Choosing The Right Dive Boat For Your Adventure

There are many types of dive boats, each with its own unique features and capabilities. Dive boats are typically designed to optimise the diving experience, offering features such as dive platforms, easy entry and exit points, ladders, and spacious deck areas. They come in various sizes, from smaller day boats to large liveaboards, and can be powered by wind, muscle power, or internal combustion engines. Some common types of dive boats include rigid-hulled boats, open rigid-hulled boats, decked rigid-hulled boats, day boats, and liveaboard boats. When choosing a dive boat, factors such as boat size, capacity, amenities, and dive trip types should be considered to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

Rigid-hulled boats

Water entry on rigid-hulled boats is commonly done by simultaneously rolling backwards over the side, while returning to the boat involves removing heavy diving equipment and handing it up to the crew before climbing back over the tubes. Some of these boats have ladders to assist less athletic divers, while others rely on crew assistance.

Day boats

The size of a day boat depends on the number of divers it needs to accommodate. A larger boat provides more comfort and space for passengers and their equipment. However, it's important to consider the trade-off between size and manoeuvrability, especially when accessing less accessible sites.

When choosing a day boat, it's essential to consider factors such as deck space, access points, and amenities. Deck space is crucial for storing dive gear, and fishing features like transom and hullside doors can double as access points. Amenities such as freshwater showers and heated cabins can enhance the comfort of your diving experience.

In summary, day boats offer a comfortable and convenient option for divers, providing a base for multiple dives throughout the day and accommodating various marine activities.

Liveaboards

When booking a liveaboard, divers should consider their budget, dive experience, and the facilities offered by the vessel. Liveaboards typically offer multiple dives per day, with some offering up to five dives, including night dives. They also provide divers with the opportunity to explore different diving destinations and connect with fellow divers.

• Cat Ppalu, Bahamas: A sailing catamaran that takes divers to the best dive sites in the Exumas, including shark dives and high-speed drift dives. It has six cabins, making it ideal for full boat charters, and also offers non-diving activities like snorkelling and island exploring.
• Water & Wind, Azores, Portugal: A catamaran liveaboard that explores the nine islands of the Azores, offering uncrowded diving and abundant marine life. It has four cabins with ensuite bathrooms, and the meals are of gourmet quality, featuring fresh local seafood and salads.
• Aquatiki II, French Polynesia: A luxe catamaran with three crew members and four guest cabins, designed with diving in mind. It offers nine to fifteen-day itineraries around Fakarava in the Northern Tuamotu Atolls, known for their shark dives. Meals include fresh Tahitian seafood, and there are typically two dives per day, with time for topside explorations.
• Fenides Liveaboard, Indonesia: A luxury liveaboard with space for ten divers in five cabins, cruising through Komodo, Raja Ampat, and the Banda Sea. It features spacious teak lounges and onboard massage services, as well as kayaks, paddleboards, and surfboards for water activities.
• Coral Sea Dreaming, Australia: A sailing vessel built for short trips on the Great Barrier Reef, accommodating small groups in five cabins. It offers free rental equipment and a mix of diving and snorkelling opportunities.
• King Snefro 5, Red Sea, Egypt: A four-cabin cruiser that puts divers atop thrilling drifts, walls, caverns, and wrecks in Egyptian waters. It offers the chance to dive the SS Thistlegorm, considered one of the most thrilling wreck dives in the world.
• S/V Lucky Me, St. Croix and St. Vincent and the Grenadines: A catamaran with a private chef, divemaster, and captain, offering four to nine-night charters for up to eight divers. It provides the opportunity to dive fishy wrecks and reefs and even get certified onboard.

Decked rigid-hulled boats

Day boats in this category generally range from 60 to 90 feet (18 to 27 metres) in length, as they need to provide some level of comfort for passengers during the several hours they spend on board. Many day boats cater to scuba divers and other marine tourism activities like fishing and whale-watching. Passengers typically only spend the daylight hours on a day boat and do not sleep on board overnight.

Dive boats that provide sleeping accommodations are generally referred to as "liveaboards". These boats are commercially operated and provide divers with a place to live and sleep, as well as dive, for periods ranging from a few days to several weeks. Liveaboards are typically operated by a professional crew and offer various facilities and amenities, such as a toilet ("head"), a small kitchen ("galley"), dining and social areas, and a bridge.

Open rigid-hulled boats

Compared to rigid-hulled inflatable boats, open rigid-hulled boats are more durable but heavier for the same load capacity. They are usually less stable and not as easy to climb back onto. In Australia and New Zealand, the light aluminium "tinnie" is a popular choice for a dive boat in this category.

Frequently asked questions