RIB Boat as a dive boat

[Donnie1442000]

On the east coast there is a dealer in MA that sells Ballistic inflatables. I just purchased a new 2004 6.5M with twin 90hp Nissans for just over 30K. This is not a safe boat and has the inflatable tubes. As I recall there was a note about advertising so I can’t give there name but a search for Ballistic RIBS will give you results. They are great people and easy to work with.

ON a different subject thank you for serving and wish you a safe return.

 

[force8marine]

RIBs are perfect dive platforms. Lots of options for boarding. Great to go over the side on the way into the water. Once you get above the smaller RIBs and into the larger (7.8m +), the beam gets much better. www.tpmarine.nl has very tough 7.8m RIBs with over 6' of beam inside the tubes. Plenty of choices for seating, gear stowage, power, etc.

 

[spankey]

Anyone ever dive from a RIB (Rigid-hull Inflatable Boat) that is about 7.8 meters in length? I am considering one of these boats as a dive platform as well as an all-around boat to handle fishing and just plain old weekend boating. Let me know your thoughts and suggestions about these boats.

These boats are awsome, it's the only way diving is done in South Africa. They handle rough seas very well even fully loaded with 12 divers, gear, skipper and deckhand. Most of the dive boats around South Afirca have 2x 65hp yamaha's which work fine even in high sea's. You do get a wet ride but that is part of the fun.

have a look at this link for an image to get a feel on how these boats are setup.

http://www.devoceandiving.com/images/ponta-do-ouro-dive-boat.jpg

http://www.erwinpilon.nl/pics/Mozambique/Dive Boat Launch.JPG

 

[Larry C]

We have a blast in our 19 footer. Last weekend we had four boats in heavy seas on the North Coast. From what I saw we were fairly lonely out there. Our 19, an 18, a 16 and a SeaSwirl Striper. A little wet and some interesting aerial stunts going into the wind, but no real problem in 8-14 foot swells with four/five on board in 20-30 knot winds. We have taken 6 ( a little cramped ) with a bench seat and center console. More room with the seat and console in the back or an open model.

 

[Stoo]

I have a Hurricane 590 with a 150HP Yamaha, which I use in the Great Lakes extensively. It's a great boat for two "tech" divers and a tender. Our "seas" here get pretty rough and the waves are much closer together which makes for a pretty rough ride. In this boat, I can cruise at 30+ knots in 3 foot chop. It's wet, but comfortable. This is my 4th inflatable and 2nd RIB. The Hurricanes are "bombproof" (probably a bad choice of phrase considering you're where you are...!) but I have had this boat about 10 years and it is in great shape.

This may not be relevant, but I big advantage of the RIB over a "real" boat is that are comparatively light, which is an advantage when towing. I drag my boat from Lake Superior to the St. Lawrence easily (with a Yukon). A regular boat with the same capabilities, such as a 21 foot Whaler, would be much heavier...

Keep you head down over there, and get home safe!

 

[Larry C]

One thing to think about when you're looking at boat size is where you plan to put in. If you're on open Ocean, a 22' RIB is great. If you plan to dive any small coves, you might want something a little smaller. My friends 16ft. Zodiac with a 60hp motor keeps up quite nicely (and is slightly faster in perfect conditions) than my 19 footer with 115hp. He does just fine on 15ft. seas. We have a couple of really nice dive spots on the West Coast that have narrow or shallow access. He can breeze right in, but it's a chore for us. Granted, four people is a squeeze in his boat, and technically we can take 10. (6 is a real clusterf....) So think about where you want to go and how many people you really want to bring along when you're deciding what size to go with.

 

[Donnie1442000]

Larry C wich part of the West Coast are you diving out of? I'm up here in Seattle and always looking for fellow boat divers.

Donnie

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Larry C wich part of the West Coast are you diving out of? I'm up here in Seattle and always looking for fellow boat divers.

His profile says he dives the Monterey/Carmel area (and having seen his smiling mug,
I can attest that he's there most every weekend.)

 

[Gilldiver]

For some big RIB boats check out Puffin divers in Scotland. http://www.puffin.org.uk/

They have 2 12.5m with twin 250 inboards.

 

[olympic divers]

First of all the correct U.S. Navy acronym is "RHIB" boat. They are great for getting somewhere fast. They are pretty much low maintenance. The downside is the cost. The big ones are very expensive. The smaller ones have great boating performance but for serious diving you won't have much room for gear. It all depends on what you want and what you can afford. We use a RHIB to run stuff from shore to the work boat and once in a while on weekends for a quick exploratory dive or just out having fun. If you just want to speed out, make a quick dive or two and head in, they work great. If you are looking at a bigger RHIB, your money could probably be better spent on a more traditional type fiberglass boat that has more room.