Docking a Sailboat at an Offshore Platform?

[mike_s]

Interesting conversation in this thread.

I never realized that offshore oil rigs allowed private boats to fish/dive around their facility. Honestly, I'm shocked they allow it! What kind of dives have you had on these offshore rigs? what can you see?

some of the Dive & Fishing charter operators actually run trips to these rigs off the gulf coast. I think the same off the California coast.

 

[SCUBASailor]

some of the Dive & Fishing charter operators actually run trips to these rigs off the gulf coast. I think the same off the California coast.

There aren't any dive operations that depart from our area (Vermilion Bay, LA). We have to go East, to Pensacola, or West to Freeport, TX for commercial operations. Either way it's not a day trip.

I've resigned myself to the fact that it's just not practical to dive from my boat. It's more practical to drive to Florida to do salt water dives.

On the bright side, in 2 weeks I'm doing the Flower Garden Banks dive off the Fling. I'll be doing my first deep dive with my dive instructor to complete my AOW cert.

 

[captain]

Interesting conversation in this thread.

I never realized that offshore oil rigs allowed private boats to fish/dive around their facility. Honestly, I'm shocked they allow it! What kind of dives have you had on these offshore rigs? what can you see?

Divers and fishermen have been tying up to the Gulf platforms since the beginning of offshore drilling. After 9/11 there was some talk of banning it but the fishermen and divers raised so much hell about the plan that it was scrapped.
There is only one platform that you can't even approach within a mile of and that is the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port platform where super tankers are unloaded.
California platforms have different rules, you have to get prior permission to dive and boats can't tie up.