Zodiac for diving

[divinman]

That's a long haul.... sounds like fun. When we going?

 

[Marebythesea]

That's a long haul.... sounds like fun. When we going?

We'll let you know as soon as a decision is made....about das boat and what wheelchair ramp we'll need! LOL Honestly, if your serious and want to make that drive up to Newport Beach keep in touch. :happywave

 

[OE2X]

We too are thinking of purchasing a 20ft. rib. We have it down to Caribe and Zodiac. Any opinions/experience in choosing one over the other, other than price? :help: The main use will be dive jaunts over to Catalina and some fresh water outings.

I have a 24' Bombard DB (DB=Dive Boat) that is great. It easily accomodates four divers and all gear. I configured it to have a huge amount of open deck space towards the bow. Great area for gearing up. It also has Suzuki 140 hp 4 stroke engine which is very efficient. While this boat is no speed demon she still gets around.
Bombard is owned by Zodiac so it has the same warrenties, service and structural integrity. The nice thing about the DB's are that you configure them to your needs. I had a 50 gal below deck fuel tank installed, my helm is from Hurricane (the military division of Zodiac) and the bolster or rocket launcher is from Birdsall Marine in FL. It holds 4 tanks plus a cooler and is the finest construction that I could find. Bob Birdsall is terrific to work with as well. I found a company that makes waterproof dry boxes for whitewater rafting in Colorado to custom make three boxes for gear storage.
While I don't have a cabin or a head on board, what I do have is security knowing that this boat is hard to sink or flip. The boat is also very dry in rough weather. Recently we crossed the Columbia River Bar near Astoria OR in eight to ten foot swells without getting sprayed or scared out of our wits.
I dive with and ex Canadian Coast Guard pilot. He feels that (depending on conditions) with extra fuel on board we could drive the boat from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Queen Charlottes - about 170 NM of open ocean.
They make this boat in a variety of sizes and are well worth considering. Avon is another company worth looking at. On their larger boats they use hypalon for their tube sets. According to some this will give you more years and durability. You will pay accordingly though.
Here are a couple of sites for Bombard.
http://www.zodiacmarine.com/Eng/Bombard/
http://www.zodiac.ca/

 

[MaxBottomtime]

For years I dived from my 12 foot Achilles inflatable with a 25HP outboard. It was a dog with three divers, but perfect for two. We made hundreds of local dives as well as trips to Catalina Island, which is a 21 mile crossing each way. We could get there in about one hour and use less than five gallons of gas per day. After trying several combinations we found that laying the tanks flat and attaching bungees from a hook inside the bow to the tank valves kept them from moving in rough seas. All other gear and a cooler was piled onto the tanks and strapped down, leaving just enough room for two divers to sit in the back. I had two lines attached to clip off my gear after a dive so I could climb back into the boat. I also carried a handheld VHF and GPS in a Pelican case.

 

[metaldector]

We have a six man inflatable made in Italy with a wood floor. We use a 5 hp Susuki motor. With two people and full gear there isn't very much extra room. We are always tangled in ropes, anchor lines, floats, flag buoys, etc. Getting in is tough! Most times we throw our weights into the boat, strip off the BC and tie it to a line then flop into the boat. It isn't an easy task. Surf is also a limiting factor, somedays one can't get out through the surf unless one puts in a sheltered cove, inlet, bay, etc. We now have a 38' Mainship and use the inflatable as a tender.

 

[donclaypool]

I had a Bombard C-4 in Alaska and it was awesome. With the abuse a diveboat takes I'd go with the aluminum floor or a RIB and as much horsepower as allowed. Have some tag lines with stainless snaps dangling over the side to keep doffed gear from escaping. Make a study of repair procedures before having to make one.

don

 

[dessaler]

I have been thinking of buying a zodiac for diving and wanted to get some input as far as minimum size, motor size, configuration.

I would be carrying no more than 3 other divers plus our gear for a two tank dive. All dives would be near shore dives with max range from shore being around 2 miles line of sight distance. I of course would have a portable marine radio and cell phone secured in a dry box for emergencies. tools for repairs.

Thoughts on the subject are all appreciated.

Thanks

Terry in San Diego.

hi!
16' is very to thight for 4 diver
(i experimente this...)
20' with 115hp four stroke (Mercury or Yamaha same motor)
the perfect boat very smooth boat
soorry for my english
i dive today with 24' cuddy cabin modified with 225hp outboard (BAT''O''VIF)

 

[montyb]

Dessaler is right. I have a 16 foot achilies with 30 hp Tohatsu powering it. I have dove with 4 on it but like he said it's a little tight. Gear, 8 tanks, 4 divers. but three seems to work just fine.
montyb