Any divers out there?

[Green BUT Adventurous]

Since started sailing I find myself diving less.....

[starfish62]

The great thing about diving while cruising, in my experience, is that the people you meet exceed the wonderful things that you see. We were in Cocos last summer and begged tank fills (no compressor onboard) from the Okeanos Aggressor and two other excursion vessels (Sea Hunter and Undersea Hunter, I think), both out of Punta Arenas. None would accept a penny for the tank fills (the Aggressor boat even offered us free nitrox!), and everyone was more interested in where the mantas or whale sharks were than the size of your boat. Lots of similar experiences with bigger cruisers who had compressors. . . .Dive Dive Dive!

[RandyAbernethy]

My wife and I are making a buying decision on a boat in April. We just got back from a charter trip in the BVI and did a week on a monohull and a week on a multihull back to back to get some perspective. We plan to have a dive compressor aboard and one of the things that struck me was how much easier it was to manage the gear and dive off of a Catamaran. Anyone else have thoughts around which boats make the best dive platforms?

[starfish62]

First, Guess I didn't answer the survey. Sorry. I'm a rescue diver, diving since late teens (too long ago). About 1,000 dives. 12 countries, and counting, so far. Wife is a good AOW. Son is, too. We all dive every Sunday (church, you know). All dive nitrox exclusively here as we spearfish and go for lobbies so we need the bottom time. All on computers--I've an Oceanic Data Pro Plus 2, which I love, Linda has a Tusa, which has the Suunto algorithyms which scare the shit out of her every time we dive because they are so conservative they have her in deco on the first dive. Parker has an older Oceanic data pro, which he likes. The Tusa really is too conservative. The PPO is set at 1.4, which gigs you bad if you hit 100' on the first dive.

As to Senor Abernathy's question about dive platforms, it's a dilemma. We have a counter transom with transom ladder and it sucks for diving. We've found we're better off to cleat the dinghy amidships & use it for a platform. Having said that, the yard I'm in has some top notch welders, and they have put transom platforms on several sailboats in the yard. I'm thinking about it. The problem there is that with a big following sea you're providing a plane surface to drive the stern down--not a good idea, but if the boat is coastal then probably not a dealbreaker. The compromise is a folding transom platform that can be secured, really secured, in a folded up position but can be dropped to permit diving & swimming & groceries.

That's my two cents, anyways

[starfish62]

We always dive 90+ and I don't freak out but do try to outweigh the testoterone need for more bugs and fish when we have a freezer full! Enough already! Let's have enough air for the safety stop. Parker is only 15 and I'd like to have grandchildren. Mom's take on things.....

[Lightfin]

In June '04 we chartered a Lagoon 410 in the BVI's and did several dives. We were able to lash tanks to lifelines on deck; had plenty of room in very accessible cockpit lockers for BCD's etc., and getting fitted out and accessing the water from the pontoon stern steps was handy. There were also plenty of cleats in good locations for tying convenience/safety lines that were dropped in the water when we needed something to hold us in place, etc.

I give the Lagoon 410 a solid "B," maybe even a B+, as a dive platform.

This past January we chartered a Beneteau 473 in St Martin. Winds and seas were much rougher in St Martin in January than in the BVI's in June. So we were STRONGLY discouraged from lashing tanks to lifelines on deck. We stowed them in DEEP lockers under the stern seats; very difficult and cumbersome. That's also where we stored BCD's etc; again cumbersome and difficult, and we had to be especially careful in placement to prevent damage to equipment.

The cockpit was cramped for four divers to "suit up." Access to the water via the stern transom was adequate, but getting back in the boat was a little tougher than on the catamaran.

I give the Beneteau 473 monohull a "C minus" as a dive platform, and that may be generous.

In fairness, the Beneteau grade is also partially influenced by the fact that for us the diving/snorkeling in St Martin wasn't very good; perhaps the BVI's just spoiled us, although even the Keys were better than St Martin. While we were in St Martin conditions were unseasonably rough/strong, so it may not be a fair evaluation. I'd like to give it another try some spring!!

[waynemonastra]

Hi there

Im a certified SSI diver In NZ and have just bought a 26ft yacht I will be moving onto her in the next few weeks and in the summer (at xmas) I hope to do alot more diving and snorkeling

happy diving

wayne

[williamlatham]

Advanced Open Water and Full Cave Certification although I have not been in the water for quite a few years. Hopefully this will change this summer.

[N.M.I.ke]

I'm an Instructor

[kimberlite]

I have multiple certifications as well as NACD Full cave Certification.
i have over 1000 cave dives logged.
fair winds,
eric

[Kai Nui]

Kimberlite, yea, I know about you guys. You are the ones buying up all the tanks I looked at that cert at one point, but I get uncomfortable in confined spaces. No caves for me

[kimberlite]

when i first started cave diving in 1978 . i was in a class in branford florida. i went to the dive shop and dropped off my double 105 cubic foot tanks at the compressor for my first fill.
they are rated at 2200 psi. i then went inside to BS with the dive shop people.
the girl that was filling the tanks (in ice cube filled water) came in a little while later and asked is 3800 psi enough. after some years of cave diving i came to the realization that that was a LIGHT fill
fair winds,
eric

[deepstar]

IANTD Level 3 Closed Circuit Trimix - Full Cave

Cave diving is great, next is wreck diving...

Tim.

[Talbot]

Just a BSAC Dive Leader.

Personally like underwater photography, and preferably of sea life. Wrecks are normally a good source of suitable life.

[Ron_Fran]

I've been a diver for 23 years, but was inactive for 18. Fran just got certified. The sailboat we just bought has a teak swim platform that works great for getting into and out of the water. We have done some diving in the FL keys and hope to do a lot more.

Ron