| Hi,
I really like RIB diving. When it works well then it is very rewarding. I have done most of my RIB diving off the south coast of england. Here there are an increasing number of excellent hardboats which don't mind if you turn up with full tech gear but RIB's are still great fun.
Getting in is simple, fall off the side. I would not bother with ladders on a RIB to get out. With a small amount of fitness and technique then it is easy to get yourself back onboard. Although, you will have to dekit yourself in the water first.
We have just bought a new RIB. This will hopefully be much better than the old one. It has a deeper V and therefore should be more stable in rougher seas. It is made by RIBCRAFT. The old one had a flatter hull which provided more deck space at the expense of seaworthyness!
The problem with RIB diving is that in addition to all the dive planning you need some knowledge about boats and navigation to do it safely. The boat logistics take more time than the dive logistics in many cases. It also helps if all of your friends on the boat have some skills in driving the boat so can act as good surface cover.
A 6.5m RIB should provide enough room for 6 divers with twinsets and crew. You may be able to increase this number if the divers are on singles. 2 decent engines provides redundancy (75-100bhp each for a 6.5m). Then a big 4x4 truck to get it in and out of the water. At minimum a 3.0L engine with low ratio gearbox and preferably antilock brakes (proper landrover, landcruiser etc..)
Have fun
James |