What is the ideal size RIB for scuba diving?......

[Brandon]

I had a 14' Achilles SIB with a 20HP outboard. You could put 4 divers in it, but it was slow (<10mph) and crowded. Two people was a bit more manageable. Great boat for one or two people out fishing or sightseeing.

In August I upgraded to a 22' aluminum Ribcraft with an 150HP outboard. The thread was about what size is ideal, and for me, it hit all 4 of my major needs:

• No problem carrying 4 divers + a driver, with breathing gas for two dives.
  
• Range is 250 miles at 30MPH. With 1/3 reserve, 165 miles. We regularly run 40-60 miles one way.
• Handles rough weather nicely and with a great deal of confidence. It'll go out in anything we'd be comfortable diving in, plus some.
  
• Less than 3500 lbs fully loaded, can tow with my SUV or compact pickup.

No boat is perfect... I'd sure like a full cabin, heat and a head, but that wasn't possible in a 22' boat without also buying a new tow vehicle.

My wife named her Strike II, with a warning that the next boat will be Strike III.

 

[simcoediver]

Thats mine in the Avatar. 5.4 M Highfield. All rigged up fo scuba and will take 4 divers and all gear.

 

[BoltSnap]

mine in the Avatar. 5.4 M Highfield. All rigged up fo scuba and will take 4 divers and all gear.

What makes it "rigged up fo scuba"???

 

[simcoediver]

This is a picture of it when I first bought it. It now has a dive ladder, holders for 6 tanks, the drivers seat has been removed for more room. A winch system for hauling out full sets of scuba gear..

 

[BoltSnap]

This is a picture of it when I first bought it. It now has a dive ladder, holders for 6 tanks, the drivers seat has been removed for more room. A winch system for hauling out full sets of scuba gear..

Please show pictures of the rigging for scuba you have now.

 

[simcoediver]

Ok, the boat is in storage now for the winter and I can not get to it now to take better pictures until spring. I found a few pictures from the past summer so you can get an idea.. The 3rd and the last pictures shows the ladder which attaches to a bracket just to the left of the engine. I still have some more ideas , It is a work in progress.do you have a similar boat?

 

[simcoediver]

We use the winch because myself and one of my dive buddies has bad knees , so we take our gear off in the water and attach it to the winch to haul up to the boat. So much easier!

 

[BoltSnap]

I am looking into buying a small boat myself actually and looking to see how other people rig theirs. I don't have boating experience so I am almost lost in the process. I'll start with a 4.2 meter boat, (foldable type, (2 scuba divers and a diver or 4 free divers) and learn my way around RIBS and work up to a 6 - 7 meter RIB later.

I like your winch setup. Can it lift safely a double setup? Also, I'd like to see how your setup your ladder. The picture doesn't show it in detail. I guess we have to wait for spring when you can access your boat (we can dive almost all year long here )

 

[Wookie]

I am quite fond of my Avon Searider 6.4M with 4 cylinder Volvo and outdrive. 25 knots with 5 adults and 4 sets of gear and an extra tank for each of the 4 is not out of line at all. I've taken it as far as 25 miles from the dock on 10 gallons of fuel, it holds 50. Has a touchscreen chartplotter with sounder and AIS.

 

[Brandon]

I like your winch setup. Can it lift safely a double setup? Also, I'd like to see how your setup your ladder.

Doubles are pretty easy to get back into an inflatable boat. Doff the gear in the water and clip off onto one of your lifelines. Once you're back in the boat, face the rig away from you (so the cylinders are against the tubes), grab the valves, and lean/squat backwards. Your bodyweight will provide leverage to pull them back in with little effort, and an inflatable boat is close enough to the water to make this possible. Works with single tanks too, just need to be careful of the tank buckles.

On mine, they ride up against the rubstrake, so there's little risk of hurting anything. Glue on a wear pad if you need to. Heavy hypalon boats were made to do this.

I don't bother with a ladder. Just leave your fins on, grab the lifeline, duck your head to the water, and kick like a mofo while pushing down on the lifeline with your arms when your chest comes out of the water. Your goal is to get your center of gravity (my gut/waist) resting on the center of the tube. Then you can swing your legs in. Help your buddies until they get the hang of it. Bonus points for encouraging them to make "arf arf" noises like a sea lion while performing this maneuver.

There's also this option, which my buddy and I both spent about an hour trying to do in drysuits in 45F water. I think we're too fat.