Motor Cruiser Charter and Scuba Diving

[Emason]

Hi,

My husband is 40 this year and for his birthday present I am thinking of purchasing his RYA Helmsman and Day Skipper qualifications so that once he is qualified he can fulfil his ambition of a bareboat charter of a motor cruiser and scuba diving holiday.

As we are relatively new to this I was wondering if this is even possible to do and whether anyone has experience of doing this. I can see plenty of places to arrange a bareboat charter providing you have RYA day skipper or higher, however I cannot see places that tie this in with scuba diving tank rental.

Is there any reason for this? Are there regulations preventing you from mooring up at a dive site and going scuba diving? Obviously we could charter a boat and then just go to a scuba diving shop and rent the tanks but before I purchase the courses and set the wheels in motion I thought it wise to ensure that this is not just a pipe dream and is actually possible.

We are qualified scuba divers to Master Scuba diver level with over 100 dives. The dream would be to have each of our holidays chartering a boat somewhere new and then going diving in the local sites. Initially this would probably be in the Mediterranean.

All advice would be very much appreciated.

Thank you

[skipmac]

Can't comment about the Med but in the Bahamas and Caribbean I don't know of any bare boat charters that include a SCUBA package. However, if you are certified it's quite easy in most islands to rent the gear from a separate operation to take with you on the charter boat.

There are a few islands that restrict diving for environmental and probably economic reasons where you will be required to dive only with local dive tour operators but on the whole you can take tanks and dive when and where you will.

[Teknav]

Sail anywhere you want, then call a local dive shop to come and pick you up from your boat; one or two tank dives can be arranged. This is done all the time, but you need to let the dive shop know of your whereabouts a day before. Just make sure the dive shop is a PADI or a similar facility, to ensure that safety standards are adhered to. (PADI has, online, a list of all their members dive shops worldwide.) As for having your own tanks/weights and diving off your boat, it is doable provided that you have one person on board who will keep an eye on you, while diving. That person should also be a certified diver with his/her own dive gear ready to jump in if need be. Your boat should be equipped with a ladder and a platform for easy entry/exit. If you'll be diving on your own, you need to be aware of the currents. For years, I dove Abu Qir near Alexandria - Egypt. The diving was great but I had to contend with very strong rip currents; neither a dive shop there nor a nearby hospital with Hyperbaric chamber. Be careful diving on your own in Arab countries...you could be mistakenly charged with spying; I would not do it, without using a local dive pro shop. Have fun! Mauritz

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Emason.

[Emason]

Thanks for the welcome GordMay

It is good to know that it can be done but sounds like it needs some planning. Great stuff!

[Hatteras37]

Welcome! I am in the same dream with a Hatteras 37 in Greece.
You might have an opportunity here. They are deploying the red carpet for investors. If you are considering the Greek Flag for your yacht.
The waters are super and Greece has one of the best summers on the planet with a selection choice of Weather conditions for motor cruisers.
Eg. Cyclades June July, Ionian islands August September .
With the crisis all services are cheaper except oil and gas.

Santorini, Mykonos , Skiathos,Kefalonia, Syfnos,Patmos,Leykad,Ithaki,Paxoi are the VIP, Celebrity magnets.Two of them in global top ten.

Last week the emir of Katar bought 8 islands in the Ioanian territory.

Croatia with tax free facilties is close.


Cheers

Bill