Well, maybe an Olympic swimmer. Some of the sites we dive are ten miles offshore.
Private Dive Boats
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Texasguy
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Couldn't it be someone in some other boat? They come close, no one in the boat, one goes in, and off they go?
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
The last trip I took we would drop diver 1, run to another spot, drop diver 2, go back and pickup diver 1, then pickup diver 2, repeat.
I wouldn't leave a boat unattended, but to each his own. We all take risks in our own ways.
I wouldn't leave a boat unattended, but to each his own. We all take risks in our own ways.
I've been lucky I guess. I've owned four boats over the past four decades and never had a problem leaving them unattended.
During the spring and summer the wind comes up around noon here. We wouldn't have time to get in two dives if we had to leave someone on the boat and let them dive next.
During the spring and summer the wind comes up around noon here. We wouldn't have time to get in two dives if we had to leave someone on the boat and let them dive next.
sportxlh
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We didn't leave a boat unattended either: all of my private dives were drifts out of the Jupiter Inlet. With 3 on the boat, we alternated diving and driving duties. If divers are represented as A, B and C. On dive 1, A and B dove while C piloted the boat. On dive 2, A and C splashed and B drove. On dive 3, B and C dove while A drove. Everyone got 2 dives in and we took about a 30 minute SI between dives. Normally dove with 35 or 36% nitrox
Johnoly
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Please tell me you have a powered windlass,,,,,or that is the best definition of being an "anchor bitch'. ...I've been one and it's brutal but you suck it up and pull hard.
Yes I do. On my last boat I attached a liftbag to the anchor. Before we began our ascent I would fill the bag enough to get the anchor a few feet off the sand. When it came time to haul it in I would pull for a minute and the anchor would pop up in front of the boat. It made for a real easy pull.
Before that I used to pull it myself. My buddy said I was freakishly strong.
Before that I used to pull it myself. My buddy said I was freakishly strong.
Why the lack of private boats? Not sure, but here are some thoughts.
1. DESIGNATED BOAT OPERATOR. Someone needs to stay on the boat on look out while you are diving. Nothing like surfacing to find your boat has dragged anchor and is now drifting off to sea without you or has been taken (stolen) since it was left unattended on the ocean. Diving a private boat means having someone qualified to operate the boat, start it up, pull anchor and navigate it, and very important to operate the marine radio and call for help. 4 divers taking turns diving in teams of two would work, or a person who is not going to go diving.
2. Air- air compressors are expensive to buy and to operate with some items having a shelf life computed in hours run or days after the package is opened. So for the average private boat, that means bringing enough tanks for the days diving.
3. FUEL - the cost of operating your boat all falls on the boat owner. Think of it as having a private plane, sure it is nice, but when you break down the cost, it is cheaper to fly commercial. ($100 each left on the galley table discreetly is always appreciated.). What a $100 each? Heck for $125 I can take a commercial dive boat and that includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks. Yep, IMHO cheaper in the long run to go commercial. Marine fuel is not cheap and boats are not famous for sipping the fuel. Commercial boats get the advantage of the economy of scale. 10 passengers on a 48 foot boat should cover the gas, the rust start generating money for maintenance and crew (Maybe).
4. Oxygen and AED - any boat conducting dive operations should have these items and a good first aid kit on board.
5. Insurance - IF an accident were to occur while you were taking a group of friends diving on your boat would you have sufficient insurance against any possible lawsuit that may result? Nothing says ex-friend like a life altering accident on your boat, or a death.
DISCLAIMER - I do not own a boat, will never own a boat. I have other things I enjoy doing than spend my weekend working on a boat. I have friends that own a boat which I am more than happy to go out on, help crew, and help clean up when we return. But I am not rich, will never be rich and simply cannot afford the maintenance, slip fees, haul out fees, fuel charges and purchase price.
1. DESIGNATED BOAT OPERATOR. Someone needs to stay on the boat on look out while you are diving. Nothing like surfacing to find your boat has dragged anchor and is now drifting off to sea without you or has been taken (stolen) since it was left unattended on the ocean. Diving a private boat means having someone qualified to operate the boat, start it up, pull anchor and navigate it, and very important to operate the marine radio and call for help. 4 divers taking turns diving in teams of two would work, or a person who is not going to go diving.
2. Air- air compressors are expensive to buy and to operate with some items having a shelf life computed in hours run or days after the package is opened. So for the average private boat, that means bringing enough tanks for the days diving.
3. FUEL - the cost of operating your boat all falls on the boat owner. Think of it as having a private plane, sure it is nice, but when you break down the cost, it is cheaper to fly commercial. ($100 each left on the galley table discreetly is always appreciated.). What a $100 each? Heck for $125 I can take a commercial dive boat and that includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks. Yep, IMHO cheaper in the long run to go commercial. Marine fuel is not cheap and boats are not famous for sipping the fuel. Commercial boats get the advantage of the economy of scale. 10 passengers on a 48 foot boat should cover the gas, the rust start generating money for maintenance and crew (Maybe).
4. Oxygen and AED - any boat conducting dive operations should have these items and a good first aid kit on board.
5. Insurance - IF an accident were to occur while you were taking a group of friends diving on your boat would you have sufficient insurance against any possible lawsuit that may result? Nothing says ex-friend like a life altering accident on your boat, or a death.
DISCLAIMER - I do not own a boat, will never own a boat. I have other things I enjoy doing than spend my weekend working on a boat. I have friends that own a boat which I am more than happy to go out on, help crew, and help clean up when we return. But I am not rich, will never be rich and simply cannot afford the maintenance, slip fees, haul out fees, fuel charges and purchase price.
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tekkydiver
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That is not how boat thieves operate in S. Fl. They steal p/u truck then large center consoles on trailers, take them down to south Miami, strip them down then abandon them on the side of the road. An amazingly fast operation. They can beat GPS trackers and Law enforcement seems to be more interested in setting up speed traps and writing tickets.
tekkydiver
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Powered windless is great until it breaks. An anchor ball is convenient and easy. Never a need to anchor while diving in SE FL, but can occasionally when fishing.
For those who don't dive much, please realize boat diving it is not nearly this complicated as you might believe after reading this thread.
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