we have one of these boats. we drove it from ft lauderdale to andros island in october last year. i've run boats from 10 ft to 150 ft and this is one of the finest , for it's size and application, that i've ever had the pleasure to operate. we take divers out in it almost every day. we have had as many as seven divers in 8 foot plus seas. on one occasion i had 26 tanks, 13 full sets of gear and 5 people on her. no problem. as far as the hole in the floor being a useless gimmick and highly impractical, nothing could be farther from the truth. EVERY diver that we have taken out has loved it. there is absolutely no easier way to get back on the boat after a dive than to just pop up in the hole and be lifted the couple of feet into a sitting position on the floor of the boat. anyone looking for a great dive boat should consider this one. by the way, the hole is closed with a flap that is zippered and velcroed.