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Boat for spearfishing?
- Thread starterBryholio
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Off topic... I DO NOT ENVY YOU.....NOT ONE BIT ! *}€|$]++{~€*]$_$_+|*~€}^{*]*€\€{&)&@/&
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Pity SA spearo Miles is no longer active on the forums, he has considerable experience of spearing boats and has upgraded to successively bigger boats over the years. RIBs are popular in the UK, despite all the pointy metal involved in spearing. I've always like the idea of the hard South African Fibretech C-Ski 440 which I believe was designed for spearing:
http://spearfishingsa.co.za/adds/sean-m-add.htm
http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski44.htm
http://www.fibretech.co.za/about.htm"During the last six years we have entered the international market and have sent boats across to Australia, containers of boats to the United Kingdom, a commercial fishing boat to Angola."
There are various configuration available but the one above left shows some key feature: low sides to simplify entry & exit for divers and large fish holds, very little crap to get in the way - but console, box/seat option also available if required.
They also offer smaller (e.g. C-ski 380 http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski380.htm ) and bigger boats (e.g. C-Ski 560 http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski5.html ) but I expect there are Australian alternatives.
At today's exchange rates, $14,000 Aus = £8,268 = $10,770 US = 140,870 Rand
In SA, I believe sea-going boats are often required to have twin powerful engines. Powerful so that a single engine alone can get the boat planing. The idea of twin engines is so that there is plenty of power and if one fails you can get still home safely without help and, if both fail, you could potentially cobble together a single working engines using parts from the 2.
Budget for engines, trailer, storage. Consider spending some of your money on getting training and safety equipment (radios, flares, etc.); it could be the best investment you ever make.
http://spearfishingsa.co.za/adds/sean-m-add.htm
http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski44.htm
http://www.fibretech.co.za/about.htm"During the last six years we have entered the international market and have sent boats across to Australia, containers of boats to the United Kingdom, a commercial fishing boat to Angola."
There are various configuration available but the one above left shows some key feature: low sides to simplify entry & exit for divers and large fish holds
, very little crap to get in the way - but console, box/seat option also available if required.They also offer smaller (e.g. C-ski 380 http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski380.htm ) and bigger boats (e.g. C-Ski 560 http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski5.html ) but I expect there are Australian alternatives.
At today's exchange rates, $14,000 Aus = £8,268 = $10,770 US = 140,870 Rand
In SA, I believe sea-going boats are often required to have twin powerful engines. Powerful so that a single engine alone can get the boat planing. The idea of twin engines is so that there is plenty of power and if one fails you can get still home safely without help and, if both fail, you could potentially cobble together a single working engines using parts from the 2.
Budget for engines, trailer, storage. Consider spending some of your money on getting training and safety equipment (radios, flares, etc.); it could be the best investment you ever make.
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Not enough info on your conditions to make much comment. Where do you dive?, normal sea conditions?, how far offshore, how far from where you store the boat to where you leave to go diving?, How many divers do you take with you? If you have boat trouble, how available is help?
I've been diving off a boat, mine and others, for a long time in lots of different conditons. The boat you need varies accordingly.
I've been diving off a boat, mine and others, for a long time in lots of different conditons. The boat you need varies accordingly.
I assumed that Mr X must somehow know that the OP was from South Africa but i don't know how he knows that. Otherwise I would have said pretty much what cdavis said.
Hey everyone thanks for the replies
Mr.X I was initially looking at an RIB setup but was unsure if my clumsy mates and I would sink it with one of our spears..
I never took fibreglass hulls into consideration due to it being my first boat and I might bump it around a bit but those boats look great I'm trying to find an Australian company who makes a similar boat.
cdavis sorry for the lack of info I'm new to forums,
I live in northern nsw we get fairly big seas but I'll pick my days to go out carefully I need a boat I can beach launch with 2-3 mates and myself, furthest out to sea we would be going is up to 5 kms carrying 4 people, the boat will be stored under a car port 5 mins from the beach, towing is not an issue.
Mr.X I was initially looking at an RIB setup but was unsure if my clumsy mates and I would sink it with one of our spears..
I never took fibreglass hulls into consideration due to it being my first boat and I might bump it around a bit but those boats look great I'm trying to find an Australian company who makes a similar boat.
cdavis sorry for the lack of info I'm new to forums,
I live in northern nsw we get fairly big seas but I'll pick my days to go out carefully I need a boat I can beach launch with 2-3 mates and myself, furthest out to sea we would be going is up to 5 kms carrying 4 people, the boat will be stored under a car port 5 mins from the beach, towing is not an issue.
I hate to beat a dead horse but this is an international forum. I bet that many people have no idea what nsw means. For instance I live in Southern California. I bet I could use a lot of acronyms and you would have no idea what I meant. If you post in a local forum where you live, you could use shorthand. If you want help on an international forum, help us help you.
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OK, some maybe useful commemts:
RIBs are surprisingly resistant to spears. Never heard of much problem and I dived out of an 11 ft, not very good quality, inflatable every day for two years of cruising, no spear problems, but we did put a couple of fish spines through the fabric. That's easily repairable and doesn't threaten sinking. One caution on RIBs, the good ones are pricy and don't get anything else. Cheaper ones come apart early. Also the fabric has a limited life span and used ones may not last long. Personally I'd prefer fibreglass. You can fix it if it breaks.
With your dive profile, you can do with a pretty small boat if the divers know what they are doing. 4 could work in a well designed 15 footer, again if they know what they are doing.
Reliability? You are going to be stuck with a single engine. Make sure it is a very good one and you have aboard the simple stuff that can break and necessary tools. Game out what can go wrong and what you can do about it. Is help available if you need it? We once had a fuel problem in an area where there was no help, an offshore wind, nothing down wind for a couple of thousand miles, and almost off soundings. Got an anchor in just before we were too deep and fixed the problem (just barely) in a couple of hours. It was one of those "coming to Jesus" moments. This is an area to think carefully about all the possible horribles.
If you have the opportunity to dive off others boats that are near the size you want, you will learn a ton about what you really want.
In a small boat, once you are away from the surf, the big waves won't bother you much. Its the short chop that can beat your brains out.
Good luck with the hunt.
Connor
RIBs are surprisingly resistant to spears. Never heard of much problem and I dived out of an 11 ft, not very good quality, inflatable every day for two years of cruising, no spear problems, but we did put a couple of fish spines through the fabric. That's easily repairable and doesn't threaten sinking. One caution on RIBs, the good ones are pricy and don't get anything else. Cheaper ones come apart early. Also the fabric has a limited life span and used ones may not last long. Personally I'd prefer fibreglass. You can fix it if it breaks.
With your dive profile, you can do with a pretty small boat if the divers know what they are doing. 4 could work in a well designed 15 footer, again if they know what they are doing.
Reliability? You are going to be stuck with a single engine. Make sure it is a very good one and you have aboard the simple stuff that can break and necessary tools. Game out what can go wrong and what you can do about it. Is help available if you need it? We once had a fuel problem in an area where there was no help, an offshore wind, nothing down wind for a couple of thousand miles, and almost off soundings. Got an anchor in just before we were too deep and fixed the problem (just barely) in a couple of hours. It was one of those "coming to Jesus" moments. This is an area to think carefully about all the possible horribles.
If you have the opportunity to dive off others boats that are near the size you want, you will learn a ton about what you really want.
In a small boat, once you are away from the surf, the big waves won't bother you much. Its the short chop that can beat your brains out.
Good luck with the hunt.
Connor
If you really are a spearo from NSW you would have without doubt heard of "Haines Hunter" these boats have been the mainstay of spearos for four decades in this state. I find the lack of information in the OP & the lack of knowledge about Haines hulls to be quite disingenuous.
I'm looking at the Haines the 400 looks to be the only one in my price range, is that big enough for 3-4 people? we could launch it off the beach with that many people but I hardly feel it would fit us all with our gear.
The RIB looks inviting but I'm still paranoid that I will put lots of puncture in it somehow haha do you think a plate hull alloy boat could be another option? Especially seen as though the are tough and good for a first time boat buyer or is that a load.
The RIB looks inviting but I'm still paranoid that I will put lots of puncture in it somehow haha do you think a plate hull alloy boat could be another option? Especially seen as though the are tough and good for a first time boat buyer or is that a load.
With boats it's usually a compromise to try and find a boat that can fit in as many categories as possible. Skippers require boats that one can fish off, spear off, do the odd sunset trip with the family, go skiing etc.You are lucky that you have only one purpose and in my opinion for inshore spearfishing the boat best suited for this task is a RIB. Most of the pro's and con's of RIBs are based around the pontoons.
Some of the pro's
Comparatively light - makes it easier to tow, launch and retrieve. Lighter boats also don't need as much power to get on the plane so you can get away with smaller motors which will keep the initial cost as well as the fuel bill low.
Buoyancy - because a lot of the buoyancy sits in the pontoons on top of the hull it makes for stable platforms to work from. . The pontoons also allow manufactures to utilise a deeper V / steeper dead-rise which makes for a softer ride as the boat is able to cut though swells / chop easier. They also make the handling of the boat easier by eliminating some of the broaching present in some hulls with similar dead-rise.
Low - because pontoons sit close to the water getting in and out of the boat while at sea is much easier than boats with high gunnels.
Some of the con's
Pontoons and spears - I may just be lucky, but I've never seen a spear make a hole in a pontoon and I've only heard of one occasion where it's happened. Fish spines have however caused a few holes when spearos throw fish into the boat but a dab of superglue usually sorts it out. If you tell your dive mates to be mindful of the pontoons then you should be ok. Another thing to keep in mind is a RIB with proper buoyancy should stay afloat even with no pontoons present. Also, the pontoons should have compartments, so should you puncture one then the other will stay inflated.
Pontoons don't like the sun - pontoons do require more care and its best to store your boat at least under a proper cover or better, under a car port or in a garage. Quality pontoons if well looked after should have no problem lasting 20+ years.
Pontoons take up more deck space - this is true and there's no real way to get around it. They do however offer comfortable seating.
In SA the gold standard for RIBs is Gemini Marine (From the looks of it you have agents in Australia). Very well built boats and they are used almost exclusively by the SA National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) so extremely seaworthy. The 5 to 5.5m range are very popular and I think this size will suit your requirements well.
Some of the pro's
Comparatively light - makes it easier to tow, launch and retrieve. Lighter boats also don't need as much power to get on the plane so you can get away with smaller motors which will keep the initial cost as well as the fuel bill low.
Buoyancy - because a lot of the buoyancy sits in the pontoons on top of the hull it makes for stable platforms to work from. . The pontoons also allow manufactures to utilise a deeper V / steeper dead-rise which makes for a softer ride as the boat is able to cut though swells / chop easier. They also make the handling of the boat easier by eliminating some of the broaching present in some hulls with similar dead-rise.
Low - because pontoons sit close to the water getting in and out of the boat while at sea is much easier than boats with high gunnels.
Some of the con's
Pontoons and spears - I may just be lucky, but I've never seen a spear make a hole in a pontoon and I've only heard of one occasion where it's happened. Fish spines have however caused a few holes when spearos throw fish into the boat but a dab of superglue usually sorts it out. If you tell your dive mates to be mindful of the pontoons then you should be ok. Another thing to keep in mind is a RIB with proper buoyancy should stay afloat even with no pontoons present. Also, the pontoons should have compartments, so should you puncture one then the other will stay inflated.
Pontoons don't like the sun - pontoons do require more care and its best to store your boat at least under a proper cover or better, under a car port or in a garage. Quality pontoons if well looked after should have no problem lasting 20+ years.
Pontoons take up more deck space - this is true and there's no real way to get around it. They do however offer comfortable seating.
In SA the gold standard for RIBs is Gemini Marine (From the looks of it you have agents in Australia). Very well built boats and they are used almost exclusively by the SA National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) so extremely seaworthy. The 5 to 5.5m range are very popular and I think this size will suit your requirements well.
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Twins and reliability are a relic fromthe days of unreliable two stroke outboards. These days a good quality single is certainly reliable enough for you to go miles offshore. It's cheaper to invest in a good Marine radio.Pity SA spearo Miles is no longer active on the forums, he has considerable experience of spearing boats and has upgraded to successively bigger boats over the years. RIBs are popular in the UK, despite all the pointy metal involved in spearing. I've always like the idea of the hard South African Fibretech C-Ski 440 which I believe was designed for spearing:
http://spearfishingsa.co.za/adds/sean-m-add.htm
http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski44.htm
http://www.fibretech.co.za/about.htm"During the last six years we have entered the international market and have sent boats across to Australia, containers of boats to the United Kingdom, a commercial fishing boat to Angola."
There are various configuration available but the one above left shows some key feature: low sides to simplify entry & exit for divers and large fish holds
They also offer smaller (e.g. C-ski 380 http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski380.htm ) and bigger boats (e.g. C-Ski 560 http://www.fibretech.co.za/cski5.html ) but I expect there are Australian alternatives.
At today's exchange rates, $14,000 Aus = £8,268 = $10,770 US = 140,870 Rand
In SA, I believe sea-going boats are often required to have twin powerful engines. Powerful so that a single engine alone can get the boat planing. The idea of twin engines is so that there is plenty of power and if one fails you can get still home safely without help and, if both fail, you could potentially cobble together a single working engines using parts from the 2.
Budget for engines, trailer, storage. Consider spending some of your money on getting training and safety equipment (radios, flares, etc.); it could be the best investment you ever make.
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk
It can save time if folk include links and/or image links. E.g.
Mako 18 LTS boats for sale - boats.com
View a wide selection of Mako 18 LTS boats for sale in your area, explore detailed information & find your next boat on boats.com. #everythingboats
uk.boats.com
Oz. The C-skis are/were available in the UK and might be in Oz too, which is closer to ZA and, perhaps, has more similar conditions and culture (i.e. better weather and big fish).
To find the poster's location Click the user's Avatar image on there post
. In this case I had to Google the location. It would be easier if everyone at least included their location country. NSW is a known acronym to me but UK has closer linksto Oz. Similarly some American posters neglect to mention their country and mention place names that exist in other countries too (Falmouth for example).
Another option Foxfish mentioned a few years ago was a small moulded plastic boat. Construction looked similar to the popular Sit on-top kayaks.
Oh, ok then. I meant these Mako 18 LTS https://www.topspeed.com/boats/2015-mako-18-lts-ar168684.html
And these Intex inflatable (unfortunelly, i don't remember what boat i exactly have (i found two of them on this site)) https://www.bestadvisers.co.uk/inflatable-boats
An update to this. I ended up getting a boat membership. Although expensive, access to the boats was very good and the boats were very capable. The main issue was that no matter where we went visibility was absolute trash and I couldn't find any fish. Could not justify the cost, would rather shore dive and spend this money on charters or trips to better hunting grounds. Shot 3 fish this season from shore and 0 from the boat. New England is very different than California where at least could bag some surf perch every dive.