Boat for tech diving?

[_Ralph]

Some ramblings:

Whats the depth of the wreck? That will give an indication on how much equipment will be on board ..

0-100ft, doubles with an AL40 (1-2 dives)

100-170ft range, expect double 100-130 with an AL 80 per person (1-2 dives)

150-250ft, expect double 130 (or rebreather), 2 AL80 and an AL40 (one set of doubles per dive)

250ft+ .... a lot more than the above!


Plus scooters, maybe an extra 80 or few depending on the dive plan (or for argon/drysuit bottles on multi dive charters). And possibly serious camera setups (not many GoPro selfie sticks ...)

Lots of drinking water and O2!

A bench (or more) that can fit 2 doubles deep (one bare, one setup), along with a nice area to secure deco bottles (standing, clipped off to something, or laying down in an area 'not entirely in the way', and can't roll off of something) Same with the scooters. Standing and clipped off. Have lots of extra straps/bungees to secure everything!


Shot lines are great to get down in close proximity to a wreck. Any significant current, expect floating deco.

A second hand (provided enough room, and knowlegeable), is always great, especially when you're passing up scooters, deco bottles/etc (one person on the swim grid getting passed to from the diver, other in the boat, cleaning up and securing the equipment ... it piles up fast with 3 bottles, and scooter per diver!).

A quick 'what/how would you like done' before getting to site is always appreciated wrt gear, and knowing how the different organizations differences are wrt to gear and protocols (to be able to help out in a pinch adjusting/rerouting things .... canister cords, drysuit whips, clipping stages, etc).

Also, make sure you know what the dive plan is, to the minute (bottom time, deco time, SMB deployment). If someone comes up sooner, there's a problem (either with the team, or site condition). That way you know when to expect divers. It also doesn't hurt to know some of the rough deco tools (like Ratio Deco) to verify the dive teams plans (i.e. bull **** checker ... a 45 minute dive at 150ft with 10 minutes of deco all on OC???? yeah right ... you are not entirely responsible for them under the water, but why let them dive if they don't know what they are doing?)


As far as captaning ... the usual as everything else, make sure the boat is in good running shape (clean, no fumes, no leaks, no useless clutter, etc), knowledgeable about the site and possible conditions, expedient on timing (lots of $$$ in breathing gases on board ... you don't want a missed dive with a boat full of tech divers because of something not on their end).


I'd start out (if possible) with some good local tech guys and see what they think, and always ask for feedback on how to make it better! (and try to make it happen) After a few charters like that, 'open up the pool' to others.


If some things you need to enforce (like SMB as soon as an ascent starts), let it be known well in advance to teams (at time of booking/questions, and in writing), so they know they should bring a reel rather than a spool, etc



_R

 

[buckled plates]

Yep, we'll only do it if we can do a proper job of it. Lot to consider, and thanks to all for the input. If and when we do it, we'll pay to tag along on some tec trips to observe and learn. Then, when we're ready to run our own, we'll offer a few free runs to well qualified guys with the proviso that were running them as trials for the operation, and then fix what needs fixing before opening up to the community at large.

 

[FionaH]

I'm British as well, but from totally the opposite end of the UK from Rivers. From a good dive boat, one I'll book multiple times - things I want to find are - a flat kitting up deck, ideally behind some sort of shelter deck, benches that are wide enough to kit up with twins and any stages etc without moving - too wide and I get stuck (little legs) too narrow the cylinders fall off, and ideally a solid bench, so danglies etc don't fall down the gaps while you're trying to kit up. A space for a kit box underneath the bench. Oxygen and/or Helium, with whips long enough I can tie my kit in place and leave it there, they get refilled in situ. A good lift - not one of those double ones, they feel too exposed and liable to fall off, but wide enough and deep enough to sort myself out on prior to lifting. A crew to pick up any dsmb/goodies/clams/cameras at this point. I definitely don't want the boat tied in, but the wreck shotted ( a permanent shot is fine) giving me an entry and ideally an exit point. However plan for all in within a few minutes of each other and the boat 'live' to pick us all up again - or simply if it gets too crowded with the bubble curtain on the shot.
If we dive out own boat, we'll send the shot back up if everyones agreed we'll ascent free, but otherwise they are perfectly retrievable with a winch ( if required, clip a bouy on and drive off, shot will lift easier)
Once back on board, plenty of warmth and shelter plus hot drinks ( cold I guess in Florida) to get out the weather - at home the best thing ever in Feb/march is a hot shower to warm up again still in a dry suit. Has to have a good skipper, and ideally a no-numpty policy on board

 

[Wookie]

If you would like to go with me to the Rhein/Araby Maid/Wilkes trip, say the word. I'm always looking for someone to recommend to my customers for the WB and the other deeper wrecks close to there for a smaller boat than mine. I'm the only guy in Key Weird with rental rebreather cylinders and boosters and banked trimix and rental doubles sidemount and backmount and have well over $75k invested in tech diving equipment. I would love to see KW turned back into a trimix mecca. It's been a long time. And there are plenty of guys around who can tie in to the Wilkes. Question is, can they tie in to the Kendrick or the Fred T. Berry?

 

[KenGordon]

That's the most sensible solution, and the advantage of your "loser pays" tort system. Here in the US, any diver handling gear for the operator becomes, in essence, an employee of the operator for legal liability; furthermore, our Jones Act permits a piercing of the corporate veil for maritime issues which means virtually unlimited liability for the operator if the uninsured diver is injured while handling boat gear.

I suppose if it was easy everyone would be doing it...

It depends on the boat and the place. Many larger boats have a winch to pull the shot. They leave it in place until all the divers are back on board so as not to be distracted from following SMBs. It also serves as a way to stay down in some scenarios.
Sometime returning to the shot is necessary.
You still get 10 or 12 divers with twins or rebreathers and stages on a proper boat.

Note that there is less of a distinction between 'tech' and 'recreational' diving here. If I charter a boat for a club dive and someone has 20 minutes of deco and someone else has none there is no issue except missing the hot chocolate and maybe cake.

By larger I mean something like a 12m cat. The licensing rules make 12 divers the defacto limit.

 

[buckled plates]

If you would like to go with me to the Rhein/Araby Maid/Wilkes trip, say the word. I'm always looking for someone to recommend to my customers for the WB and the other deeper wrecks close to there for a smaller boat than mine.

Yes, I would like to do that. Going with you guys on your Dry T. trip mid-July, but free from early May on for the Willy B and others. I worked a headboat trip as a DM two days ago. The captain's been on the Willy B and in speaking with him, I'm sure you're right, tie in on the WB will be easy. As for recovering the hook, given the reasonable cost of wreck tackle to secure a light workboat, I figure that can be built into the charter if it has to be left behind. In the end, the bigger question is, is a 25 - 30' 6-pack workboat that's well equipped for rec diving, an acceptable platform for 4-5 tech divers planning a 250' dive? If it is, it's a worthy adjunct to my current business. If not, then I believe the cost of capitalizing a larger and well equipped boat for that type of diving could not be supported by the current market in this area, and the WB will continue to have limited access by traveling divers. Trimix, rebreather supplies, etc., (to the best of my knowledge) are available at MDEA in Marathon (30 minutes from my location on Big Pine Key).