Some Boat Questions:

[Ana]

It amazes me how popular are center consoles.

Unless you start adding tops and curtains there's zero protection from the elements. So you go out diving , the person on board either gets cooked in the sun or freezes in the rain, then on the way back everyone gets to either burn or freeze.

Why the resistance to a small cabin? I'd lwouldnt mind having a 25' Parker, ours is 23 and a true plesure. This November will be 14 years with it , lost count of the hundreds of dives made from it. Also air shows, 4th of July, boat shows, pic-nics, night out for fun, brunches n dinners in the intercoastal, as well as many outings in the rain because why not.
While we were in the panhandle diving in 50-60 degree waters was bearable because you get the gear off and close the door on the cabin to keep the 40-50 degree air out, once dry inside you just cruise back home drinking a winter coffee. No way I would transit all those miles on a center console.
Even here in South Florida is nice to be protected from whatever the day may throw, on flat days you can take a nap after the dive without worrying about a sunburn or the afternoon thunderstorms of the summer.
Then again is not the first time I hear that a Parker is the wrong boat for Florida. If that boat is wrong I don't ever want to be right.

 

[Johnoly]

..Why the resistance to a small cabin? ....

Love Parker's for all the reasons you said.....but for the east coast short distances mainly.
Doing 20+ miles each way at 12mph in 2-4's getting pounded with an occasional 6 for over an hour trying to get back to the inlet is just brutal. We are lucky on the east side that we can actually dive and see people standing on the beach at the same time. All while conducting work conference calls on our phones between dives. I've had more than once, attendee's say on the audio only call " Are you diving??!!" cause tanks are clanging in the background.

But taking a Parker out 90 minutes of travel time in 2-4's 20 miles out (let alone a single engine for breakdowns). you might do a couple of times, but not every week. I guess just like BCD's and gear setup, each type of diving takes a different type of equipment because there is no 1 single "Best" for everywhere. I do love Parker's in the winter with a propane buddy heater !!

 

[Ana]

...
But taking a Parker out 90 minutes of travel time in 2-4's 20 miles out (let alone a single engine for breakdowns). you might do a couple of times, but not every week. I guess just like BCD's and gear setup, each type of diving takes a different type of equipment because there is no 1 single "Best" for everywhere. I do love Parker's in the winter with a propane buddy heater !!

It took us a couple of years figuring out what boat to get. Actually went to the place in North Carolina where they make the Parker's .
I stood on the deck of a 25' and at the moment felt like too much boat to wash... I know , maybe not the best argument when deciding what size to get but that was my first impression. The thought of redundancy for engines was at the top of our priorities and the 23' only came with single engines (at least back then, not sure now).
It also meant close to 15k more so we had to wait a bit longer. The following months we figured what electronics to get, started the design of the ladder, dreamed of the day we'd stop using charters and generally obsessing on having a boat. In the middle of all that we learned that Seatow would go way out there in the Gulf of Mexico and almost to Bahamas in the Atlantic to get a member, so we rationalized getting the 23' instead of waiting to put together another 15k.
After all these years only once in a while I wish I had the 25' but not at the fuel pumps, or when doing the 50hour service, definetly not when washing it.

Obviously I do understand people like different styles of boats and that's perfectly fine.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Our C-Dory Tomcat is the perfect boat for the type of diving we do. Sometimes we go offshore to the backside of Catalina Island, about a 70 mile run. We also have seven other islands within 115 miles of our slip. Most of the time we dive reefs and wrecks that are within 20 miles of home. We also have wrecks and reefs less than a mile from the harbor.

We have a pilot house so we can get out of the weather. Wind, sun, hot, cold, rain, or just splashing saltwater takes its toll on you after a day on the water. If it's hot, we have two fans or we can open windows. If it's cold, we have a diesel stove/heater. The Tomcat has a queen size V-berth in case anyone needs to sleep on the way to or from a dive site. We also have a refrigerator, sink, marine head, and hot/cold freshwater shower. I added a longer hose so we can shower and rinse our gear out on the deck after diving. We don't go inside the pilot house with wet gear. We also have an air dryer and two dehumidifiers to keep the musty smell common to many boats away. We've owned the boat for ten years and it still smells fresh.

The boat is powered by twin Honda 150 HP outboards with hydraulic steering. We had a custom swing dive ladder installed to make climbing back aboard in full gear easier. I installed racks for up to eight single tanks or sets of doubles. A stainless Bruce type anchor and 400 feet of chain holds the boat in any conditions we have been out in. The shiny anchor is very visible underwater, making it easier to find our way back at the end of a dive. Chain markers let me know how much chain I have let out. I have different color markers a fifty feet intervals. Caribiners with bolt snaps are attached to the railings along either side of the boat so we can clip off our cameras rather than trying to carry them up the ladder. Our camera rigs are the size of many small cars. A thirty gallon rinse tank keeps our cameras, computers, and compasses salt-free.

Inside we have a VHF radio mounted as well as a handheld backup. A GPS/RADAR/Fishfinder multifunction display allows me to anchor within five feet of my coordinates every time. I have a drop camera so I can check the visibility and conditions on the reef before we gear up. It has saved us from a lot of aborted dives. I have a large dive flag on a long PVC pole that can be seen a couple of miles away.

The catamaran hull provides stability. There is nothing worse than having so muscles after a day of holding onto rails on a monohull. It's great to be able to gear up on a 25 foot boat that isn't rocking.

It is fast enough to get us there and back, comfortable enough without having to treat it like a yacht, functional enough to get us on the dive sites accurately and safely, and it keeps Merry happy, which is the most important function.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I have an aluminium catamaran, 6.4 metres length. Fantastic boat, my second dive cat. Made in Australia, so will not be available anywhere except perhaps New Zealand. See Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site for more information.

 

[TuckerIdaho]

Grady Voyager 258, Pursuit 2650 both bang off the list of things you and your wife want.

I own both a 23 foot CC and a 26 foot pocket express (cuddy cabin and tower) and unless the weather is perfect, I wouldn't dive from the CC.

 

[PBcatfish]

Parker is a great choice for the Carolina's and parts north. Not so much in S. Florida.... either coast.

Why?
I'm not saying that you are wrong. I am just curious what your reasons are.

 

[PBcatfish]

My general opinions on boat types are as follows:

Cats cut the water much better than mono-hull boats of similar size. World Cat is not the only one out there. Twin V are good. Freemans are better

If you go with a mono-hull, more deadrise in the hull makes it cut the chop better, but less deadrise tends to make it more stabilize at anchor or on the drift & will allow you to get on plane with less HP while burning less fuel.

As for deck layout, here in south Florida, center consoles are generally fine. If you want some more protection, you can add some canvass. If you prefer a pilot house, that is fine. If you want to keep your gear on board, then something like an express fisherman or cuddy cabin may be better. If you want to sleep aboard, then a cuddy is probably the way to go.

Nobody seems to be talking about RHIBS. Those are some of the most seaworthy boats for their size & they are easy to get in & out of. I seldom even bring a ladder when I dive from one. I just ditch my gear in the water with a line tied to it, then fin up into the boat & pull my gear up after. I really like RHIBS. If you get a RHIB, get Hypalon tube material, not vinyl.

Freeboard - this is a fairly important consideration. If you are not going to get a fantail, swim platform, &/or a walk through door, then you might want to have some fairly low freeboard at some place on the boat.

Sailboats - I dive from one all the time. They are slow going to & from the dive site & they require an extra skill set to operate, but they take a chop like a champ, the cost of fuel can't be beat, & most in the 26" range have a fair amount of cabin space.

Then there is price...

There are lots of options.

 

[PBcatfish]

Our C-Dory Tomcat is the perfect boat for the type of diving we do.

That's a really pragmatic looking rig. Thanks for posting.

 

[Ghost95]

26' Shamrock Mackinaw. 26' General Marine $$$$, 28' Albin TE (Tournament Express).

Single inboard diesels. Heavier boats that handle well when it gets "Nautical". Plenty of room for socializing especially if you add a full coverage bimini to cover the stern deck.