5.5 m ribs

[two stroke mick]

If you were on the look out for a rib circa 5.5 m which of the following would you pick

Searider 5.4

Rib craft 545

Gemini wave runner 550

Delta dash 5.5

Which would be most suitable for diving

Ten

[Ferryman]

Nice ribs on the list but for diving - you need to get a Ribcraft

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Ferryman

Nice ribs on the list but for diving - you need to get a Ribcraft

Care to explain?

IMHO a dive rib is about a lot more than the brand or even hull design. Deck layout, helm position and engine are all perfectly possible of making an otherwise well thought of boat a bad dive boat.

[xpertski]

Humber’s make a good dive rib

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

If you were on the look out for a rib circa 5.5 m which of the following would you pick

Searider 5.4

Rib craft 545

Gemini wave runner 550

Delta dash 5.5

Which would be most suitable for diving

Ten

The delta 5dash 5 has been used for diving for years

[Ferryman]

In my opinion a decent dive rib obviously needs to sit well at rest in a decent sea (very deep vee) have a good amount of deck space and very hard wearing tubes like most ribcraft.

I would say the Delta is best running in heavy sea and the Gemini is a great leisure speed machine.

Everyone loves Avons - I’ve got one but it’s not a dive rib.

It’s just my opinion and no one mentioned engines but I guess at least 90hp.

[Pikey Dave]

Personally I wouldn’t say that a 5.5m is a good diving platform. I have a RC545 & for 2 diving it would be cosy. Saying that, I like my space. I think that you need to go 6m+ as a dive boat.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Id agree re room I set my ribquest 585 measured 6 m up to dive console two shock seats left me with 5 foot to the transom full width two divers could dress in comfy

[Matty75]

For diving I'd be looking at either Ribcraft or Delta...….
Depending on how may divers you're talking about and whether recreational or technical you'd want to be looking at something not less than 6m and also something with a decent beam, circa 2.5m+
With these figures and an appropriate engine you'll get a fine stable platform.
Obviously positioning of console/seating & bottle rack will have to be taken into account.


We dive a 6.8m Tornado with a 2.6m beam & a Honda 200hp.
Console placed forward with single jockey & bottle rack aft of jockey.
Can accommodate 12 divers + cox'n comfortably and any less is paradise

[treerat]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Personally I wouldn’t say that a 5.5m is a good diving platform.

Get out of here - we run a 5.45 in the club (Viking) as do many dive clubs. They make a great platform, room for 4 easily and 6 at a push for short distances.

Low tubes for getting back in, small console, underfloor tank for max deck space, simple to tow, handle, launch and store.

It's why clubs have them

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by treerat

Get out of here - we run a 5.45 in the club (Viking) as do many dive clubs. They make a great platform, room for 4 easily and 6 at a push for short distances.



Low tubes for getting back in, small console, underfloor tank for max deck space, simple to tow, handle, launch and store.



It's why clubs have them

I suppose it depends on the type of diving you’re doing. If it’s scuby club diving with single cylinders, then you’d squeeze 4 on plus a cox. If you’re doing anything more “heavy duty” you need more space imo. I used to run a 6.4 with a single jockey seat & bottle rack. That was good for 6 scuba divers or 4 techies. Anymore than that it got cramped.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Ferryman

In my opinion a decent dive rib obviously needs to sit well at rest in a decent sea (very deep vee)

I'm not sure what a decent sea is but when I see divers sitting "at rest" they aren't usually out in stupid conditions. You want a stable boat though, and sitting low in the water is obviously helpful for re-entry. Surprised that a very deep V makes much difference at rest. I think like PD's comment about the type of diving, it also depends on the area you are diving. I know some guys who dive who have never gone more than 1/2 an hour from their launch, and I know some who see the journey as part of the trip.

have a good amount of deck space

certainly - so I'd say the deck layout is almost more important than whats under the water. If someone has rigged a ribcraft for leisure use and its cluttered it is not going to be better than a delta with a good layout.

and very hard wearing tubes like most ribcraft.

are ribcraft's tubes better wearing that Avon, Delta or Gemini?

I would say the Delta is best running in heavy sea

the only Delta Dash I've been on was a Dive Rib. My main criticism for leisure use is it is a wet ride - but for divers in dry suits thats not really an issue.

and the Gemini is a great leisure speed machine.

I've no personal experience but they don't look like the classic "leisure rib" we see here.

Everyone loves Avons - I’ve got one but it’s not a dive rib.

I'm not that excited by them myself, but they are a stable platform and rugged tubes but the standard layouts would be cramped for kitting up etc - so I think you are reinforcing the point that a great dive rib is about the deck layout not the brand?

[Ferryman]

I’ll give you the deep vee makes no difference at rest - other than that the question was which brand would you choose as a dive rib, all I did was give my answer, from that list I’d choose the Ribcraft.
The layout is obviously important but I’d set that up as probably 1 or 2 seats with the console set forward and as much space as possible behind with a bottle rack.
I may be wrong but as far as i remember, RC tubes are heavier built than others and wear well in this application.
Just out of interest, I don’t have a Ribcraft, my interest is in leisure ribs.
Cheers

[keef1234]

Go Delta, haven't found it any wetter than any other rib, use mine for pleasure. If I was changing brand of rib I'd go for Ribcraft tho

[jonp]

Funny, I didn't realise some were better for diving than others!

I've dived out of all kinds of boats over many years and apart from cat design boats have found them all to have limited space, where cats have huge deck areas, good stability and great rough water handling.

Ribs are a compromise ( even on the two dive ribs I commercially drive, 7.3m Gemini and 9m niad). My own personal rib is a little 550 (5.2m) zodiac which handle four divers with organisation. Firstly rear seats are a waste of space in my opinion, even in rough water handling I would rather be standing to brace myself with bent knees ( I have back disk and neck fractures ).

We also competition spearfish, which means using 90cm fins and plenty of 110-130cm guns onboard, where the 550 handles four adults ok.

The hull in my zodiac is 24'degree, not sure how this compares with the other mentioned ribs but it doesn't matter what make people are talking about, it's the degree of v that softens the ride. The rakes on the hull add lift and improve economy.

My own next boat purches will be a comercial boat mostly for diving and research work, it won't be a rib with inflatable tubes but an aluminium rib where the top of the tubes are used as storage ( something like a stabicraft 2200 frontier with a 225 four stroke).

Could people post images of the boats they recommend as diving boats to help both the op and myself understand why the boat they recommend is better than any other 5.5m boat, also include the hull degree as angles speak more than opinions.

Try to get out on any of the boats you mention, I've only been on the three three I mention here, with the gemeni being the wettest boat I've ever been on, which isn't to bad in this part of the world but your gear onboard cops a flogging of salt.

In these photos you can see the kinds of offshore conditions we have, this is far worse than the conditions I ever dived and comercialy fished in the UK ( IOW home ). In one photo you can see how cramped the boat is ahead of a 600km island hoping trip, where the islands are 80km offshore and all fuel, water and 4 adults head.

[keef1234]

1993 Delta dash 5.5, has had a bottle rack in it at a time and tube tops have been well worn but still hold air well. Double seated console so even more room with single,also has long range bow tank so console could be further forward in another dash