What exactly is a "cattle boat" in your definition?

[vladimir]

Cattle boats. Even a six pack can be one. It's about the way the crew treats the divers, not about the divers. Do they herd you on and off the boat, limiting bottom times, or forcing you to follow around a DM in a group? Are they off to the same sites on the same schedules every day? Do they expect everyone to dive their al80's? have rules about wearing computers and minimum tank PSI? Do they hate doubles, refuse rebreather divers, insist there be no deco dives? Is it all about the numbers, and is their goal to get you in and out of the water as fast as they can so they can head back to the docks for the next group?

Cattle boats try to get tips from the divers with the same tired jokes during the briefing and cookies after lunch, not by catering to the specific needs of the divers. Cattle boats know that they will never see you again after your vacation, and they treat you like it. The crew is usually burned out, the fun of diving is long gone and they see the divers only as cash flow or a potential hassle.

This is good Rick, but a lot of your cattle boats sound like a bargain compared to some resort operations. How about Reef [-]Runners[/-] Divers, the operation at Little Cayman Beach Resort, that requires you to limit your dive to 50 minutes? As I have said elsewhere, a really well-run operation with good crew--but they have a schedule to keep. It might be fine for a lot of divers, but it rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[riverdiver]

On any boat that they have to do a head count on, that would be a cattle boat. I do not care to dive on them but I have and will. I can't find my mask, where are my fins. I need sea fog, what is the name of this dive site again, will you sign my log book, I need a dive buddy. And the list goes on and on.
That is why I love diving off mine or my many friends boats. Everyone knows the game plan, where their gear is and no drama.

 

[BDSC]

How about Reef Runners, the operation at Little Cayman Beach Resort,

It's Reef Divers but I get your point.

 

[Chad Carney]

I love six pack boats! They don't have to be little "beat you up" boats.

The captain & crew have nothing to do with the cattle boat rating... it's all about space. (Spacious liveaboards can have bad crews, rules etc.)

A simple math formula works pretty well in my experience. (Even though boats are often differently porportioned as to space for the dive deck, bridge & cabin etc.)

Length (LOA) x beam = square feet / # of divers (include DMs) = sq ft per diver.

About 44 to 45 is my minimum for comfort, and 50 + is better.

Examples of some common dive boats: JMHO Cattle Boat designation in bold. (Aka "dive bus")

100 x 20 = 2000 / 20 = 100 (Certified crewboat conversion liveaboard.)

36 x 14.5 = 522 / 12 = 43.5 (Certified Newton @ less than capacity.) Same full / 22 = 23.7 :shocked2:

30 x 12 = 360 / 8 = 45 (Certified Island Hopper carrying less than capacity.) Same full /18 = 20 :shocked2:

28 x 9.5 = 266 / 6 = 44.3 (Delta 6 pack or cert. @ less than capacity.) Same full / 12 = 22.2 :shocked2:

25 x 8 = 200 / 4 = 50 (Private vessel less than capacity.) Same full / 6 = 33.3 :frown:

** 36 x 13.5 = 486 / 4 = 121.5 (My boat @ preferred less than capacity... yeah I'm spoiled!) Same full / 6 = 81.

Capt Chad

 

[Doc]

Here's a previous poll result:

What is a Cattle Boat?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

If the boat has more than around 6 people I consider it a cattle boat. I like bigger boats with better melanoma decks, but I am not a huge fan of bungling around with tons of divers. YMMV though.

We just did a three-day liveaboard on a boat with 22 divers. Could be a cattle boat.

Except all 22 divers had advanced certifications, knew their stuff, and dove with no drama and excellent skills. Not only was having 22 divers not a problem, but it was fun, because you could ALWAYS find a team to join, even if your usual buddy/ies had decided to sit out the dive.

Welcome to Planet Moo ...

... ah, but there were some happy cows on that boat ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Chad Carney]

Good pics Bob... tech or photo beef is the worst kind!

 

[captain]

Well, it's less the people "passengers" than the people "running the boat" that make it a cattle boat.

To me a cattle boat is one where they rush everyone into the water at once, with orders to be "back on the boat at X time" when they give you a bare minimum surface interval, and then repeat the process for dive two so they can get back to the dock for the afternoon herd.

And they go to same closest places every time.

 

[Buoyant1]

Hard to nail down as ONE particular thing I think....I can call a small boat a cattle boat when it's a "Charlie Foxtrot" situation! I've been on a smaller boat that was over crowded and with people that are probably WWW's who dive one week every year.

I've been on some large boats with many people, and no one got in each other's way or did it at any time feel like a cattle boat situation

I don't really have a problem with dive op's that let snorkelers come on if they need to keep some extra income coming in because the recession is a b*tch, but I think there needs to be a line drawn when it distracts the divers on board. (although there was one trip last year that had 3 GORGEOUS Brazilian babes in bikini's who brought some Moet & Chandon for the post dive toast!)

One charter I've used carries divers and snorkelers, but has a boat large enough that "never the twain shall meet" and they keep the seperation pretty strict! Another it's a little tight on such a small boat...

I'm sure we're going to find fault in anything BUT the most ideal situation, but the nice thing is in the area's I've been, I can always seem to find another OP if one annoy's me!

 

[Buoyant1]

Welcome to Planet Moo ...

... ah, but there were some happy cows on that boat ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Wow... with all that gear it has the potential to become planet "CLUSTER" moo! I'll bet it was a bunch of happy moo moo's though!