Looking for a REAL dive ladder for my boat

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

zboss

Contributor
Messages
766
Reaction score
1
Location
Virginia
Hi Folks,

I seem to continually go through stainless steal / teak boat ladders at least once a year. The bolts come loose, the wood gets shredded, the ladder is left down and bangs around, etc...

Indeed - I think my fat ass is probably just too big for the thing with all my gear and such... sure it's rated for 250 but what is that when I have all my gear on it. So - I am looking for a dive ladder that is built with the same ruggedness of those on dive boats but it has to be telescoping, be only about 18 to 20 inches wide, be able to be flipped up, and have hinges that would allow it so sit on our tiny transom. It would also be helpful if it had more than just two or three stairs that descended into the water... it always seems too short.

Any help you guys could give me in finding out the manufacturers or those dive ladders would be helpful, even if you just have a collegue who knows where to buy them.
 
A dive buddy of mine had one custom build. Due to the fact that he dives doubles and we are looking to do some deep diving this year, it does not telescope. In fact, I am not sure how we are going to store it. He manufactured a Reese type hitch on the bottom of the dive platform and it will be placed there with a pin. It has open rungs so we can climb back on the boat with fins and gear on.

Send me an e-mail if you would like me to send pictures. Like I said, it is not compact but a very good ladder!

Roland: rashby2003 @ hotmail.com (no spaces)
 
The correct answer is that you can't buy a decent ladder only build it or have it built. 3/4 inch or 1 inch aluminum conduit is a good material to use. Cheap and strong. If at all possible mount it permanent to the boat.

Captain
 
Ridge conduit is available in both steel and aluminum. I bought it from an electrical supply house to make my ladder. You won't find it at Home Depot. In fact the guy at the supply house said he sells a lot of it to boaters.
 
Zboss,

Do a search on my name and view my boat dive ladder. I had it custom made. It should hold about 800 lbs. It is made of 1/4" aluminum 3x5 tubing. All said and done it would run about $300 to build.
 
Broken ladders. The problem has been solved. I drew a picture
of a 5' ladder arched at the top like a swimming pool ladder. A boat standoff like a "U". Took it to the MaxiMuffler shop. They made me the ladder for $100 out of 1 1/4" exaust pipe. It weighs about 20 lbs. The open ends of the arched top slip over 3" x 1 1/4" pipe nipples screwed into floor flanges. When I'm through diving I just unscrew them. It's big, strong and absolutely won't break. It's even got extensions so I can make it as long as I want. I sprayed it with Rusoleum non slip spray in bright yellow.
 
Chuck Tribolet:
I have had a Windline on TDL-3X on my Boston Whaler for about 700 dives. Still going
strong. There's a picture at http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/whaler/

HEY! I have got to say... that is probably the most well thought-out small private dive boat I have seen. I used to have the same boat, although MUCH older and I thought it was the best boat ever.

I especially like what you did by taking out the forward seating and replacing it with a tank rail... very cool.

That ladder is just about the right size also...
 
2Dive4fun:
Zboss,

Do a search on my name and view my boat dive ladder. I had it custom made. It should hold about 800 lbs. It is made of 1/4" aluminum 3x5 tubing. All said and done it would run about $300 to build.

I did see that, but unfortunately, it doesn't fit my needs for the following reasons: I have a smaller boat and stowage space is a minimum, I have a small platform to which I need to mount the ladder, I am unwilling to sacrifice the structural integrity of the hull by adding another hole. Holes (intentional ones that is!) tend to grow larger and develop spider cracks. This is what happened to our old boat, then water, salt, dirt get under the gelcoat over the years and just makes things worse.

However, maybe we could come up with a custom solution? If I drew up some specs for one that WOULD work for me...?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom