Re: Maxxon Inflatables - anyone have experience with these?
Your typical inflatable does not plane. The tender that I bought from the guy that sold his sailboat is a Caribe. It has a snap in fiberglass keel; basically a two-part fiberglass stick that snaps in the bottom between a pocket under the tube at the bow, and the fiberglass transom. The fabric on the bottom is stretch very tight. Its a 10-ft inflatable that will easily plane with 2 divers and all their equipment when pushed by a 15hp Yamaha. 15hp is the max motor size for it. I wouldnt get too creative about over-powering an inflatable since there isnt any real structural support except 3-lbs of air pressure.<br /><br />The boat size you mention is going to get real crowded with two divers, their toys, a helmsman, anchor, and the safety equipment we (in the US) are required to carry on all boats. Its kind of silly but even tho youre in a 7mm wetsuit with no possible way of submerging without a weight belt on, we are still required to have a PFD for ever diver on the boat. I wouldnt want a boat the size you are talking about for anything more than two divers. Leave the helmsman at home.<br /><br />If you havent been diving from an inflatable before, you will quickly recount all those training exercises for doffing and donning your equipment in the water. We found it easiest to assemble the rig on terra firma and throw it into the boat. The weight belts moving around on the boat floor will be one of your biggest concerns. If youre sitting on the tubes on your way out, dont wear the weight belts. Its a safety issue should someone bounce overboard. Once you are anchored at the dive site, inflate the bcs and throw them overboard. Lay the weight belts on the tubes. Grab your fins and jump in. I have a couple lines attached to the boat so when a diver surfaces the first thing he does is clip a brass hook to a loop in his weight belt and drop the belt. It will hang about a meter under the boat. Another line to clip to the bc, then remove it. If you arent in currents you dont need to clip the bc, if you are in current they have a tendency to float away. Oh, if you are in currents, get yourself at least 50 meters of polypropylene line (floats) and a small buoy to attach to the transom its not if, its just a matter of when. Its also more stuff to put into a small boat.<br /><br />Three people cannot carry my assembled, inflated Caribe across rocks if the fiberglass floor is in place, and it must be before fully inflating. It will take 4 people. If the Zodiac doesnt have a rigid floor you should be ok with two people carrying it but youll still be dealing with bulk while navigating the rocks and after the dive?!? And you are going to want to be careful to keep that vinyl boat off the rocks. It is NOT abrasion resistant. Fold a big towel into a shoulder pad and you can carry the 15hp motor without too much problem if youre only going a short distance over rocks, unless you are one of those failed NZer bungee jumpers.
<br /><br />I think the first couple times you launch your boat over the rocks youll be ok. By the third time your dive buddies will be finding excuses for not going. Youll be looking for other location to launch your boat, perhaps from a sandy beach or such. From the sand you can use big, bulbous wheels attached to the transom and roll the whole boat+motor into the sea. Also, the size of boat you are talking about is going to be marginal for two divers, equipment and a helmsman in anything except calm water. You might be better off holding off until you can afford something (boat) a little more appropriate, or start a dive club and get some other dicers to invest in a boat, something like that.<br /><br />Edit: another thought
I have wondered why no one built fiberglass boats with tubes that look like inflatable boats. They would be excellent dive platforms. I just saw such a critter at the Seattle boat show. A small, fiberglass boat with fiberglass tubes that have hatches on the tubes for storing stuff inside them. If you have time, you could build yourself a boat like that for less money than a Zodiac costs. You would have a bigger and better boat, but you would need a trailer to haul it around on, and you would need to launch from a ramp
I guess a luxury you dont have.<br /><br />Ever heard of a dive board? Its like a surfboard on steroids, with a pointy end, no fin(s). They are a hollow fiberglass shell you can easily carry to the shore, strap your dive toys to the top, and kick out with your finned feet. No paddle. You dont go fast but you can go far. There is a compartment for a small anchor and line. They are very popular with free divers, especially during spearfishing contests. Some scuba divers use them but scuba divers are basically lazy. You can buy dive boards but most people just make them themselves. Sea Kayak makes some indestructible plastic boats specifically for your type of diving. You should take a look at them. They are popular in California and have good resell value, well made. Some models have carriage bins for two tanks, even some models of kayaks for two divers.
Your typical inflatable does not plane. The tender that I bought from the guy that sold his sailboat is a Caribe. It has a snap in fiberglass keel; basically a two-part fiberglass stick that snaps in the bottom between a pocket under the tube at the bow, and the fiberglass transom. The fabric on the bottom is stretch very tight. Its a 10-ft inflatable that will easily plane with 2 divers and all their equipment when pushed by a 15hp Yamaha. 15hp is the max motor size for it. I wouldnt get too creative about over-powering an inflatable since there isnt any real structural support except 3-lbs of air pressure.<br /><br />The boat size you mention is going to get real crowded with two divers, their toys, a helmsman, anchor, and the safety equipment we (in the US) are required to carry on all boats. Its kind of silly but even tho youre in a 7mm wetsuit with no possible way of submerging without a weight belt on, we are still required to have a PFD for ever diver on the boat. I wouldnt want a boat the size you are talking about for anything more than two divers. Leave the helmsman at home.<br /><br />If you havent been diving from an inflatable before, you will quickly recount all those training exercises for doffing and donning your equipment in the water. We found it easiest to assemble the rig on terra firma and throw it into the boat. The weight belts moving around on the boat floor will be one of your biggest concerns. If youre sitting on the tubes on your way out, dont wear the weight belts. Its a safety issue should someone bounce overboard. Once you are anchored at the dive site, inflate the bcs and throw them overboard. Lay the weight belts on the tubes. Grab your fins and jump in. I have a couple lines attached to the boat so when a diver surfaces the first thing he does is clip a brass hook to a loop in his weight belt and drop the belt. It will hang about a meter under the boat. Another line to clip to the bc, then remove it. If you arent in currents you dont need to clip the bc, if you are in current they have a tendency to float away. Oh, if you are in currents, get yourself at least 50 meters of polypropylene line (floats) and a small buoy to attach to the transom its not if, its just a matter of when. Its also more stuff to put into a small boat.<br /><br />Three people cannot carry my assembled, inflated Caribe across rocks if the fiberglass floor is in place, and it must be before fully inflating. It will take 4 people. If the Zodiac doesnt have a rigid floor you should be ok with two people carrying it but youll still be dealing with bulk while navigating the rocks and after the dive?!? And you are going to want to be careful to keep that vinyl boat off the rocks. It is NOT abrasion resistant. Fold a big towel into a shoulder pad and you can carry the 15hp motor without too much problem if youre only going a short distance over rocks, unless you are one of those failed NZer bungee jumpers.
<br /><br />I think the first couple times you launch your boat over the rocks youll be ok. By the third time your dive buddies will be finding excuses for not going. Youll be looking for other location to launch your boat, perhaps from a sandy beach or such. From the sand you can use big, bulbous wheels attached to the transom and roll the whole boat+motor into the sea. Also, the size of boat you are talking about is going to be marginal for two divers, equipment and a helmsman in anything except calm water. You might be better off holding off until you can afford something (boat) a little more appropriate, or start a dive club and get some other dicers to invest in a boat, something like that.<br /><br />Edit: another thought
I have wondered why no one built fiberglass boats with tubes that look like inflatable boats. They would be excellent dive platforms. I just saw such a critter at the Seattle boat show. A small, fiberglass boat with fiberglass tubes that have hatches on the tubes for storing stuff inside them. If you have time, you could build yourself a boat like that for less money than a Zodiac costs. You would have a bigger and better boat, but you would need a trailer to haul it around on, and you would need to launch from a ramp
I guess a luxury you dont have.<br /><br />Ever heard of a dive board? Its like a surfboard on steroids, with a pointy end, no fin(s). They are a hollow fiberglass shell you can easily carry to the shore, strap your dive toys to the top, and kick out with your finned feet. No paddle. You dont go fast but you can go far. There is a compartment for a small anchor and line. They are very popular with free divers, especially during spearfishing contests. Some scuba divers use them but scuba divers are basically lazy. You can buy dive boards but most people just make them themselves. Sea Kayak makes some indestructible plastic boats specifically for your type of diving. You should take a look at them. They are popular in California and have good resell value, well made. Some models have carriage bins for two tanks, even some models of kayaks for two divers.