Ideal boat design for a solo diver

[Cthippo]

Doing a little imagineering here as to what the ideal boat for a solo diver would look like. Something capable enough to get you safely to and from a dive site on inland or near coastal waters, big enough to carry your gear and a sizeable anchor, and yet easy to get in and out of without help. Maybe something like a RIB without a transom powered by electric motors in the pontoons?

What is the best solution to this problem you have seen?

 

[ROUS]

What a cool exercise. Following!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

For me it’s a kayak.
No motor, no gas, no battery, self powered, no trailering or boat ramps, gives me range, easy to get on and off.
The only thing I could wish for would maybe a bigger one that I could take a second tank, or second rig so I could do two dives and not have to come back in.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

I am partial to RHIB's. Even with a transom I just stepped on the cavitation plate on my 135hp Merc outboard and climbed easily aboard our 19' Nautica. Solo diving was easy. Boat launch and trailer retrieval was simple. My 2psi.

 

[SlugLife]

Knowing a friend with a boat, I'd rather avoid being a boat-owner if at all possible. Between dock-fees, maintenance costs, storage, towing, etc .... if I get a boat, it would have to be something relatively small and lightweight.

A "Jon Boat" might be my best option. I've seen a few pop up in the local area in the $800 to $1500 range. Not impressive looking, and might flip over in severe enough waves. But the point would be to get me to & from dive-sites at local lakes, and at times when other boat-traffic is low, anchor it at or the shore, and go diving from there.

I like the Kayak idea, but for the distances between boat-ramps or entry-points and where I'd like to dive, is not practical with a Kayak.

 

[GiraffeMarineSalvage]

Kayaks and RIBs are both good options in my experience. A 12' RIB (or airfloor inflatable like Achilles LSI360) with a 9.9 H.P. Yamaha outboard would get you alone with two tanks planing everywhere you might want to go, but the new 25 H.P. Yamahas are really awesome...

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Jet ski with a rescue sled might be an option. Rescue sleds can carry gear. Also, a screw-in anchor could be used as a primary or secondary anchor to back up a bag or fluke anchor on the bottom.

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[Still Kicking]

Doing a little imagineering here as to what the ideal boat for a solo diver would look like. Something capable enough to get you safely to and from a dive site on inland or near coastal waters, big enough to carry your gear and a sizeable anchor, and yet easy to get in and out of without help. Maybe something like a RIB without a transom powered by electric motors in the pontoons?

What is the best solution to this problem you have seen?

I started off with a 15' inflatable and 40HP motor. Soilid boat. Relatively cheap to buy, incredibly stable, tough, easy to manage solo, economical, etc. Downsides are that it is not very comfortable, very hard on the lower back especially with wind chop and there's no shelter from the elements. If you are young and hardy it's not such a big deal but as you get older these drawbacks take a toll.

Currently have an Arima -- built by the company that makes Defiance boats out of Bremerton. They have a great reputation with a loyal following. Tons of deck space and storage for its size, very seaworthy, economical with a 4 stroke, and an open bow makes it easy to pull anchor solo. Mine has a hard top for wind/sun protection, so it gets used 12 months of the year.

There's no such thing as an ideal boat -- all boats are a floating compromise LOL -- but so far it's working well for me.

 

[Cthippo]

OOoh, that is a sweet looking little boat!

 

[Ana]

When you say a boat for a solo diver, this implies no other people on board, correct?

If that is the case, you need to worry about the body of water where you will be leaving that vessel while you are at depth, also consider the distance away from the vessel you think you'd be.

In SE Florida, it isn't very wise to abandon a vessel. I see it done once in a while but haven't seen the same boat doing it repeatedly.

I used to dive off a kayak and loved it, but would've loved to have a jetski with a sled. To me, that would be the ideal solo diver transportation. Not that I would anchor it and dive away, I'd keep a line and either tow it or let it tow me (depending on current).

Again this is location-dependent. I was cured of "abandoning" our boat on one dive where the wind changed suddenly and the boat made a 180 that caused the anchor to fully disengage. Fortunately, my husband and I were already on the way back to the anchor and were able to deal with the situation. Different timing would've had our boat going with the wind toward either a bunch of rocks or to shore where there were many people.
I suppose you can use backup anchors, but would still leave the option for someone to just come by and take command of your vessel. The odds of someone taking a kayak or jetski being towed with a dive flag are much lower.

Just a thought...