South FL Waters and 12 ft Inflatable??

[ermaclob]

A 12 ft will be crowded with two divers and gear. Once you put a motor on it you won't be allowed to launch from shore. This means you will have to go out an inlet. If the ocean is flat you can still have 3-4 foot waves from the large yachts and big charter boats in the inlet. The waves hit the shore and bounce back making a confused sea state. It can get sporty. I wouldn't recommend it

Yea i know the inlets really really suck to get out of, but im pretty sure it can be done especially with a slightly bigger boat and engine. just got make sure not to go out one really bad days. Could also go around Key Biscayne for Miami stuff.

Is there really no beach launching in south Florida at all? Cant we row out and place the motor on the boat once we are out of the no boat zone?

 

[BUDMANOK]

I dive with a 15 ft SIB and a 18 horse Nissan outboard and I use a trailer to haul it back and forth to the lake. It is light weight so a car can pull the trailer which makes it so much easier then inflating and deflating all the time.

 

[ermaclob]

I dive with a 15 ft SIB and a 18 horse Nissan outboard and I use a trailer to haul it back and forth to the lake. It is light weight so a car can pull the trailer which makes it so much easier then inflating and deflating all the time.

how many ppl can you take out with that 18 hp? i wish i could just trailer the boat but alas i can't, for i live with my parent and they have no love of the life aquatic. And refuse to let me use there yard for something as big as a boat and trailer. :/

 

[herbdb]

This is a pretty bad idea. Small inflatibles are very unstable with just a small amount of wind and waves. They are really meant for protected waters in good weather.

With two divers and gear, you will probably not be able to get it up on a plane. Slow and unstable is a bad combination.

Your posts tell me you are pretty determined to do this regardless of the opinions you get here. My advise is to rent or borrow a similar boat and try it for yourself before you commit to open water trips.

I took a sailboat down the ICW and crossed to the Bahamas a few years ago. We had an 11' inflatible with a fiberglass v-hull bottom. We found that when the winds picked up we were stuck on the boat because the dingy became unsafe. I ended up renting a slip for the winter so I could tie up when the winds picked up.

The flat bottom on the auctioned boat will make it even worse for directional control.

 

[BUDMANOK]

how many ppl can you take out with that 18 hp?

most I've ever taken is 2 total myself and 1 other. I guess you could take 3 but that's really pushing it . I guess I'm overly cautious but 2 divers is the max that I would take out which eliminates the ability to leave someone in the boat. We use it to reach shore dives we can't get to otherwise not as a dive platform. A small boat being rocked by waves is very hard to climb back in to after a dive. BTW my boat has an inflatable keel which is supposed to make it more stable than a flat bottom.

there are websites out there that cater to inflatable owners you should check them out and ask a few questions you will get real life answers.

 

[ermaclob]

that boat i got also has an inflatable keel, only thing is it is external compared to other boats which have it on the inside. i dont think there will be much of a difference in the smoothness of the ride he comparing inflatable boats of this size. if anything its going to be the same as a trihull boat like a 13' Boston whaler. here are some comparison shots

this is the saturn keel (most boats ive seen have this)

and this is the sea eagles