H20 Below (dive boat)

[mike_s]

Anyone operating the H20 Below dive boat now?

It was in the Orange Beach / Pensacola area, but I think the previous owner might not be operating it now.

Is Capt Bubba Bridges still running it?

Somehow I thought that Gary's Gulf Diver might have it or have access to using it?


Just curious.

 

[wjefferis]

the H2o Below is still in operation, but bubba is not operating the vessel. THey now book out of MBT Divers in Pensacola. The new website for the H2o below is http://www.ussoriskanydiver.com/ MBT's website is http://www.mbtdivers.com/. Hope this helps.

 

[mike_s]

ok... I heard one person talking about going out on it and also talking about MBT, so that makes sense.

thanks for the URL to their website. I did a google search on it, but it didn't show up. (which isn't good for them since people can't easily find them).

 

[ReefHound]

I was on it last summer with Capt. Doug.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Yeah, I believe several of the dive shops still book the H20 for their trips, not just MBT.

 

[wjefferis]

I would like to hear from some people who have taken a trip out with them recently. Just wondering how the captain and crew are. I have not been out with the "new" H2o crew. I only went out before the change. Bubba was a great Captain and I enjoyed his boat and hospitality.

 

[ReefHound]

I would like to hear from some people who have taken a trip out with them recently. Just wondering how the captain and crew are. I have not been out with the "new" H2o crew. I only went out before the change. Bubba was a great Captain and I enjoyed his boat and hospitality.

Like I said, it was last summer but it was with the current captain. I don't know if the DMs are the same still or not. We had DMs "Little" Rich, Travis, and Kelly. Capt. Doug was very friendly but pretty much let his DMs tend to the guests. The only negative is the boat is slow, especially when loaded. Actually I was out twice. The first time there were just 9 divers and we made decent time at 16 knots. The next time there were 16 divers and we plodded at 10 to 12 knots.

The crew was great, Capt. Doug put us over the right spot the first try, DMs quickly got us tied in, DM in the water during the dive watching over everybody, good briefing, and they grilled hot dogs for us on the way back.

 

[mike_s]

10 to 12 knots... that seems awefully slow for a Newton, unless it was ordered with wimpy enines. The Newtons I've been on have been around 20 knots easy (I'd guess).

I'm wodering in this case if it's diesel is $3 to $3.50/gallon at the dock and the captain was just being a little conservative on fuel consumption?

 

[ReefHound]

I'm wodering in this case if it's diesel is $3 to $3.50/gallon at the dock and the captain was just being a little conservative on fuel consumption?

That was exactly my thoughts.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

They don't run the Down Under boat at full throttle. Its alot faster than they push it.