladder over. I usually toss a towel under it to prevent chaffing. I also often use a small bit of neoprene backed I/O carpet clipped in the same way and tossed over the tube---to sit on and rig out. The seward side has a PVC tube with sand in it to weight it and keep it taught. Oh, on the ladder, the bottom rung has a PVC tube with sand also. Both bits roll up and stow nicely and are partly why my Novurania now 20 plus years old is still a nice looking "rubber" boat.
That said, a rubber boat is not forever, a quality glass boat could last a lifetime and then some.
Just my thoughts and others may differ. N
kidsdream
Contributor
You can make a nice ladder out of some 1/2" or 3/8" line and 4 to 6 feet of 2" PVC pipe. You cut the PVC in 2' lengths to make the rungs and then drill holes for the line about a 2" from each end. Just thread and then knot the line to hold the pipe in place and you have a great ladder that is stronge and cheap.
Stoo
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V. G. McGillicuddy:
"Really Ixpensive Boat"
As posted above, it's "Rigid Hull Inflatable".
I have a Zodiac Hurricane 590. And yup... clip lines and dump lead and tanks in the water and haul them in later. I dive twins all the time which can be hard on my 50 yo back since the angle is tough. The 80s are easy. The 95s a little tougher, and the 130s require a post-dive rest to avoid bending my shoulder hauling them in.... If I keep this up for 10 more years, I think I'll just start to tow them back to the dock...
The freeboard is fairly high on this boat, but it's a kick-***, big water boat. We routinely go way offshore in crappy weather (I'm in the Great Lakes) and I wouldn't trade this boat for anything else in this size range (19'6")
Stoo
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Nemrod:
As mentioned, if you are looking for a smaller boat... say under 16'... you can't go wrong with an inflatable. Safe, stable and cheap to operate. Once you get larger than this, the options become more confusing. A lot of your choice is determined by your finances and how you intend to use the boat (how often, type of water etc.) I am on my forth inflatable, so I am biased, but I wanted something that I could pull easily. The difference in weight between a 19' RIB and a 19' Whaler for example is signifcant.
Bigger than that, the choices are less clear. I have had 4 Zodiacs, so that's what I prefer. Any bigger than 19', and I would get a "real" boat...
The thing that defines a "good" inflatable is the fabric. Hypalon is tradtional and still best, but very expensive. Most smaller boats are Strongon and PVC etc. Cheaper, but hard to repair. I think the Zodiac Grand Raid series is still Hypalon
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